Atwal tied 57th, Chopra tied 4th at John Deere Classic

Silvis, Illinois, July 16 (UNI) A bogey on the eighth hole cost him dearly as Daniel Chopra slipped to the tied fourth spot after carding a three-under 68 while Arjun Atwal's one-under 70 score saw him slip to the tied 57th spot after the penultimate round of the four million dollar John Deere Classic here.

Atwal, who overcame weeks of disappointment to make the cut in the tournament, fired two birdies against a solitary bogey to accumulate a three-day total of five-under 208.

Playing his back nine firt, the Orlando-based Indian shot birdies on the 11th and 15th and didn't stumble even once to be two-under at the halfway mark.

Returning to play his front nine, Atwal was, however, not that impressive as he hit a bogey on the third and failed to gain a single shot.

Meanwhile, Chopra, who now has a three-day total of 12-under 201, was left rueing a dropped shot on the eighth as he failed to retain his second spot by a single shot. The Indian-born Swede fired four birdies -- two in each nine -- to be four shots off the pace of sole leader John Senden (64) of Australia.

Senden fired seven birdies in his blemish-free performance to be comfortably placed at the top with a three-stroke lead against second-placed American Heath Slocum(66).

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