Atwal slumps to tied 28th after round 2 at Chrysler Classic

North Carolina, Oct 7 (UNI) Arjun Atwal struggled to keep pace and slipped to the tied 28th place in the second round after carding a one-over 73 at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro here.

After a strong 67 on the opening day, the 33-year-old Indian dropped down after shooting two birdies against three bogeys. Atwal shared his position with defending champion Choi Kyung-ju with a two-day total of four-under 140.

Starting on the back nine, Atwal dropped a shot at the 12th hole but replied through a birdie at the 13th hole before stumbling with a second bogey at the 16th hole. He then birdied the fourth hole but dropped a shot in the closing stages at the eighth hole.

Atwal, currently ranked 143rd on the US money list, is gunning to finish in the top-125 to book his card for next season.

Former Asian Tour regular Daniel Chopra of Sweden stumbled to a 74 as he was in tied 56th place. American Nick Watney shot a 71 and took the sole lead in the second round at the Forest Oaks Country Club with a two-day total of nine-under 135.

Meanwhile, Chopra also struggled for form after an impressive 68 in the opening round and sank in four birdies against six bogeys.

Playing his back nine first, the Indian-born Swede stumbled to back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th and dropped another on the 13th before recovering to hit birdies on the 15th and 16th and make the turn at one-over.

His front nine was no less eventful and he ended up with a hat-trick of bogeys after starting with a birdie on the second hole.

A seventh hole birdie could not help his cause much as he slumped to the tied 56th spot on the leaderboard.

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