Atwal makes steady start at US PGA Tour Qualifying School Finals

Califormia, Nov 30 (UNI) Aiming to regain his playing rights in the US Tour, Arjun Atwal made a determined start in the Qualifying School Finals, carding a level-par 72 in the opening round to be tied for the 24th spot here.

The Orlando-based Indian, who lost his card for next season after a poor run of form, which saw him end 140th in the money list this season, swapped four birdies against an equal number of bogeys to make a steady start.

The top-30 finishers and ties after six rounds in the qualifying school will earn their US PGA Tour card. Atwal had to go back to the qualifying school as he missed 18 cuts this season and managed just one top-10 finish in the 33 events played this year with earnings of 550,537 dollar.

Playing his back-nine first, Atwal opened with a birdie on the 10th but was undone by a bogey on the very next hole. The Indian then had a run of par shots until firing an 18th hole birdie to make the turn at one-under.

The former Asian Tour number one could not get off to a very good start in his front nine and stumbled to a first hole bogey but compenasted for the lapse by gaining a shot on the second before a bogey on the next brought him back to square one.

However, the Indian managed to prevent an over-par finish with birdies on the sixth and ninth to end the day on a satisfactory note.

UNI XC PM RL KP1230