Arjun Atwal - Media Guide

Nationwide Tour event at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship (T6) and culminating with a season-best third-place finish at the Legend Financial Group Classic, thanks to matching 66s in the final two rounds to end two strokes behind champion Jason Day. Struggled the rest of the way, making just three cuts in nine starts, with a T16 at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic his best showing. Led the Tour in Putts Per Round (28.53). Fell out of the top 125 on the 2006 PGA TOUR money list, posting one top-10 in 33 starts. Lone top-10 was a T4 at the Buick Invitational. Recorded three eagles over a five-hole stretch on his first nine (Nos. 14, 16 and 18) during the second round. Missed a 7-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole that would have put him in a playoff with eventual winner Tiger Woods, Jose Maria Olazabal and Nathan Green. Finished No. 82nd on the 2005 money list in second full season on TOUR. Led TOUR in Putting Average (1.710). Missed just one cut in 17 starts. Earned first top-10 of the season in his third start, which he barely made. Began the week of the BellSouth Classic in Bali, Indonesia, on his honeymoon and as the 23rd alternate for the tournament. Parents warned him of impending storms, so he and his wife, Ritika, headed to the their U.S. residence. First round of the weather-shortened, 54-hole tournament did not begin until Saturday due to inclement weather. Was informed Thursday morning that he was second alternate, and when Chris DiMarco and Steve Flesch withdrew Friday he was next in the field. Opened with a 77 but came back with rounds of 67-64 to make his way into a five-way playoff with winner Phil Mickelson, Rich Beem, Brandt Jobe and Jose Maria Olazabal. Eliminated on first extra hole after second shot found the water on the 18th hole and could not get up and down for par. His T2 finish was the best of his career. Held a share of the 18-hole lead with DiMarco at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after opening with a 7-under-par 65, tying DiMarco's course record. Led by one after second-round 68. Finished T5 after rounds of 73-73 on the weekend. Third top-10 of the season was T9 finish at the B.C. Open. Was one stroke back through 54 holes, but a 70 dropped him to T9. Two months later, added a 10th-place finish at the Bell Canadian Open. In rookie campaign in 2004, missed 14 cuts in 15 starts in the middle of the season but ended strong by playing on the weekend eight times in last 10 appearances, including his first career top-10, a solo sixth at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, aided by a final-round 66. Was the first native of India to join the PGA TOUR after T7 finish at PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament. In February of 2003, claimed a commanding four-shot victory at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open for his second triumph on the European Tour. Held off Retief Goosen to win. Became the first player on the Asian PGA to surpass $1 million in career earnings after winning the Hero Honda Masters in India. Became the first Indian, and only the fourth Asian, to win on the European Tour when he recorded a five-stroke victory in the 2002 Caltex Singapore Masters..