Sports News | Atwal Third, as Thongchai Wins PGA Tour Champions Title

Pebble Beach (US), Sep 25 (PTI) Indian golfer Arjun Atwal registered his best finish of 3-under 69 to finish in sole third at the PURE Insurance Championship here.

It was also his first top-10 finish playing among the Seniors after he became eligible for the Tour after turning 50 in March.

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For the first since turning Senior, Atwal also shot all three rounds in the 60s with rounds of 68-68-69 for a total of 11-under 205 at Pebble Beach Links.

Atwal's former colleague on the Asian and European Tours, Thailand's veteran star Thongchai Jaidee claimed his second PGA TOUR Champions title after beating Justin Leonard on the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off at Pebble Beach.

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Both Jaidee (67) and Leonard (68) finished at 14-under, three shots ahead of Atwal. Beginning the final round a shot off the lead, the 53-year-old Thongchai closed with a 5-under 67 to force extra time with 36-hole leader Leonard.

He then won the tournament with a par on the iconic par-5, 18th hole after the American found trouble from off the tee en route to a double bogey.

Atwal opened his final round with a bogey but then had a hat-trick of birdies on second, third and fourth holes, raising hopes of a solid charge. Then the putter turned cold and he had a bogey on Par-4 eighth and just one more birdie on Par-4 11th for a round of 69.

Atwal's previous best on the Champions Tour was T-11 at Invited Celebrity Classic in April and then made two more cuts before missing the cut at the Senior Open in Wales. This week was his fifth PGA TOUR Champions start. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)