Arjun Atwal holed a six-foot putt on the final hole to clinch victory in the Wyndham Championship.
Journeyman becomes first Indian to win on American soil
Arjun Atwal holed a six-foot putt on the final hole to clinch victory in the Wyndham Championship and become the first Indian to win on the US Tour.
On a rollercoaster final day at the Sedgefield Country Club, the overnight leader saw his three shot lead evaporate in an event that essentially became a putting contest.
However, birdies at the 14th and 16th got Atwal to 20 under par for the first time and pars at the final two holes were enough to seal the victory and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
The 37-year-old, who led the first round with a 61, birdied the third and fourth to move to 19 under par but a crowded leaderboard meant more than a dozen players were in with a realistic chance of victory.
Former US Open champion Lucas Glover was the player to emerge from the pack as the Indian's biggest danger, a run of six birdies in the first nine holes seeing the American to the turn in 29.
But from there it was all downhill for the Ryder Cup hopeful, who immediately gave one back at the 10th after hooking his tee shot, and another went at the 14th when he fluffed a chip.
Cold
Atwal's putter had also gone cold and when he failed to get up and down from a bunker at the 12th there were seven players tied for the lead on 18 under par.
That didn't last long though, as Atwal sank a 15-footer at the 14th moments before Justin Leonard canned a third birdie in succession at the penultimate hole.
But the former Open champion gave one back at the final hole, where playing partner David Toms sank a 25-foot putt to set the target at 19-under with a final round of 64.
Atwal got lucky at the par-five 15th when he hooked his second beyond the stands, only for his drop to give him a simple chip to the green, and although his birdie attempt fell just short, he made no mistake at the short 16th following a fine tee shot to take sole possession of the lead.
Another birdie effort just stayed above ground at the penultimate hole, but after missing the fairway at the 18th Atwal fired his second into the spectators' tent behind the green.
Again, the free drop proved to his liking and although his chip came up short, he held his nerve to clinch his first title on American soil with a closing round of 67, while he also became the first Monday qualifier to win the ensuing tournament in 24 years.
"It feels great, I have no words to describe it," said Atwal, a multiple winner on the Asia Tour who had lost his US playing rights in July after failing to secure enough winnings on a medical exemption.
"I just grinded it today. I was so nervous over that putt and so glad it went in."
