Atwal slumps after roller-coaster rd 2 at National Pro-Am

Pebble Beach, Ca., Feb 10 (UNI) Arjun Atwal failed to sustain his good form and ended up returning a poor three-over 75 to slip to the tied 40th spot after the second round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am here.

The former Asian number one started the day in tied fourth place following an opening 67 but with a mixed bag of four birdies, five bogeys and one double bogey, Atwal found himself way down with a total of two-under 142 in the 5.5 million dollar event.

In contrast, Indian-born Swede Daniel Chopra improved with a 70 after opening with a 71 to lie in 29th place.

Atwal, who surrendered a full card last year, was sluggish from the very start as, playing his back nine first, he stumbled to bogeys 10th and 13th. The 33-year-old, however, arrested the slide as he sank in successive birdies on 17th and 18th to make the turn even-par.

Atwal gained another shot on the first but a hat-trick of bogeys from third to fifth pulled him back. He did manage to birdie the seventh but a double-bogey on the eighth rounded off a disappointing day for the Orlando (Fla.)-based Indian.

Daniel Chopra, meanwhile, came up with an improved display as he mixed a birdie and an eagle with a lone bogey on the eighth. The Swede now has a total of three-under 141.

At the top, Phil Mickelson (67) and Jim Furyk (65) lead the event on 132.

UNI