Riding on an eagle on the ninth hole, Arjun Atwal fired a near-perfect opening round of 68 to finish, along with close pal Daniel Chopra, tied 14th in the 300,000 dollar BC Open at the Atunyote Golf Course in New York.
Atwal, who has had a poor year so far in the PGA Tour, finally showed signs of his form and the lone setback in an otherwise sparkling round came in the 15th hole where he dropped a shot.
Atwal's flawless front nine saw him beginning with a birdie and finishing even better, with an eagle on the par-four ninth hole to complete his halfway journey at three-under.
Resuming his journey, the Orlando-based Indian picked up a shot each on the 12th and 14th before the bogey in the next hole impeded his progress.
Atwal parred the next three holes to complete a highly satisfying and morale boosting round. His putting, however, was far from satisfactory and Atwal would have to address the issue for a decent finish.
Indian-born Swede Daniel Chopra dropped a shot in each nine but a birdie binge, including five on the trot from 11-15th, saw him soaring for a round of 68.
{{/usCountry}}Indian-born Swede Daniel Chopra dropped a shot in each nine but a birdie binge, including five on the trot from 11-15th, saw him soaring for a round of 68.
{{/usCountry}}Former USPGA Champion Mark Brooks fired seven-under 65, including eight birdies, to take a one-shot lead over defending champion Jason Bohn.