Atwal finishes season's best 3rd at Legend Financial Group Classic

Highland Heights, Ohio, July 9 (UNI) Arjun Atwal notched up his best finish of the year, claiming a sole third position after playing another five-under 66 on the final day of the Nationwide Tour's Legend Financial Group Classic here.

The Orlando-based Indian showed his vintage touch hitting four birdies on either side of the turn as he aggregated 14-under 270 to end just a couple of strokes behind the winner, Jason Day of Australia who played his second consecutive 67 to finish on top in the 575,000 dollar event.

Fellow Aussie, Scott Gardiner, also played an identical round of 67 to take second position.

This was Atwal's best finish in the year in both PGA and Nationwide Tours thus far, with the previous best -- a tied 6th -- coming at Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship at Wente Vineyards in April. Yesterday's effort fetched Atwal 35,700 dollars, his second fattest cheque of the year after 39,000 dollar purse for a tied 29th at the prestigious Buick Open last month.

Overnight tied eighth, Atwal fired consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth, and then in the eighth and ninth holes in between dropping a stroke each on the sixth and seventh holes.

After turning at two-under, Atwal soon gained another couple of strokes on the 12th and 14th holes. The bogey on the 16th hole was the only blot of his back nine and the Kolkata pro fired two more birdies on the last two holes to sign off in style.

The finish could do a lot to boost Atwal's sagging morale who has had a torrid time on and off the greens.

Relegated from the prestigious PGA Tour last year, Atwal was forced to play the Nationwide Tour this season. Everything which could go wrong, went wrong for the 33-year old as he was involved in a high-speed crash in Georgia in March that saw him escaping by the skin of his teeth even as a fellow driver lost his life.

Atwal missed five cuts in a row at the PGA Tour before finally surviving the axe at Buick open.

UNI