Atwal makes cut;jumps to tied 26th at Legend Financial Group Classic

Highland Heights, Ohio, July 7 (UNI) Thanks to a flawless back nine, studded with four birdies, Arjun Atwal returned a three-under 68 card to comfortably make the halfway cut and jump to tied 26th position after the second round of the Legend Financial Group Classic here.

Overnight tied 49, Atwal was lying just above the relegation zone but the Orlando (Ga)-based Indian, a tenth tee starter, put to rest any fears of him missing the weekend action by gaining four strokes in space of first six holes.

After two rounds, Atwal aggregates four-under 138 and is six shots adrift of the leader, Scott Gardiner of Australia who shot his second successive 66 to take the top slot at the 575,000-dollar tourney being played at Stonewater Golf Club here.

Atwal, who had finished a poor tied 70 at the Buick Open last week, was off to a wonderful start as he gained a stroke on the 10th hole. He reeled off a hattrick of birdies from 13th to 15th hole to turn at four-under.

His front nine happened to be less rewarding and he bogeyed the very first hole. The Kolkata pro recovered briefly with a birdie on the fourth only to drop another stroke on the penultimate hole of the day.

UNI