Arjun Atwal
{{short description|Indian professional golfer (born 1973)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name = Arjun Atwal
| image = Arjun Atwal.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Atwal in action in 2012
| fullname = Arjun Singh Atwal
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|3|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Asansol, India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
| weight = {{convert|185|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}
| nationality = {{IND}}
| residence = Kolkata, India
Windermere, Florida, U.S.
| spouse = {{Married|Sona Atwal|2000}}
| partner =
| children = 2
| college =
| yearpro = 1995
| tour = PGA Tour Champions
Asian Tour
| extour = PGA Tour
European Tour
Web.com Tour
Asian Tour
| prowins = 13
| pgawins = 1
| eurowins = 3
| asiawins = 8 (Tied 6th all time)
| nwidewins = 1
| champwins =
| otherwins = 3
| majorwins =
| masters = CUT: 2011
| usopen = CUT: 2010
| open = CUT: 2004
| pga = CUT: 2005, 2011
| wghofid =
| wghofyear =
| award1 = Asian PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year
| year1 = 1995
| award2 = Asian PGA Tour
Order of Merit winner
| year2 = 2003
| award3 = Asian PGA Tour
Players' Player of the Year
| year3 = 2003
| awardssection =
}}
Arjun Singh Atwal (born 20 March 1973) is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour and is the first player born in India to participate in and win on the U.S.-based PGA Tour.
Early life
{{BLP unsourced section|date=November 2011}}
Atwal was born in a Sikh family to Harminder Singh Atwal, an industrialist from Asansol and Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He attended St. James' School in Kolkata. At age 14, he took up golf, playing at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club and Tollygunge Club. He also spent two years at school in the United States, attending W. T. Clarke High School, in Westbury, New York, on Long Island.
Professional career
In 1995, Arjun turned professional. He became one of the leading players on the Asian Tour, topping the Order of Merit in 2003. Atwal was the second Indian golfer to earn membership of the European Tour after Jeev Milkha Singh and the first to win; he recorded a five-stroke victory in the 2002 Caltex Singapore Masters. A second European Tour win followed at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open in 2003. Late in the same year Atwal finished seventh at the PGA Tour's qualifying school in the U.S., earning a PGA Tour card for 2004, making him the first Indian golfer to do so. In his 2004 rookie season on the PGA Tour, he finished 142nd on the money list.
In 2005, Atwal came close to winning on the PGA Tour numerous times, most notably at the BellSouth Classic in April. After posting a 64 (the low round for any golfer in the tournament) in the final round of the rain-shortened event, he wound up in a five-man sudden death playoff along with Rich Beem, José María Olazábal, Brandt Jobe and Phil Mickelson. On the first hole of the playoff, the par-5 18th, Atwal's second shot went into the water, yet he almost holed his fourth shot. If he had done so, he would have made birdie and won (Mickelson, Beem and Olazabal made pars, while Jobe bogeyed.) After two-putting the green, Atwal made bogey, and he and Jobe were eliminated. Mickelson went on to win the tournament. Atwal finished 82nd on the money list in 2005 to secure his spot on Tour for 2006.
After the 2010 RBC Canadian Open, Atwal lost his PGA Tour card after his medical exemption, received due to a shoulder injury, ran out and he had failed to earn enough money.{{cite news |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20100820-indias-atwal-matches-course-record-seize-pga-lead-0 |title=India's Atwal matches course record to seize PGA lead |publisher=France 24 |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=20 August 2010 |access-date=22 August 2010}} He later regained his playing privileges on the PGA Tour through 2012 and obtained an invitation into the 2011 Masters Tournament by Monday qualifying for and later recording his maiden victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship, the final tournament of the regular season. He became the first Indian-born player to ever win on the PGA Tour, and was the first Monday qualifier to win a PGA Tour event since Fred Wadsworth won the 1986 Southern Open.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/news/story?id=5484273 |title=Arjun Atwal of India gets historic win |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=22 August 2010 |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-date=24 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824205426/http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=5484273 |url-status=live }} Because he had lost his tour card, he received no FedEx Cup points for his victory and had not earned enough points previously to make the playoffs. He has been a neighbour and practice partner of Tiger Woods for five years at home in Florida.{{cite news|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/02/1249707/woods-practice-partner-ties-for.html |title=Woods' practice partner ties for 1st |work=The News Tribune |date=2 July 2010 |access-date=25 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403032345/http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/02/1249707/woods-practice-partner-ties-for.html |archive-date=3 April 2012 }}
After failing to qualify for the FedEx Cup in 2010, Atwal entered the 2011 playoff series 123rd. Atwal had only two top-10 finishes in the two years after his win and lost his Tour card after the 2012 season. In 2014, Atwal had his first win in four years at the Dubai Open on the Asian Tour. The win earned Atwal a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour.
Personal life
Atwal was involved in a crash possibly associated with street racing on SR 535, in Windermere, Florida, on 10 March 2007, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.[http://www.sportinglife.com/golf/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=golf/07/03/12/GOLF_Atwal.html Atwal Investigated After Crash Death] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930043844/http://www.sportinglife.com/golf/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=golf%2F07%2F03%2F12%2FGOLF_Atwal.html|date=30 September 2007}} Atwal was not injured, and after a year of investigation, the case was closed with no charges filed.{{Cite web |title=No charges pressed, so Atwal can press on |url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/ny-spmark085606478mar08,0,1403800.column |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312174847/http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/ny-spmark085606478mar08,0,1403800.column |archive-date=12 March 2008 |access-date=10 March 2008}} A second driver, John Noah Park, 48, was killed in the incident.
Professional wins (13)
=PGA Tour wins (1)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
| align=center|1
|align=right|22 Aug 2010 |−20 (61-67-65-67=260) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|USA}} David Toms |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result |
| style="background:#F2C1D1;"
|align=center|1 |2005 |{{flagicon|USA}} Rich Beem, {{flagicon|USA}} Brandt Jobe, |Mickelson won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
=European Tour wins (3)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
| align=center|1
|align=right|24 Feb 2002 |−14 (70-69-67-68=274) |5 strokes |{{flagicon|AUS}} Richard Green |
| align=center|2
|align=right|23 Feb 2003 |−24 (62-65-67-66=260) |4 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Retief Goosen, {{flagicon|AUS}} Brad Kennedy |
| align=center|3
|align=right|9 Mar 2008 |Maybank Malaysian Open1 (2) |−18 (70-68-68-64=270) |Playoff |{{flagicon|SWE}} Peter Hedblom |
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–1)
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |
| style="background:#D0F0C0;"
|align=center|1 |2008 |{{flagicon|SWE}} Peter Hedblom |Won with par on second extra hole |
| style="background:#F2C1D1;"
|align=center|2 |2017 |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Dylan Frittelli |Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
=Asian Tour wins (8)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No. !Date !Tournament !Winning score !Margin of !Runner(s)-up |
| align=center|1
|align=right|14 Mar 1999 |−12 (72-68-66-70=276) |4 strokes |{{flagicon|IND}} Shiv Chawrasia, {{flagicon|KOR}} Kang Wook-soon, |
| align=center|2
|align=right|5 Nov 2000 |−18 (68-68-68-66=270) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ENG}} Simon Dyson |
| align=center|3
|align=right|12 Nov 2000 |−12 (65-63-68-72=268) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|TWN}} Yeh Wei-tze |
| align=center|4
|align=right|24 Feb 2002 |−14 (70-69-67-68=274) |5 strokes |{{flagicon|AUS}} Richard Green |
| align=center|5
|align=right|23 Feb 2003 |−24 (62-65-67-66=260) |4 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Retief Goosen, {{flagicon|AUS}} Brad Kennedy |
| align=center|6
|align=right|11 Nov 2003 |Hero Honda Masters (2) |−7 (69-71-70-71=281) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|MEX}} Pablo del Olmo, {{flagicon|IND}} Jyoti Randhawa, |
| align=center|7
|align=right|9 Mar 2008 |Maybank Malaysian Open1 (2) |−18 (70-68-68-64=270) |Playoff |{{flagicon|SWE}} Peter Hedblom |
| align=center|8
|align=right|21 Dec 2014 |−16 (73-65-68-66=272) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|KOR}} Wang Jeung-hun |
1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
Asian Tour playoff record (1–1)
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |
| style="background:#D0F0C0;"
|align=center|1 |2008 |{{flagicon|SWE}} Peter Hedblom |Won with par on second extra hole |
| style="background:#F2C1D1;"
|align=center|2 |2017 |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Dylan Frittelli |Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
=Nationwide Tour wins (1)=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!! Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of |
| align=center|1
|align=right|19 Oct 2008 |−24 (66-60-66-72=264) |Playoff |{{flagicon|USA}} Webb Simpson |
Nationwide Tour playoff record (1–0)
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |
| style="background:#D0F0C0;"
|align=center|1 |2008 |{{flagicon|USA}} Webb Simpson |Won with birdie on first extra hole |
=Other wins (3)=
- 1995 DCM Open
- 1997 Classic Southern India Open
- 2000 Wills Eastern Open
Results in major championships
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament ! 2004 !! 2005 !! 2006 !! 2007 !! 2008 !! 2009 !! 2010 !! 2011 |
| align=left|Masters Tournament
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |
| align=left|U.S. Open
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
| align=left|The Open Championship
|CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
| align=left|PGA Championship
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Results in The Players Championship
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament !2006!!2007!!2008!!2009!!2010!!2011!!2012 |
| align=left|The Players Championship
|CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T57 |CUT |
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Results in World Golf Championships
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Tournament!!2003!!2004!!2005!!2006!!2007!!2008!!2009!!2010!!2011 |
| align="left"|Match Play
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
| align="left"|Championship
|T48 |T43 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
| align="left"|Invitational
|style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T63 |
| align="left"|Champions
|colspan=6 style="background:#D3D3D3;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T48 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Team appearances
Professional
- Dynasty Cup (representing Asia): 2003 (winners)
- World Cup (representing India): 2005
- Royal Trophy (representing Asia): 2006
- EurAsia Cup (representing Asia): 2018 (non-playing captain)
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{PGATour player|21407}}
- {{EuroTour player|1888}}
- {{AsianTour player|100010|archive=20180130080520}}
- {{OWGR|5701}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atwal, Arjun}}
Category:European Tour golfers
Category:Expatriate golfers in the United States
Category:Korn Ferry Tour graduates
Category:Golfers from West Bengal
Category:Golfers from New York (state)
Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award