By IANS,
Mitchellville (Maryland) : Arjun Atwal, winner of the Malaysian Open on the European and Asian Tour this year, made an even par start at 72 at the Melwood Prince George’s County Open Thursday. Atwal was tied for 38th on a day when only 37 players in the field of 153 broke par thanks to 12-18 mph winds that occasionally gusted to 30 mph.
Atwal, currently 14th on the Nationwide Money List and hoping to stay inside top-25 to find a place on main PGA Tour next year, had three birdies and three bogeys in his round in swirling and gusting winds.
Starting on tenth he birdied the 15th, 17th and third, while he dropped shots on 16th, second and fifth. Atwal this year finished second in the Panama Moviestar event at the start of the season and then won the Malaysian Open.
Thirty-year-old Jeff Klauk shot a tournament record 8-under-par 64 for a two-stroke lead after the first day of the $650,000 Nationwide Tour event.
He had a bogey-free day and was two clear of Matt Weibring, who was third at last week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina. Also sharing second spot was qualifier Andy Bare.