Monday qualifier Arjun Atwal claims 1-stroke victory at Wyndham Championship

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Atwal claims 1-shot victory at Wyndham

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Arjun Atwal won the Wyndham Championship by one stroke Sunday, becoming the first Monday qualifier to win on the PGA Tour in 24 years.

Atwal, who led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, shot a 67 in the final round. He finished at 20-under 260 and earned $918,000.

He’s the first Indian-born player to win on tour and the first to win both the qualifier and the tournament that follows since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.

David Toms (64) was 19 under. John Mallinger and Michael Sim both shot 62s and were joined by John Rollins (65) and Justin Leonard (65) at 18 under.

For a few dizzying moments late in a low-scoring day, seven players shared the lead at 18 under.

Atwal, who carried a three-stroke lead into the final round, was at 19 under for most of the day but bogeyed the par-3 No. 12 a few minutes before Lucas Glover bogeyed 14 and Toms, Rollins and Leonard all birdied No. 16.

Atwal reclaimed the lead with a birdie on No. 14, Leonard birdied No. 17 and Toms birdied No. 18 to join them at 19 under. Leonard dropped back a stroke after running into trouble on 18, while Atwal still had three holes to play — giving him more than enough chances to settle things himself.

Atwal made his move on the par-3 No. 16, plopping his tee shot 6 feet from the flagstick and sinking his birdie putt to move to 20 under. He followed that with consecutive pars, sinking a 7-foot putt on No. 18 before dropping his putter and extending his arms upward in jubilation after closing out his first tour victory.

Glover (67) finished at 17 under, and Webb Simpson (63), Chris Riley (64), Scott Piercy (68) and second-round co-leader Brandt Snedeker (69) were one stroke behind him.

Atwal, who has won on the European, Asian and Nationwide tours, certainly has been through plenty during the past few years.

The player perhaps best known for his practice rounds with Tiger Woods is ineligible for the playoffs and lost his tour card last month because he was too low on the money list when his minor medical exemption ran out. That came after he returned too soon following weightlifting injuries to both shoulders.

Three years ago, a driver trying to race him down an Orlando street died in a crash. Atwal was cleared of any wrongdoing, although the yearlong investigation took an emotional toll.

Glover made five consecutive birdies, sinking four putts from 14 feet or beyond during that stretch, to catch Atwal, then briefly claimed the lead for himself with a birdie on No. 9 that put him at 20 under. That didn’t last long: He sent his drive on No. 10 into the rough and three-putted for bogey, and slipped out of contention after he was 3 over on the back nine.

The Wyndham marked the last chance for players to pick up points for the playoffs that begin next week in New Jersey.

Michael Letzig, who arrived at Sedgefield at No. 125 on the points list, finished 14 under to solidify his spot in The Barclays.

“The goal is to give myself another tournament to play,” he said. “I’m in, so (I’ll) see what happens.”