GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA // Arjun Atwal will no longer have to play early week qualifying events just to make it into tournaments.
Atwal took care of that when he claimed the Wyndham Championship title to become the first Indian-born player to win on the PGA Tour.
He won at Sedgefield Country Club by one stroke yesterday, becoming the first Monday qualifier to win on tour in 24 years.
After leading or sharing the lead after each of the first three rounds, Atwal shot a three-under 67 in the final round. He finished at 20-under 260 and earned US$918,000 (Dh3.4 million) - or, more than double the amount he previously earned this year, the reason why his future on tour had been in jeopardy.
"I told my caddie, 'We've got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it,"' Atwal said. "Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedEx Cup spots or whatever. We've got nothing. I don't have a card. I don't have anything. Just go out there and freewheel it, and that's what I did this week."
Atwal is the first golfer to win both the qualifier and the tournament that follows since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.
He had to play his way into the Wyndham on Monday after losing his tour card. Earlier in the week, he said he was considering playing Monday qualifiers this year as a way to make it into tournaments and boost his earnings in a push to regain his card for next year.
No need to do that now, thanks to this victory.
David Toms (64) was 19 under. John Mallinger and Michael Sim of Australia shot 62s to match 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-three 12th a few minutes before Lucas Glover bogeyed 14 and Toms, Rollins and Leonard all birdied the 16th.
"It just kept changing," Atwal said. "Everybody's tied for the lead at a certain point."
Atwal reclaimed the lead with a birdie on 14, Leonard birdied the 17th and Toms birdied the 18th 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.
Atwal made his move on the par-three 16th, plopping his tee shot 1.8-metre from the flagstick and sinking his birdie putt to move to 20 under. He followed that with consecutive pars, sinking a 2.15m putt on No. 18 before dropping his putter and extending his arms upward in jubilation after closing out his first tour victory.
"I was thinking about going to the (driving) range, but when he got to 20 under and they said he had a 15-footer on 17, I just went in the clubhouse and tried to cool off," Toms said. "I was ready to go to the range, if need be, but good for (Atwal). I know it's tough to get that first victory. ... I'm sure that he was battling some nerves, and to pour it in from 6-8 feet on that last hole was pretty impressive."
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 play-offs 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 said he returned too soon following weightlifting injuries to both shoulders.
Three years ago, a driver trying to race him down an Orlando Florida street died in a crash. Atwal was cleared of any wrongdoing, although the year-long investigation took an emotional toll.
The Wyndham also marked the last chance for players to pick up points for the play-offs that begin next week in New Jersey.
Piercy was the only player to play his way into the post-season, moving from 140th to 125th. Michael Letzig, who arrived at No 125 on the points list, finished 14 under move to No 118, solidifying his spot in The Barclays.
"The goal is to give myself another tournament to play," Letzig said. "I'm in, so (I'll) see what happens."
* AP
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
‘FSO Safer’ - a ticking bomb
The Safer has been moored off the Yemeni coast of Ras Issa since 1988.
The Houthis have been blockading UN efforts to inspect and maintain the vessel since 2015, when the war between the group and the Yemen government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition began.
Since then, a handful of people acting as a skeleton crew, have performed rudimentary maintenance work to keep the Safer intact.
The Safer is connected to a pipeline from the oil-rich city of Marib, and was once a hub for the storage and export of crude oil.
The Safer’s environmental and humanitarian impact may extend well beyond Yemen, experts believe, into the surrounding waters of Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Eritrea, impacting marine-life and vital infrastructure like desalination plans and fishing ports.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Olive Gaea
Started: 2021
Co-founders: Vivek Tripathi, Jessica Scopacasa
Based: Dubai
Licensed by: Dubai World Trade Centre
Industry: Climate-Tech, Sustainability
Funding: $1.1 million
Investors: Cornerstone Venture Partners and angel investors
Number of employees: 8
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
