Los Angeles: Arjun Atwal, who pulled out of
the final round last week at Pebble Beach on account of a back
pain, made a modest start at the Northern Trust Open with an
even par 71 that placed him tied 40th in the weather-affected
incomplete first round.
Atwal, starting on the tenth, birdied the 11th and played
steady with pars till the 18th, where he dropped a bogey. A
birdie on the first was followed by a string of seven pars
before another bogey on the closing ninth. He missed the green
and then missed a eight-foot par putt.
Robert Allenby, who ten years ago, won a six-man playoff
at Riviera, was one of the nine players in shared lead at
four-under 67.
When play was stopped due to darkness, others in shared
lead were John Senden, Martin Laird, Spencer Levin, Aaron
Baddeley, Ben Martin, Bill Haas, Carl Pettersson and JB
Holmes.
They could be joined by Peter Tomasulo, if he makes the
12-foot birdie putt he left on the green when play was
stopped.
Dustin Johnson suffered a two-shot penalty before he teed
up, after his caddie thought his tee time was 40 minutes later
than it really was. He was still on the practice range
warming-up when he was supposed to be at the first tee.
Players get five minutes to reach the tee and Johnson made it
with six seconds to spare, or else he would have been
disqualified. He ended with a 73.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 18, 2011, 12:50