Atwal shoots 61 to lead Wyndham Championship

Golf Betting Lines

08/19/2010 - Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arjun Atwal fired a nine-under 61 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Wyndham Championship.

Atwal birdied three of his last four holes to match the Sedgefield course scoring record and take a two-shot lead over 2007 champion Brandt Snedeker.

Snedeker snapped a streak of five straight birdies when he bogeyed the 18th for a 63.

The leaderboard was bunched up behind them at the end of a low-scoring day aided by rain-softened greens and lift, clean and place conditions.

Six players -- David Toms, Boo Weekley, Lucas Glover, Kevin Streelman, John Rollins and Jeev Milkha Singh -- were tied at 64. Six more shot a 65 and there were 23 players knotted at 66.

While everyone in the field is focused on a win this week, many are also thinking about next week.

The top 125 players on the FedEx Cup points list after the tournament will make the field for The Barclays next week and the start of the playoffs.

Michael Letzig is 125th on the points list -- last man in at the moment -- and he shot a four-under 66. Mike Weir, who is 126th on the list, opened with a three-under 67.

"This game is always about pressure, whether it's getting into the playoffs, trying to get in the Tour Championship, trying to win the tournament," said Weir. "There's different levels of pressure and this week it's -- I want to play and keep playing."

While it's difficult for a player with a high ranking to make it all the way to the end of the playoffs -- the fields are pared down weekly until there are only 30 players for the Tour Championship -- it is by no means impossible.

Last year, Heath Slocum made the playoffs as the 124th player and won The Barclays, moving to No. 3 on the points list behind Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.

Slocum made it all the way to the Tour Championship, the playoff finale, and finished eighth on the final points list. He was one of only seven players ranked outside the top 30 on the 2009 points list to advance to the Tour Championship.

One player who no longer has to worry about his standing on the points list is Atwal, who was informed Thursday that he is not eligible for the playoffs.

Atwal failed to earn enough money while playing on a medical extension he received after missing more than four months last season due to a shoulder injury. He had eight tournaments to earn $586,007 to gain full-time playing status for the rest of the year. He has made only $350,490 in nine starts.

Toms broke a six-way tie for the lead when he rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole to become the first player to reach seven-under par.

Birdies were dropping in every corner of the course, however, and no one was making more than Snedeker, who tied Toms five minutes later with a nine-foot birdie putt at the 16th.

Snedeker then moved into sole possession of the lead at eight-under when he knocked his 126-yard approach to a foot at the 17th, collecting his fifth straight birdie and sixth in seven holes.

As quickly as Snedeker reached the top of the leaderboard, he was joined by Atwal, who made back-to-back birdies, capped by an eight-foot putt at No. 7 to reach eight-under.

Snedeker bogeyed No. 18 from the rough, dropping a shot back, and Atwal built his two-shot lead with a seven-foot birdie putt at No. 9, his last hole.

Atwal matched the course record set by Carl Pettersson during his winning run in 2008. It was the eighth round of 61 or better on the PGA Tour this season.

Defending champion Ryan Moore opened with a 68. Moore birdied the third playoff hole last year to beat Kevin Stadler and Jason Bohn.

Tiger Woods (not playing this week) is 108th on the FedEx Cup points list. It is unlikely he will drop out of the top 125, but he could mathematically fall as low as 132nd. Woods announced Thursday that he would play in The Barclays.

MORE TO FOLLOW.

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