Arjun Atwal

He started playing golf at Royal Calcutta after being encouraged to take up the game by his father, Bindi, at age 14. He attended high school in America to study liberal arts for two years. Became the first player on the Asian PGA Tour to surpass $1 million in career earnings after winning the 2000 Hero Honda Masters in India. He became the first Indian, and only the fourth Asian, to win on the European Tour when he recorded a five-stroke victory in the 2002 Caltex Singapore Masters. In February 2003, he claimed a commanding four-shot victory at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open for his second triumph on the European Tour. Held off Retief Goosen to win.
Was the first native of India to join the PGA Tour after T7 finished at PGA Tour Q-School. 2004 was his first season on the PGA Tour when he missed 14 cuts in 15 starts in the middle of the season but ended strong by playing on the weekend eight times in the last 10 appearances, including his first career top-10, a solo sixth at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, aided by a final-round 66. Finished No. 82 on the 2005 money list in the second full season on Tour. Led Tour in Putting Average (1.710). They missed just one cut in 17 starts. He earned his first top-10 of the season in his third start, which he barely made. Began the week of the BellSouth Classic in Bali, Indonesia, on his honeymoon and as the 23rd alternate for the tournament. Their parents warned him of impending storms, so he and his wife, Ritika, headed to their U.S. residence. Due to inclement weather, the first round of the weather-shortened, 54-hole tournament did not begin until Saturday. He was informed Thursday morning that he was the second alternate, and when Chris DiMarco and Steve Flesch withdrew Friday, he was next in the field. He opened with a 77 but came back with rounds of 67-64 to make his way into a five-way playoff with winner Phil Mickelson, Rich Beem, Brandt Jobe, and Jose Maria Olazabal. Eliminated on the first extra hole after the second shot, found the water on the 18th hole, and could not get up and down for par. His T2 finish was the best of his career.
Fell out of the top 125 on the 2006 PGA Tour money list, posting one top-10 in 33 starts. Lone's top-10 was a T4 at the Buick Invitational.
Finished the 2007 Korn Ferry Tour season with 11 made cuts in 17 starts and No. 60 on the money list, with $101,824. Led the Tour in Putts Per Round (28.53).
He finished among the 25 graduates from the 2008 Korn Ferry Tour at No. 17 on the money list. Made the cut in 17 of 23 starts, with 11 top-25 and five top-10 finishes. He finished T2 in the season-opening Panama Movistar Championship after holding the third-round lead by one stroke. He won for the first time in America when he defeated Webb Simpson at the Chattanooga Classic with a birdie at the first playoff hole. Shot 24 under par for the week, including a second-round 60 (12-under-par), the low round on Tour in 2008. He earned his third European Tour victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open in early March.
Missed more than four months of the 2009 season with a shoulder injury and received a Medical Extension for 2010 out of the Qualifying Tournament/Korn Ferry Tour category. He has eight events to earn $586,007 and gain status for the remainder of the season.
2010 was a career year that included the first PGA Tour victory, becoming the first native of India to win on the PGA Tour, winning the Wyndham Championship playing as a Monday qualifier.
Throughout his career, Atwal has played on all tours. His last full-time year on the PGA Tour was in 2012 when he finished 171st on the money list. Played a total of 256 PGA Tour events making 121 cuts with 11 top-ten finishes. His career earnings are $5,107,102. He finished twice in the top-100 of the money list; in 2005 was 82nd ($963,768), and in 2010 was 58th ($1,507,143.
He played on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2007, '08, and '13. He played in 63 Korn Ferry events making 38 cuts and eight top-ten finishes. Did win the 2008 Chattanooga Classic.
Following the passing of his father in 2022 he spent the summer.in India and returned to play in the Bermuda Championship. Shot 63 after the first round and was a shot back, but went on to finish T-49th. Played in seven PGA Tour events in 2023 but only made the cut in Bermuda.
Turned 50 in March of 2023 and played in the Invited Celebrity Classic, finishing T-11th. The KitchenAid PGA Champion is his 2nd senior start.