Tips from Tiger help Atwal end barren run

Published on Monday 10 March 2008 09:36

ARJUN ATWAL revealed that practising with Tiger Woods at his home in Florida played a big part in his play-off victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open yesterday.

The 35-year-old from Calcutta ended a five-year winless drought by outlasting defending champion Peter Hedblom of Sweden with a par at the second extra hole at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club.

According to the Indian player, the practice time with the world No.1 has played a big part in turning around his game after his long dry spell.

"I belong to the same club as Tiger Woods in Orlando and he's been a big help to me," said Atwal, who has known the American since they played together in the final round of the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic.

"We don't hang out socially. We meet at the club and practise together. Just practising with him and watching him work the way he does is a motivation enough for me.

"For him to come and help me with my swing and more on the fitness factor has been really big for me.

"He doesn't give me lessons but anytime I have problems, I can ask him and he'll help me out."

Atwal was able to give a little insight into the sort of things that Woods works on in practice.

"He's always working around the greens. This winter, he was working on his short game and he actually hooks or fades his chips.

"For us, it's 'get it up and down' but he's working on different types of shots.

"He was showing me this hook chip. If you get anything from the world number one, you'll take it gladly."

For Atwal, the win in Malaysia brings the curtain down on a dark time in his career.

In addition to losing his card on the US PGA Tour last year, he spent much of 2007 under a cloud after finding himself at the centre of police investigations in Florida following the death of a man in an alleged high-speed street race.

Atwal was recently cleared of all charges by the police and is now looking to put that chapter behind him.

"I don't know how to put it in words. To come out of that and win, it's great for me personally.

"The last two years have been really frustrating. I want to forget that. A win is a win and it's been five years and I'm glad that I got it done."

The three-time winner on the European Tour is focused now on regaining his card in America. "I want to get my PGA Tour card back. We moved to Orlando and my eldest son goes to school there.

"Having won this, I have to reassess but it's too early to talk about that.

"I'm playing on the Nationwide Tour. If I can lock up my card early enough, I can plan my schedule."

Atwal moved ahead of Jeev Milkha Singh as the leading all-time winner from India on the European Tour with his victory in Malaysia and said that he would be needling his good friend on the fact.

"I will, definitely. Actually we push each other, Jeev and I. It's always like that – it's good and it's healthy.

"We always needle each other but we're always happy for each other."

&#149 SEAN O'HAIR took advantage of a collapse by Stewart Cink to win the PODS Championship by two strokes.

Cink, who was overpowered by Tiger Woods in the final of WGC Accenture Match Play Championship last month, signed for a three-over 74 and finished in a six-way tie for second place at two-under 282.

The 25-year-old O'Hair started the day three shots off the lead, and his chances appeared to dim when third-round leader Cink birdied the first two holes to fall four behind.

But Cink followed with a bogey at the third and added three more bogeys before a killer double-bogey at the 16th hole knocked him from contention.

O'Hair was able to wrest the lead from Cink when he made a 32-foot putt for birdie on the par-three 16th.