Quicken Loans National – Arjun Atwal, Anirban Lahiri compete hard

Anirban Lahiri and Arjun Atwal battled to the end to finish 71 and T64 respectively at the Congressional Country Club

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Getty Images - Anirban Lahiri shot 70 in the final round of Quicken Loans National

Anand Datla

June 27, 2016: It was a battle for honour this week for both Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri. The two Indian golfers worked in their own ways to make a mark in the Quicken Loans National hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation. Arjun finished in T64 and Lahiri in 71 at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. Bill Hurley III won his maiden PGA TOUR title trumping the timeless Vijay Singh by three shots. Jon Rahm, in his first event as a professional golfer gave a great account of his prospects, finishing in T3 with Bill Haas.

Atwal is back to action after a long battle with injuries. In only his second event in recent weeks, he played well to start off with a couple of 70s in the first two rounds.

But scores of 73 in the third and fourth rounds dropped him from inside top 40 to an eventual tie for 64th with five other golfers including Camilo Villegas and Bryson DeChambeau.

Atwal was in trouble early in the round, conceding four bogeys in the first seven holes. Back to back birdies on the 8th and 9th helped him erase part of the deficit.

On the back nine, Arjun made a pair of bogeys too, but offset them with birdies at 13 and 16 for his final round score of 73. He ended the week with an overall score of 2-over 286.

Anirban was largely undone this week by a 75 on Saturday. He had started the week with a pair of even 71 in the first two rounds.

The world No. 58 made back to back bogeys at the second and third to court trouble early in his final round. But he bounced back in style, shooting birdies at 6, 7 and 9 to go under par for the day.

At the par-4 11th hole, Anirban sailed his tee shot into the water. After taking a drop in the right fairway, he landed in the greenside bunker to the left, before eventually navigating through the left rough for a double bogey.

But in characteristic Anirban style, he took it on the chin and produced clean golf from there through the next seven holes. That included back to back birdies at the 13th and 14th holes to ensure he ended the round one under par.

With the Open round the corner, Anirban’s focus shifts to Europe now where he will play to prepare for the third major of the year.

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