Atwal lies 20th in PGA Tour Champions Q-School

Scottsdale (US), Dec 5 (PTI) India's Arjun Atwal had a roller-coaster of a round as he moved up to tied 20th after two rounds in the PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament (Final Stage) at TPC Scottsdale's Champions Course here.

After 1-over 72 on the first day, his 67 took him to 5-under and tied 20th as only the top five players from the field will earn a full card to the PGA Tour Champions for 2025.

Atwal had an eagle and five birdies against a bogey and a double bogey in his 67.

Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen matched the low round of the day with a 6-under 65 and holds a two-stroke lead over Dicky Pride and Freddie Jacobson after 36 holes.

Kjeldsen, who co-led with Pride after the opening round, played his first 17 holes in 8-under before double-bogeying the par-4 18th.

Kjeldsen, the medallist at last month's First Stage Q-School site at Grand Bear Golf Club in Mississippi, turns 50 on May 17.

From 1998 to 2024, he made 712 starts on the DP World Tour, which ranks third all-time behind only David Howell (726) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (723).

Playing alongside Kjeldsen in the final grouping, Jacobson and Pride shot 66 and 67, respectively, and each sat at 11-under.

Australian Scott Barr, 52, shot 67 for the second consecutive day and sits in solo fourth at 8-under.

Stephen Gallacher, the 2014 European Ryder Cup team member who turned 50 last month, matched Kjeldsen for the low round of the day with a bogey-free 65.

Gallacher, who hails from Scotland, moved from T29 to T5 on the leaderboard and sits at 7-under at the halfway point along with Mario Tiziani.

At the end of four rounds, the top-five finishers will be fully exempt into open, Full Field Events for PGA TOUR Champions in the 2025 season. In addition, players finishing sixth through 30th will be eligible to compete in open qualifiers on PGA TOUR Champions in 2025. PTI Cor AH AH