Arjun Atwal missed a top-10 finish by a whisker as he signed off at tied 18th after returning a final-round four-under 68 at the LaSalle Bank Open golf tournament on the US Nationwide Tour here.

Atwal, who has limited exemption on the PGA Tour and is on the Nationwide Tour, the second rung tour in the US, signed off with a total of 11-under 277.

The Orlando-based golfer was in fine form as he played out a blemish-free front nine studded with birdies on the third and fifth holes to make the turn at two-under.

Atwal then sank a hat-trick of birdies from 12th to 14th before dropping his only stroke of the day on 16th, which denied him a top-10 finish as a crowded leaderboard saw nine golfers on tied ninth at 12-under.

However, Atwal had reason to smile as he re-discovered his putting touch to top the figures for putts per green in regulation. He averaged 26.5 putts in the final round.

Atwal has now finished among the top-25 in four out of six starts and has been in the top-10 once in Nationwide this year. He is 47th on the Nationwide Money List and a finish inside the top-25 will earn him an automatic berth for the PGA Tour next season. John Riegger, claimed his first win in 290 starts,  shooting a four-under 68 that gave him an aggregate of 17-under 271 for his first victory since 1996.

Randhawa is tied 17th
At Celtic Manor, Jyoti Randhawa played his best golf of the week as he blasted four birdies in his last five holes to finish tied 17th with a card of four-under 65 in the final round of the Celtic Manor Wales Open, reports PTI.

Randhawa was on fire in the last stretch as he finished with a total of eight-under 268. Compatriot Shiv Kapur also picked up his game in the last round and shot a three-under 66 to sign off tied 43rd with a total of two-under 274. South African Richard Sterne clinched the title after returning a 65 to finish with a score of 13-under 263.

Choi triumphs
South Korea’s KJ Choi beat a world-class field to grab his fifth success on the US PGA Tour, winning the Memorial Open in Dublin.  The former Asian Tour player, who started the day five off the pace, blasted a seven-under 65 in the final round for a total of 271 to finish a stroke ahead of runner-up Ryan Moore.