Atwal shares lead at Viking Classic

Making his first PGA Tour start since winning the Wyndham Championship a month ago, Arjun Atwal continued his brilliant form to share the lead with a six-under 66 in the opening round of the US $3.6 million Viking Classic golf tournament in Madison, US.

Atwal shares the top spot with Bill Lunde, Ken Duke, Brett Quigley in a crowded leader-board.

"I've never played in conditions like this. I've always played when it's softer. But it's playing perfect, it's firm. It's just the way it's supposed to be played," said Atwal, who won the Wyndham Championship in August.

The 10th tee starter began steadily and parred the first seven holes before closing his first-nine with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th.

The front-nine turned out to be even better as Atwal struck five birdies against a lone bogey to round off his eighth card in the 60s in his last nine rounds, dating to an opening-round 68 at The Greenbrier Classic.

Atwal has now led or shared the lead in his last five rounds on the Tour, all four of them at Wyndham. This is the fourth first-round lead/co-lead of his career, and the third of the season.

Atwal made his 11th start of the year, with top-10 finishes at the Wyndham Championship and the HP Byron Nelson Championship (tied seventh). He is 64th on the Tour money list.