Arjun Atwal wins Malaysian Open

Arjun Atwal, the Indian player involved in a fatal car accident last year, won the Malaysian Open on Sunday, beating defending champion Peter Hedblom of Sweden with a par on the second hole of a playoff.

Atwal, also the 2003 winner at The Mines, birdied the 18th to force the playoff. He finished with an 8-under 64 to match Hedblom (71) at 18-under 270 on the Kota Permai course. Both players parred the first extra hole.

Atwal, a three-time European tour winner, hasn't been charged in the March 10, 2007, accident in Orlando, Fla., that killed fellow motorist John Park. Witnesses have said Atwal and Park were street racing, with the Florida Highway Patrol estimating Atwal was going 128 k.p.h. in a 70 k.p.h. zone just before Park's speeding car flipped.

Australia's Kane Webber (65) and England's Simon Dyson (69) finished a stroke out of the playoff in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. New Zealand's Mark Brown, coming off consecutive wins in India in the Asian Tour's SAIL Open and the co-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic, closed with a 69 to tie for 26th at 10 under.

Malaysian Open - Day 1 Wrap

Briton Nick Dougherty shot a career-low 10-under-par 62 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the $2 million Malaysian Open on Thursday.

Dougherty fired seven straight birdies in his 10-birdie round to lead English compatriot Simon Dyson and Australian Marcus Fraser, who both shot eight-under-par 64s.

South Africa's Keith Horne, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, Malaysian Danny Chia and Argentina's Daniel Vancsik were tied for fourth a further stroke behind.

"It was a great start to the tournament, it's my lowest round on Tour which is always nice," said Dougherty, whose maiden European Tour victory was in Singapore in 2005.

"I played well, I drove the ball well, I putted really well. All in all it was a superb round of golf."

The Malaysian Open is the fifth leg of the Asian Tour and is co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

Low scores were the order of the day with 98 golfers shooting under par.

Dougherty expects a winning score of 18 under or better at the Kota Permai Golf Club and hopes to bag his third Tour title.

"Inevitably, I am not going to shoot three more 10 under pars but certainly I am in a good position," he said.

New Zealand's Mark Brown, aiming for a third straight title after wins at the SAIL Open and Johnnie Walker Classic, opened with a six-under 66 to lie eighth with eight other golfers.

Golf this week

PGA TOUR

PODS Championship
Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Tampa Bay, Florida
Title holder: Mark Calcavecchia

EUROPEAN TOUR

Malaysian Open
Kota Permai Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Title holder: Peter Hedblom