India's Atwal regaining focus after injury and probe

By N.Ananthanarayanan

GURGAON, India (Reuters) - India's Arjun Atwal is looking to regroup after a career slump in the last two years during which he was hampered by injury and the distraction of a police investigation into a car accident.

The 34-year-old Atwal, who became the first Indian to qualify for the U.S. PGA Tour in 2004, shot a three-under par 69 at the Johnnie Walker Classic on Thursday to be tied third after the first round, two shots off the lead.

"I struggled with my game in the last year and half and so I've basically come back to the golf courses and to the tournaments that I've played well at," he told reporters.

Atwal became the first Indian to win a European Tour event in 2002 before emerging Asia number one the next year.

"I've played three events this year and I've been in contention going into the final round," said Atwal.

The U.S.-based player lost his U.S. PGA card in 2006 and now features in the second-rung Nationwide Tour.

"I was struggling with my game anyway and I had a disc out in my lower back," he said. "By the time I got that rehabbed in 2007 March, I had the car accident."

Atwal was questioned by police over the incident in Florida which ended in the death of the man driving the other car. The investigation had centred on whether the two cars had been racing at high speed.