HOME |
SPORTS |
OTHERS |
May 25, 1999
NEWS
|
Jeev rallies brilliantly, improves rankingJoy Chakravarty Jeev Milkha Singh, the lone Indian challenge on the European PGA Tour, overcame the frustration of three agonising days at the 1.4 million pound Deutsche Bank SAP Open - TPC of Europe, when he rallied brilliantly with the day’s second best card of six-under 66, on the final day at the St. Leon-Rot Golf Club, Heidelberg, Germany. According to information received, the Hero Honda-sponsored Jeev leapfrogged from a tied 58th position at the end of third round to finish joint 23rd with a 72-hole aggregate of two-under 286 on Monday. In an awesome round which saw him make eight birdies as against two bogies, Jeev found all 18 greens in regulation and needed just 26 putts to complete the round. The tournament, which attracted six of the top 10 players in the world, was won by world No 3 Tiger Woods, with a four-day score of 15-under 273. The American was reportedly paid a one-million dollar appearance money by the organisers and lived up to his billing as the pre-tournament favourite. This was Tiger’s first tournament on European soil, barring the British Open. Retief Goosen, South Africa’s Alfred Dunhill Invitational hero, took the second place at
12-under 276, while Zimbabwe’s Nick Price played a superb final round of seven-under 65
to take the second position at 11-under 277.
Starting from the 10th tee, the Chandigarh pro birdied his first two holes before making a bogey on the par-4 12th. Jeev then added another birdie on the par-5 16th to make the turn at three-under. He started his back nine in similar fashion making birdies on the 540-yard, par-5 1st and the 345-yard, par-4 2nd. He exploited the remaining par-5 hole again (the 558-yard, 5th) before making his second and final bogey of the day on the sixth hole to be five-under at that stage. The 27-year-old then essayed a super finish with a birdie on his final hole, the par-4 ninth, to finish the day at six-under 66. After a disappointing first day, when he shot two-over
74 to be placed 88th, Jeev played a one-over 73 on day two to make the cut which was
applied at three-over 147.
Jeev's fine effort propelled him in both
the European PGA Tour as well as the World rankings.
In the European PGA Tour’s Volvo Order of Merit, Jeev moved up from last week’s 23rd position to 18th with earnings of 143,653 euros after winning 16,884 euros for his efforts at the St. Leon’s Golf Course, Heidelberg, Germany. Jeev next plays another big event - the 1.82 million-euro Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, Surrey, England, from 27-30 May. A good show there would certainly go a long way in securing a direct entry into the British Open championship. He then leaves for the US to play the sectional qualifiers for the US Open, which begins at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club from June 17th. The sectional qualifiers are being played on 7-8 June. He will thus miss the next two European PGA Tour events - the Compass Group English Open and the German Open, where he had recorded his best finish last season when he tied for the eighth place.
|
|
Mail Sports Editor
|
||
HOME |
NEWS |
BUSINESS |
SPORTS |
MOVIES |
CHAT |
INFOTECH |
TRAVEL
BOOK SHOP | MUSIC SHOP | HOTEL RESERVATIONS | WORLD CUP 99 EDUCATION | PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL | FEEDBACK |