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Jeev makes cut, placed 21st

Jeev Milkha Singh, the lone Indian challenge in the top-grade European circuit, made the cut and was placed tied for the 21st position with seven others after the second round of the euro 1.82 million Volvo PGA Championship, the showpiece event of the European PGA Tour.

According to information, the Hero-Honda sponsored Jeev played a superb round of three-under 69 under extremely windy and wet conditions during the second round at the par-72, 7006-yard Wentworth Club course in Surrey, England. That took his two-day aggregate to three-under 141. He had played a 72 round on the opening day on Friday.

The thunderstorm, which disrupted the India-England league match in the cricket World Cup, had its effect in Wentworth too, as the second round could not be completed on Saturday. The round was completed on Sunday morning and Jeev was among the 66 who progressed to the third round. The cut was applied at one-over 145.

The 27-year-old Chandigarh pro, currently ranked a career-high 148th in the world rankings, was four-under after 14 holes when the thunderstorm struck. After a wait of nearly two hours, Jeev returned to make bogies on the par-4 15th and the par-5 17th, but recovered with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole. His earlier birdies came on the par-4 3rd and 6th holes and the par-5 4th and 12th holes.

Leading the tournament at the halfway stage was Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who played his second successive round of five-under 67. But he was hounded by two South Africans, world No 4 Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Els, who became a father three days back, was nine-under after a bogey-free round of 67, while Goosen was third at eight-under 136.

Overnight leader Bernard Langer of Germany played a one-over 73 round to be tied for the joint sixth position along with Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and four others at six-under 138.

This is a very important week for Jeev, who is currently ranked 23rd in the Volvo European PGA Order of Merit. A top ten finish here would go a long way in realising his dreams of gaining a direct entry into the prestigious British Open. The winner in Wentworth recieves 303,350 euros, the biggest cheque on the European PGA Tour, while the runner-up will be richer by 202,200 euros.

SCORES (after 36 holes): 1st. 134 _ Darren Clarke (NIr) 67+67; 2nd. 135 _ Ernie Els (RSA) 68+67; 3rd. 136 _ Retief Goosen (RSA) 67+69; T-4th. 137 _ Mark James (Eng) 67+70, Dean Robertson (Sco) 68+69; T-6th. 138 _ Michael Campbell (NZl) 68+70, Sam Torrence (Sco) 70+68, Jose Maria Olazabal (Esp) 68+70, Bernard Langer (Ger) 65+73, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70+68, Paul Eales (Eng) -- yet to complete second round T-21st. 141 _ Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 72+69