Jeev finishes second

Jeev Milkha Singh stumbled on the verge of creating history when he shot a four-over 76 under stormy conditions on the final day of the 120-million-yen (appx US$-970,000) Tour Championship iiyama Cup, one of the biggest events on the Japanese PGA Tour, to finish tied for the second spot.

According to information from the Hourai Country Club in Tochigi, Japan, Jeev aggregated eight-under 280 for the tournament. It was his best finish on the Japanese PGA Tour this season.

Earlier, the Chandigarh golfer had finished runner-up in the 1999 Kirin Open after losing to Korea’s Choi Kyoung-Ju in a playoff. A victory would have been a first by an Indian golfer outside the Asian PGA Tour.

The tournament was won by overnight joint leader Katsumasa Miyamoto, who was one of only three players to break par on a blustery, rainy day. In fact, so poor were the scores that the average score of the 68 players was 4.78 over par. Miyamoto shot a three-under 69 to tally 15-under 273 for the tournament. That gave him a seven-stroke victory margin over Jeev and Eduardo Herrera of Colombia. Heerera shot a level-par 72 in the final round.

"I am a bit disappointed that it finished this way. But it was so windy that one could hardly stand on the ball. Miyamoto played such a fantastic round under the conditions that he deserves to win," said Jeev over phone from Japan.

"I look at it this way... Last week, I finished fourth in the Mizuno Open and this week I am second. Hopefully, I will win the Hiroshima Open next week," added the Hero Honda-sponsored golfer.

"However, it is a good feeling to be up there on the leadergroup after almost 18 months of struggling with my injury. These last two weeks have proved that I still have the competitive juices flowing in me," he said.

On the final day, Jeev started with a bogey on the par-4 first hole and was four-over after seven holes with further bogeys on the fourth, sixth and seventh holes. Birdies on the par-5 eighth and 10th help him recover somewhat, but he dropped shots again on the 14th and 15th. Jeev's third and final birdie came on the par-5 16th and he signed off with a bogey on the 18th that denied him a lone second place finish.

Daniel Chopra, the India-born Swede, collapsed on the final day to finish tied for the 60th place. Daniel could not recover from a bogey-triple bogey start and shot a 10-over 82.

All other Asian PGA Tour regulars slipped in trecherous conditions. Reigning Wills Indian Open champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, who was tied for the sixth place yesterday, shot an eight-over 80 to be tied for the 27th place at level-par 288. Jaidee’s countrymate Prayad Marksaeng, runner-up in 1999 Wills Indian Open, was tied for the 17th place at two-under 286 after a four-over 76 round. Korean strongman Kang Wook-soon, who won the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit twice, shot 13-over in his last 12 holes to finish 68th at 11-over 299. Charlie Wi of Korea was tied 22nd at one-under 287, while Zaw Moe of Myanmar finished joint 35th at one-over 289.

Result: (after 72 holes): 273 _ Katsumasa Miyamoto (69.67,68,69); 280 _ Jeev Milkha Singh (66,70,68,76), Eduardo Herrera (68,68,72,72); 281 _ Hidemichi Tanaka (69,70,68,74), Dean Wilson (69,71,68,73); 282 _ Kiyoshi Murota (72,69,67,74); 283 _ Hajime Meshiai (65,72,73,73), Kazuhiro Takami (67.71,71,74); 284 _ Toshikazu Sugihara (69,68,71), Kosaku Makisaka (66,72,70), Yoshinori Mizumaki (67,74,69,74)