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Jeev caves in at the crunch

Jeev Milkha Singh’s hopes of another good finish in the European PGA Tour were dashed on Sunday after he finished the final round of the Novotel Perrier French Open, at the Golf du Medoc, Bordeaux, France, with a double bogey, followed by a bogey. The lapse saw him finish at 37th position.

Jeev, who was tied for the fifth place at eight-under after 49 holes, dropped five strokes in the last six holes during the third round and continued on a similar roller-coaster round on Sunday. He began badly by dropping strokes on the second, third and fourth holes and was one-over for the tournament when he made another bogey on the eighth hole. However, the 27-year-old Indian began the back nine with a bang when he made an eagle on the par-5 10th, and birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to climb back to 4-under. But the double bogey-bogey finish ruined his card as he finished the tournament at level-par 284.
The Indian ace, however, managed to retain his 21st position in the Volvo Order of Merit with the 5,440 euro earning from the event.

The tournament was won by last year’s Alfred Dunhill Cup hero Retief Goosen, who beat New Zealand’s Greg Turner when the latter made a bogey on the second hole of playoff after both were tied at 12-under 272 at the end of 72 holes. Following the victory, the South African emerged richer by 141,660 euros and jumped to fifth place in the Order of Merit. This was Goosen’s second French Open triumph in three years.

The European Tour moves to The Oxfordshire Golf Club in Thame, England, this week for the 1.12 million euro prize-money Benson & Hedges International. The winner stands to gain 186,660 euros.

Final results (after 72 holes): 1. 272 - Retief Goosen (SA) 69+65+68+70, Greg Turner (NZ) 67+65+70+70 (Goosen won in the 2nd playoff hole); T-3rd. 275 - Santiago Luna (Esp) 67+72+67+69; Jose Coceres (Arg) 69+69+66+71; T-5th. Eamonn Darcy (Irl) 66+70+72+68, Ian Woosnam (Wal) 71+68+66+71, Jorge Berendt (Arg) 69+67+68+72; T-37th. 284 - Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68+69+73+74.