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Jeev rallies brilliantly, improves ranking

Joy 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.
It was a superb comeback by Price, who played 65 on the third day too.

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.
Despite the score, it was a good performance by Jeev on the second day as the projected cut was expected to be applied at level-par 144. But the tough conditions, with blustery winds, saw the scores rise.

Jeev's fine effort propelled him in both the European PGA Tour as well as the World rankings.
According to rankings released on Monday, May 24, Jeev jumped 10 places to a career-high 148 from last week’s 158. Jeev’s best ranking so far was 151 after the Kirin Open in the first week of this month. The 27-year-old Chandigarh pro is the only Indian to figure in the top 200 of the world. It's been a huge jump for Jeev, who started the year ranked 322nd in the world.

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.