Chopra, Jeev slide down

Sweden’s Daniel Chopra returned a one-over 73 to tie for the 58th spot after the second round in the six-round final stage of the USPGA Tour Qualifying School.

Chopra was placed tied-16 on Wednesday with four-under 68, but slipped further and was at three-under 141 with four rounds remaining in the 108-hole tournament.

The Q-School is being staged at the par-72, Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s only representative, shot a two-over 74 to slip down and tie at 118th position with one-over 145.

Hidemichi Tanaka of Japan shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round. Tanaka was at 12-under-par 132, followed by three Americans.

Seventeen-year-old Ty Tryon moved up 26 places. Tryon was tied for 59th after the first round, but a 69 on Thursday put him in a tie for 33rd at 139.

Tryon, a high school junior from Orlando, is trying to become the youngest player to earn his Tour card through Q-school.

Shaun Micheel and Tommy Armour III shot 64 and Lee Porter carded a 67 to stand at 13-under 133.

Robert Gamez, one of the US veterans trying to rejoin the tour, carded a 65 to stand with John Riegger, Kevin Durkin and John Senden at 134.

Only the top 35 players and ties out of the 167 players in the field, after the six-round tournament will graduate for the PGA Tour next year.

There are 15 players in the field who have PGA Tour titles to their name, including Tommy Armour III, Michael Bradley, Russ Cochran, Robert Gamez, Paul Goydos, Nolan Henke, Blaine McCallister, Jim McGovern, Dicky Pride and Ted Tryba.

Q-school final is golf's annual test, a six-day, 108-hole marathon that will determine the 2002 status for the players who have qualified through two stages. The tournament is scheduled to end on Monday.

Jeev had qualified for the final stage after he finished with a four-under 284 to emerge in tied-seventh position after the completion of the second stage of qualifying on the Black Horse Course, Seaside, California, United States.