Brilliant Jeev finishes fourth in Japan Tour

Brilliant Jeev finishes fourth in Japan Tour
Press trust of India

New Delhi, March 12: The ’Super Sunday’ for Indian sports was not restricted to Pullela Gopichand’s historic All-England Open win and Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick against Australia.

Jeev Milkha Singh put up an enthralling display on the final day to finish tied for the fourth place in the season-opening $834,000 Token Corporation Cup on the Japan Golf Tour.

According to information reaching here from Tado, Japan, Jeev aggregated four-under 209 in freezing conditions in a tournament which was reduced to three rounds following a heavy snowstorm on the opening day. The second round was cancelled.

Jeev, who became the first Indian golfer to qualify for the lucrative Japanese tour after finishing third in the qualifying school, shot the day’s best round of four-under 67 to leapfrog from tied 34th place to fourth after the second round.

The conditions on the final day were so unfriendly with uninterrupted rain and sub-zero temperature that only four players broke par.

Shingo Katayama of Japan won the tournament at eight-under 205. Katayama shot a two-over 73 on the final day and won by two strokes over Tsuneyuki nakajima.

Jeev is enjoying one of the best runs of his career after the frustration of last season when he missed almost seven months of action due to a wrist injury.The 29-year-old finished sixth in Dubai Desert Classic last week and also set a new putting record on the European PGA Tour.

On the opening day, Jeev made four bogeys in last five holes before play was suspended for snow after the Indian had completed 12 holes. He was tied for the 103rd place at that time. On day two, he returned to the course to complete his round and made two birdies to be tied for the 59th place after the first round at two-over 73.

The second round was abandoned and Jeev was a picture of solidity on day three as he made just one bogey against three birdies to be tied for 34th place after two rounds at level-par 142.