The Hindu : Sport : Randhawa, Jeev stay in the hunt

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Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
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Randhawa, Jeev stay in the hunt

Hong Kong: Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh continued their brilliant run as they ensured a strong Indian presence on the leaderboard at tied sixth place, three shots off the lead, at the midway stage of the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open golf tournament.

At the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong Country Club on Friday, overnight joint leader Randhawa shot a one-under-69 and Jeev a three-under 67 to be on 133 for 36 holes, three shots behind the leader, Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara (66), who was at 10-under.

In the second place was little-known Frenchman Gregory Bourdy (66) and Australian Andrew Buckle (65) was tied third with Filipino rookie Juvic Pangunsan (65) and Chinese veteran Zhang Lian-wei, who scorched the course with the day's best of seven-under 63. They were all tied at eight-under-132 for two days.

Two other Indians, Rahil Gangjee (70) and Gaurav Ghei (70), also made the cut and were tied 53rd at even par on the cut line. Indo-Swede Daniel Chopra climbed from tied 102nd to be tied 44th with a four-under 67 and a total of one-under 138.

Kahlon, Chowrasia fail

However, Harmeet Kahlon (70) and S.S.P. Chowrasia (72) missed the cut. Three big names — Retief Goosen (71), Simon Dyson (70) and Johan Edfors (71) — also failed to make it after a one-over 141, one shot off the cut.

Battling the winds, Randhawa, who had started the day in joint lead with Lara, had a very frustrating day with his birdies putts refusing to fall. He did well to tame the wind and manage pars for most part of the day.

Randhawa saw all the action in first four holes after starting from the tenth. He opened with a bogey and had birdies on 12th and 13th. Thereafter he parred the remaining 14 holes in a row for his 69.

Jeev opened and closed with a bogey but played well in between to bring home a three-under 67. Jeev, whose wrist has been bothering him, started with a bogey on first and then fired three excellent birdies on third, fourth and seventh to turn in two-under 34.

On the back nine, he again started with a bogey, but birdies on 11th, 13th and 17th saw him go to eight-under and in third place before a bogey on 18th dropped him to sixth.

Jeev, whose earnings this season stand at $470,108 from Asian Tour, is seeking a good finish, which will help him seal the UBS Asian Tour Order of Merit.

His nearest rival, Prom Meesawat, who is just little over $118,000 behind, was way back at tied 35th place after a second round of 69.

But should Andrew Buckle, currently fourth with $301,512, or Randhawa 14th with $188,485, win the title, they could take the Order of Merit race into the last event, the Volvo Masters.

Bad start and finish

Gangjee had a horrible start and finish. He opened with a bogey start from tenth, but a birdie on 14th steadied him. He parred the next seven holes and then found three birdies in five holes from fourth as he went up the leaderboard.

But again he slipped when he took a double bogey on ninth, his closing hole and finished with an even par 70, and even par 140 for two days, to be tied at 54th place.

Ghei's 70, with three birdies and one triple bogey on fourth, saw him total 140 in tied 53rd place along with K.J. Choi.

With Yasin Ali also missing the cut, Chowrasia still has a chance to become Rookie of the Year as the race goes to the last event, the Volvo Masters of Asia in December.

Chopra had five birdies in first six holes and that set the tempo. He went through his first nine in five-under 29, which just missed the record for lowest nine-hole total of 28 by Maarten Lafeber at UBS Hong Open last year.

Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot leaped up the leaderboard after a 66 while defending champion Colin Montgomerie improved to tied 14th with a 66. — PTI

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