The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Jeev stutters on the back nine

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Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
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Jeev stutters on the back nine

Akron: Despite a superb start, Jeev Milkha Singh stuttered on the back nine to card a four-over 74 on the tough and very long Firestone Country Club in the $8 million WGC Bridgestone invitational golf tournament here.

Leader Rory Sabbatini of South Africa streaked ahead of the field with a second straight 67 for a 134 total.

Jeev, the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit winner last year, began superbly with a string of nine pars in a row which considering how the tough course is playing was fairly good going.

Then he hit a double bogey on the tenth. He did get back a shot on the 11th, only to drop one on the 12th. At one-over he hit another rough patch with two back-to-back bogeys on 16th and 17th for a day’s card of 74.

With only eight players under par after 36 holes, two good rounds on the weekend could get Jeev a good finish ahead of the year’s fourth and final Major, the PGA Championships.

Meanwhile, Korea’s Choi Kyung-ju slipped on the second day. He is tied 26th.

Five-time champion Tiger Woods was at 138 along with Scott Verplank (68) and Kenny Perry, who had his second straight 69.

Chopra makes the cut

Daniel Chopra returned an impressive three-under 69 to make the cut and move up to the tied 35th spot after the midway stage of the Reno-Tahoe Open on the US PGA Tour at Reno.

Chopra, who carded a one-under 71 in the opening round, is now four-under 140 for 36 holes at the par-72 Montreux Golf and Country Club.

At the top, Steve Flesch, who shot six birdies to overcome a double bogey and swirling winds for a card of 69, held a two-stroke lead with a total of 12-under 132.

Australian Charles Warren shot a nine-under 63 and was in second place at 10-under.

Argentina’s Jose Coceres, who struck a hole-in-one en route to an opening round 64, dropped back to third with an even-par card for a total of eight-under 136.

Atwal impresses

Arjun Atwal returned three-under 68 and was eight-under for two rounds at the Preferred Health Systems Open golf tournament at the Nationwide Tour at Wichita. Atwal scored six birdies and three bogeys.

In the second round, he needed 25 putts. Two former champions Brad Elder (1999) and Bradley Hughes (2004) were tied for the lead at 13 under par — PTI

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