Newport (Wales), June 6 (Inditop) Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh had an adventurous round of three-under 68 as he moved to tied fourth after the second round at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.
Jeev is two shots behind the leader, European Tour rookie Richie Ramsay of Scotland, who had a two day total of seven-under 135.
While Jeev was working his way up the leaderboard, his legendary father, Milkha Singh, who won India’s first Commonwealth Games athletics gold medal in Cardiff, Wales back in 1958, was enjoying himself in a country where he wrote of slice of Indian sport history. To date it is India’s only Commonwealth Games gold medal in athletics.
Talking of his round on Friday, Jeev, who shot a hole-in-one Thursday, said: “It (the second round) was a roller-coaster ride. Eight birdies for a three-under card. So there were some good shots and some bad ones also. I am happy, as I am still in there. At five-under, I am not too far back. So let’s see what happens.”
“It was nice to finish on the tenth with a birdie (players tee off from first and 11th at Celtic Manor) and the dinner sure tasted better after that,” added Jeev, who has had his father, renowned athlete walking with him the past two days.
Then moving to his father, who has been having a good time walking with him, Jeev said: “He loves watching me play. He is enjoying himself. It was in Cardiff in 1958, that is 51 years ago, that he won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 440 yards. So he has been trying to see things around and have a bit of a walk Down Memory Lane. He was even checking out on the stadium, where he ran the event.”
Jeev had eight birdies and five bogeys in his round. He teed off from the 11th and had a birdie and then added three more on 15, 17th and 18th and the first. There were more birdies on fourth and fifth, but what spoilt his card was a double bogey on eighth. He also had bogeys on 13th, 16th and sixth.
Ramsay was at 7-under 135 to lead Robert Rock (68) and Ross Fisher (66) of England by one stroke. Ramsay won the 2006 U.S. Amateur title and is on his first full year on tour.
Four players share fourth place going into the weekend – Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed, Jeev, Spain’s Ignacio Garrido and France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet all reaching the halfway stage five under par.
Ramsay was the first Scot in 108 years to win the US Amateur title three years ago and then partnered Phil Mickelson at the Masters Tournament, Tiger Woods at the US Open Championship and Padraig Harrington in The Open Championship. But he missed the cut in all three.
rounak