By IANS
Los Angeles : India’s Jeev Milkha Singh struggled at the PGA Championships, shooting six over par in the first round even as compatriot Jyoti Randhawa could not tee off at all because of illness.
The reigning Asian Order of Merit champion Jeev carded 76 Thursday at the par 70 Southern Hills Country Club at Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be tied 103rd after the opening round.
The Indian made birdies on the fifth and ninth holes but bogeys on the seventh, 15th and 16th. A double bogey on the 18th coupled with a triple bogey on the par four 12th could well have snuffed out any hopes of Jeev making the cut in the fourth and final Major of the year.
England’s Graeme Storm leads the field with five-under 65. The French Open winner edged two shots clear of American John Daly, who brought back memories of his 1991 triumph with a 67.
Arron Oberholser, Woody Austin and Stephen Ames shot 68 but Tiger Woods leaked two late bogeys to finish one over and tie for 23rd place on the opening day.
British Open champion Padraig Harrington carded a one under 69.
Storm ignored the stifling 38 degrees Celsius heat and humidity to pick up four birdies in his opening seven holes, and he added to his haul at the 11th before parring his way home.
“I don’t know where that came from,” said Storm, who worked at a cake factory during the off-season to fund his early years on tour.
“I’ve been really struggling the last few weeks. Maybe a bit of fatigue came in after the French Open. I haven’t had time to reflect on it.
“I had no expectations coming into this week. I shot 18 over last week so I just decided to forget technique, forget everything.
“I’m ecstatic. Any time you shoot a score like that in a Major is unbelievable, an amazing feeling.”
Retief Goosen, British Open runner-up Sergio Garcia and England’s Justin Rose were on level par, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald ended two over and Phil Mickelson slipped to three over with three bogeys on the back nine.
World number two Jim Furyk and Fiji’s Vijay Singh finished five over and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke carded a 77.