By IANS
Miyazaki (Japan) : India’s Jeev Milkha Singh chipped in for a superb eagle on the closing hole to cap a wonderful finish in the second round of the Dunlop Phoenix golf Tournament.
Jeev, who was two-over after 15 holes, struck a purple patch as he went four-under in the last three holes for a second successive two-under 68 that brought him to tied ninth place at the midway stage of tournament.
Jeev is now four-under 136 for 36 holes and three shots behind joint leaders Padraig Harington (65) of Ireland and Ian Poulter (68), who were at seven-under 133.
The Indian ace, who went out on the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys, then ran into a rough patch with three bogeys and one birdie in the four-hole stretch from tenth to the 14th.
At that stage he was two-over for the day. After a safe par on 15th, Jeev found back-to-back birdies on 16th and 17th and then landed a final eagle with a perfect chip-in at the par-70 Phoenix Country Club.
“Though the chip-in was great, putting continued to be a problem. I had two three-putts and also missed a couple of short ones for birdies,” said Jeev, who won twice in Japan last year. “I am just trying to focus on the job at hand and see how things can improve.”
Meanwhile, defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland also eagled the 18th hole to move into a share for the second-round lead with England’s Ian Poulter.Harrington, who beat Tiger Woods in a playoff last year, hit a 5-wood second shot from 247 yards to a foot for eagle to match the day’s low of five-under 65. The current British Open champion Harrington also had five birdies and two bogeys to close on seven-under 133 for two rounds.
Poulter — joint first-round leader with Toshinori Muto and South Korea’s Kim Kyung Tae — followed his opening 65 with a 68. Muto and Kim had 71s to slip into a tie for ninth at 4-under 136.
Mikko Ilonen of Finland shot a 65 to share third place on 134 with four-time Japanese money title winner Shingo Katayama and PGA player Daisuke Maruyama, who both had 67s.
Teenaged amateur Ryo Ishikawa, just 16, turned in a 68 to make the cut with even-par 140.