By IANS,
Ash (Kent) : Jeev Milkha Singh slipped down the ladder at the European Open golf championship, but kept his hopes alive for a top-5 finish that can earn him a berth to the British Open in two weeks time.
Jeev, whose 68 had him in top-5, slipped at the European Open with an even par 72 that pushed him down to tied 17th here Friday.
However, the ace golfer was the only Indian to make the cut in the field. Jyoti Randhawa (73) shot one over and finished at three-over 147 and missed the cut which came at one-under. Also missing the cut was S.S.P. Chowrasia (78) who finished at 17-over and ended way down. Shiv Kapur withdrew after first round due to indisposition.
England’s Ross Fisher continued to lead at the halfway stage with a total of 13-under 131 following his second round 68. He was one clear of Graeme McDowell (67) who was at 12-under and four ahead of Sergio Garcia (64) at nine-under.
Jeev shot an even par 72 with three each of birdies and bogeys that kept him at four-under 140 for two days at The London Golf Club. Jeev started with four pars and found the first birdie on the fifth but gave that away on seventh, and then birdied the eighth to be one-under at the turn.
A bogey on 11th was followed by another on 14th hole and Jeev was suddenly one over for the round. He got that back with a birdie on the 15th to make it even par. Garcia surged through the field with a best of the day 64 to be nine-under for two days.
“After a 63, you just want to go out there and obviously you want to repeat it,” said Fisher. “You kind of want to show people that it wasn’t a fluke and that you’re playing nicely so just try to go out there and do the same things as I did yesterday, which I felt like I did pretty well.”
McDowell, two behind overnight, moved ahead with a morning 67, then Fisher, having played the Kent lay-out “blind” on Thursday, had four more birdies in his first ten holes, bogeyed the 14th and 16th, but then closed with another birdie.
Garcia finished eagle-birdie to move into the frame.