By IANS,
New Delhi : Closing a sensational second round with a brilliant eagle on the ninth after teeing off from the tenth India’s Jeev Milkha Singh opened up a four-shot lead after second round of the Bank Austria Golf Open. He added a brilliant eight-under 63 to his first seven-under 64 to go a whopping 15-under for two rounds and he was four clear of the nearest rival Simon Wakefield (65) who is at 11-under.
Jeev, who shared the first round lead with five others has had two runner-up finishes this season and in his own words, has “been knocking on the doors of victory”.
That knocking became more insistent at the beautiful par-71 Fontana Golf Club on the outskirts of Vienna. Jeev has five birdies and eagle during the course of his flawless round.
“That sure was satisfying. I have been playing well and coming back with just one bogey in two rounds, I am very happy,” added Jeev. He found 12 of the 14 fairways in both rounds and 15 greens in regulation in both rounds for a superb and consistent performance.
Looking pleased and pumped up after a closing eagle, Jeev said, “As I said after the first round, I have been knocking on the door regularly and I am sure it will open soon.”
Things were not so great for India’s other challenger Jyoti Randhawa, who shot who went four-over 75 ín first round and a 68 in second. At one over he was sure to miss the cut.
The event has been cut down to 36 holes due to the loss of the entire first day’s play on Thursday, coupled with a poor weekend weather forecast that could yet see Fontana golf club hit by further lightning storms and heavy rain. So, Jeev was most happy to finish his second round early and grab a big lead.
Jeev opened the second round with four birdies on the back nine on the 12th, 14th, 15th and the 18th. He maintained the momentum with birdies on the third and fifth and then on the closing hole, he knocked in a big eagle to jump to 15-under for 36 holes.
Two of the players who shared lead with Jeev after first round, Austrian Martin Wiegele and Pelle Edberg of Sweden were still midway through their second round, but they were eight shots behind the Indian. Another overnight leader Ireland’s Gary Murphy had finished with two-under 69 and was nine-under, while Australia’s Scott Barr had dropped back with early bogeys and Swede Christian Nilsson was yet to start.
With his driving and iron play firmly in place, Jeev made no mistakes on the greens either, needing 26 for the second round. In both rounds of the event curtailed to 54 holes and three rounds, Jeev has been finding the fairways with unerring accuracy and reaching the greens in regulation very well.
Earlier in the first round, Jeev continued with his great starts with yet another sizzling first round. Jeev, who has time and again been among early leaders in the tournament, shot a seven-under 64 to take a share of the six-way lead.
Six birdies on the last 10 holes, including four in a row from ninth to 12th, saw Jeev card a seven-under 64.
Jeev had shared the lead with local hope Wiegele, Scott Barr, the Swedish duo of Pelle Edberg and Christian Nilsson and Gary Murphy.
“I managed myself pretty well on the golf course and holed quite a few putts on back nine for the 65 and I am very happy. The golf course is in excellent condition and I drove the ball well,” he added.
Speaking on the inclement weather and his superb birdie on the 18th, he said, “When the going is good, you adjust well and that’s the way it was. I had a three-wood from about 230 yards with the wind was in the face and rain, too. I got on in two and two-putted for a birdie.”
It has been the third time in last four weeks in Europe that Jeev has had a brilliant start. He opened with a 66 in Irish Open before dropping to 40th and then had a 65 at Celtic Manor Wales Open last week where he finished tied 10th.
Jeev, the 2006 Asian Tour’s Order of Merit winner, had birdies on fifth, sixth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 18th and his lone blemish for the day was a bogey on seventh.
With Austria co-hosting Euro 2008 along with neighbours Switzerland over the next month, there has been a football theme running throughout the country, which has reached the fairways of Fontana.