Jeev makes it to final stage
of US Q-School

Ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh opened up a world of possibilities for himself when he made it to the final stage of the US PGA Tour Qualifying School on Saturday.

According to reports from the Black Horse Course in Seaside, California, the Hero Honda-sponsored Jeev shot a one-under 71 on the rain-delayed final round to aggregate seven-under 281. That put him in tied second place alongside a former Asian PGA Tour regular Fran Quinn, who returned a card of six-under 66 on the final day.

However, the other Indian in fray, Arjun Atwal of Kolkata, had a disappointing final round of four-over 76 and missed the mark by three strokes. Atwal tallied seven-over 295 and was tied for 25th place.

The top-21 from the venue made it to the final stage, which will be played over six rounds at the PGA West Course at La Quinta, California from December 4-9, 2002.

"I am delighted with the way I played the four rounds here under tough conditions. I finally managed to piece together four good, consistent rounds after a long time. However, this is just the start as I have still got to play the final stage and hopefully finish in the top-35 there and secure my PGA Tour card," said the 30-year-old star over phone. "Playing the PGA Tour has been my dream and this is a step in that direction," added the Chandigarh-based pro.

"I will return to Japan and try to secure my card for the next season in the next three tournaments," said the four-time winner on the Asian PGA Tour. Jeev is currently ranked 79th in Japanese Tour Money List and requires to finish the season in top-70 to retain his playing privilege there. He has already given up his playing rights on the European PGA Tour after he failed to make it to the top-115 in the Order of Merit.

Rob Bradley of Louisville, Kentucky, took the medal honours from the venue, one of six where the second stage Q-School are being held, with a four-round total of 11-under 277. Also making it to the final stage from Black Horse was Ted Purdy, a name wellknown to Indian fans for winning the inaugural Hero Honda Masters in 1997.

The third Indian interest in the tournament, Sweden's Daniel Chopra had to withdraw from the tournament after injuring himself during the third round. Chopra, who honed his golfing skills in India, looked like he was in contention after two rounds when he was tied for 16th place but lost ground on day three with a forgettable six-over 78 at the Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Texas.