Jeev Milkha Singh suffered from two late bogeys, but stayed in the hunt for a PGA Tour card when he shot a level-par 72 on day three of the US PGA Tour Qualifying School at La Quinta, California.
The Hero Honda-sponsored Jeev shot successive three-under 69s on the opening two days and was six-under 210 for the tournament at the halfway stage of the six-round event being played at TPC West's stadium and Tournament
courses.
According to information, Jeev was eight shots off the pace, which was set by his close friend on the Japanese Tour, Dean Wilson. The American shot a four-under 68 and was 14-under 202 for the tournament.
Playing at the Tournament Course, Jeev started with a birdie on the opening par-4 hole, but made the turn even-par after making a bogey on the par-3 eighth hole. On the back nine, he made birdies on the 11th and 13th holes and was placed at two-under, but back-to-back bogies on the 16th and 17th denied him a sub-par finish.
Jeev started with seven straight pars before making his first birdie on the par-5 eighth hole. However, a bogey on the very next hole saw him make the turn at level-par. On the back nine, the Chandigarh-based pro made birdies on the 10th, 12th, 14th and 15th (all par-4s) and a solitary bogey on the par-5 11th hole.
Wilson holds a two-stroke advantage over John Morgan (65) and a four-stroke cushion over Tommy Tolles (64). He tallied four birdies at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course on his way to a second consecutive bogey-free round.
Morgan stormed out of the gate with a 6-under-par 30 on his front nine, but two bogeys on the final four holes prevented him from joining Wilson at the top of the leaderboard. Joel Kribel (67), Bobby Gage (70), Anthony Painter
(72), Jeff Brehaut (72), Chris Anderson (66) and James McLean (67) are five shots behind the leader at 9-under-par 207.
The final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School, considered one of the most gruelling events in golf, is being played TPC Stadium Course and the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. More than 4,000 hopefuls start the three-stage tournament, with just 170 players making it to the final stage. The top-35 in the Q-School will secure playing privilege on the lucrative PGA Tour and the rest 135 will have some kind of status in the Nationwide Tour, the second grade US PGA Tour.
Scores (after 54 holes): 202 _ Dean Wilson (69,65,68); 204 _ John Morgan (67,72,65); 206 _ Tommy Tolles (76,66,64); 207 _ Chris Anderson (70,71,66), Bobby Gage (69,68,70), Jeff Brehaut (71,64,72), Anthony Painter (67,68,72); 208 _ Scott Laycock (72,71,65), David Sutherland (71,68,69), Donnie Hammond (70,67,71), Ben Bates (68,72,68), Brian Watts (73,67,68), John Maginnes (69,70,69).
