Jeev Milkha Singh's bid for a top-10 finish in the flagship event of the Japanese PGA Tour, the 120 million yen-JGT Championship Shishido Hills Cup, received a setback when he shot a two-over 73 under difficult conditions in the third round at the 7,050-yard, par-71 Shishido Hills Golf Club on Saturday.
According to information from Ibaragi, Jeev was tied for the 24th place at one-under 212 after the penultimate round.
Jeev, who shot a four-under 67 on the opening day and followed it up with a one-over 72 on day two, made two birdies - on the par-4 fifth and ninth holes - but was undone by a three-putt double bogey on the par-4 14th and
bogeys on the seventh and 15th holes.
The other Indian in fray, Jyoti Randhawa, failed to survive the cut by one stroke after aggregating two-over 144 in the first two rounds.
Japan's Toshimitsu Izawa continued his fine form and added a three-under 68 to his brilliant effort of eight-under 63 on the second day. Izawa was one stroke clear of New Zealand's David Ismail, who had the best round of the day, a four-under-67, to tally 11-under 202. The Japanese duo of Tadahiro Takayama and Taichi Teshima were tied for the third place at 10-under 203.
ATWAL MAKES LATE SURGE: On the European PGA Tour, Kolkata's Arjun Atwal rallied brilliantly to post three birdies in his last four holes to make what looked like an unlikely cut at the halfway stage of the 2.8 million Euro Smurfit European Open, being played at the par-72 K-Club course near Dublin, Ireland.
Atwal, twice winner on the European Tour, posted a two-under 70 to add to his four-over 76 first round and was tied for the 66th place at two-over 146. The cut was applied at the same score after Friday's round.
Starting from the 10th tee, Atwal birdied the 13th and 15th holes, only to lose the advantage with a double bogey on the 17th hole. He had a double on the 17th on Thursday as well. Another bogey on the 18th left him three shots of the projected cut.
However, he made a solid charge and birdied the sixth, eighth and ninth holes to close with a two-under 70 card.
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland joined Philip Price of Wales on top of the leaderboard with scores of nine-under 135. The Ulsterman shot a superb six-under 66 on the second day. Alastair Forsyth of Scotland and Charles Schwartzel of South Africa were tied for the third place at eight-under 136.
Seven-time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie of Scotland was tied 11th at 5-under 139, while defending champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand was way behind at joint 50th place at one-over 145.
