Jeev aces tough conditions at Senior Open to lie fourth

Porthcawl (Wales), Jul 28 (PTI) Jeev Milkha Singh aced challenging conditions on a tough golf course, carding 2-under 69 to be tied fourth after the first round of the Senior’s Major, here.

Jeev, who is making his second consecutive appearance having missed the cut last year, was 3-under and lying second behind the eventual leader, Miguel Angel Jimenez, who posted a five-under 66 to take the first round lead.

Behind Jimenez were Alex Cejka and Mario Tiziani, who carded 3-under 68 each.

Jeev and his friend Vijay Singh, who gave the legendary Indian golfer a few useful putting tips during a practice round, were tied fourth with 69 each.

The tough conditions at the course meant only 12 players shot under par scores.

Jeev had four birdies on the fourth, eighth, 10th and 18th and missed quite a few others including an eagle putt from six feet on 18th.

“I missed a few but in golf it all evens out. I also made some good saves,” said the 52-year-old star. Among the other Indian golfers, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal who are both making their debut at the Senior Open did not have such a great start.

Randhawa did generate some excitement when his birdie on the par-3 fifth showed up as an ace. It was later corrected to a birdie.

Randhawa shot 4-over 75 and Atwal shot 7-over 78.

Jeev said, “Overall, the game was really good today. I expected myself to hole more putts, but I’ll take it, two under par on this golf course. It’s a tough golf course that demands a lot of distance control, especially in the wind because the wind is up there right now and you’ve got to keep it low and you’ve got to have the right bounces.”

“I still think about the first time I got here when I was 15 after various adventures of getting a visa, running out of money in France and then playing at a Links course for the first time in a qualifier for British Amateur,” he added.

“I didn’t qualify then but I am back for a Senior Open 37 years later, so great memories of course, where I began my journey with Links golf,” recalled Jeev.

Randhawa bogeyed the third and fourth before his birdie, and then gave away a triple bogey on sixth and later had back-to-back bogeys on 15th and 16th, but closed with a birdie on the 18th.

Atwal took some time to settle down, after having a sore back a day earlier.

He bogeyed six times on the front nine, before he settled down a little better with two birdies on 13th and 18th, but had bogeys in between on 14th and 17th.

Jimenez, who won the Senior Open champion at St Andrews in 2018, battled tough early conditions at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, but had just one bogey to lead by two from Cejka and Mario Tiziani the brother-in-law of seven-time Senior Major winner and former Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker.

Jimenez, a 21-time World Tour winner, parred the first four holes before reeling off four birdies in five holes to make the turn at four under par.

He began the back nine in the same vein before dropping his first shot of the day at the par four 14th, however, immediately earned it back with a birdie at the following hole.

He ended his opening effort with a closing birdie at the par five 18th to cap off a fine start to his challenge for a second Senior Claret Jug.

Jimenez said, “It’s my favourite major and playing in these conditions on this golf course, beautiful conditions.”