Dubai: Fatherhood seemed to have done wonders
to Jeev Milkha Singh who brought home a sparkling four-under
68 to grab his slice of the six-way opening round lead in the
Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament here on Thursday.
On a day when blustery conditions caught many a golfer on
the wrong foot, Jeev mastered the wind-swept Majlis Course to
join playing partner Edoardo Molinari, Walesman Stephen Dodd,
Swede Alexander Noren, Race to Dubai leader Charl Schwartzel
and defending champion Rory McIlroy at the top.
It was an outstanding display of near-flawless golf by
the Indian who recently became a proud father, considering
only 12 of the 66 morning starters managed sub-par cards.
Among other Indians in fray, Shiv Kapur lied tied 61st
after carding two-over 74th, one shot ahead of Jyoti Randhawa
(tied 82nd).
US-based Indian Arjun Atwal and Kolkata pro SSP Chowrasia
carded identical five-over 77 to share the 108th place, while
Anirban Lahiri (120th) was languishing further one stroke
behind.
The day, however, belonged to Jeev and barring the fifth
hole bogey, the affable Chandigarh pro did not put a foot
wrong today.
He birdied the second hole and the ninth as well to be
one-under at the turn.
Jeev began his back nine with a bang, reeling off a
hat-trick of birdies and parred the final six holes to stay at
the top.
"I think I managed myself fairly well," an elated Jeev
said after the round.
"I think days like this when it's so windy, you have got
to miss the ball on the right side, and you've got to make a
lot of up and downs, and I did, and hole some good putts for
birdies. And had a good middle stretch from the 9th and 12th
and birdied all of them. Just hung in there, and, you know,
walked away with a four-under," he said.
Looking ahead, Jeev hoped conditions would be better
tomorrow.
"Hopefully, if it's this breezy tomorrow, I'll make the
most out of it in the morning," Jeev said.
Meanwhile, Shiv had a rollercoaster front nine where he
was two-under after three holes but the three birdies he
nailed in this stretch were negated by two bogeys and a double
bogey.
On his way back, Shiv managed two birdies but could not
prevent three bogeys to finish with a two-over card.
Randhawa managed just two birdies in his round but the
couple of double bogeys in his front nine meant he was always
doing the chasing job.
Atwal's round, in comparison, included two birdies as
against five bogeys and a double bogey.
Chowrasia's goose, on the other hand, was cooked by the
five consecutive front nine bogeys which completely derailed
his campaign.
In Lahiri's case, three bogeys and two double bogeys in
his back nine sent his campaign in complete disarray.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 04, 2010, 21:25