Jeev misses British Open bus

For the first time in six years, no Indian pro will be vying for the prestigious Claret Jug when the 137th edition of The Open Championship...

For the first time in six years, no Indian pro will be vying for the prestigious Claret Jug when the 137th edition of The Open Championship gets underway at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.

India’s last hope went up in smoke with ace golfer Jeev Milka Singh shooting a level-par 70 in the second round of the International Final Qualifying (IFQ)-Europe on Tuesday to miss the bus by two strokes. Jeev had carded a two-under 68 in the first round at the par-70 Sunningdale Golf Course in South Central England.

Jeev played the British Open at Carnoustie, Scotland, last year, where he missed the cut. This year, he was invited to the Masters in Augusta in April and finished tied 25th — his best result in a major thus far.

In Michigan, US, Daniel Chopra slammed the door shut on himself, carding a disastrous seven-over 79 on Day Two at the International Final Qualifying.

The Indian-born Swede, who squandered a two-stroke lead at the Buick Open to finish tied 17th on Sunday, mixed five bogeys and two double bogeys with a couple of birdies and aggregated 151—12 strokes more than Thomas Gillis, who sealed the last spot in a playoff.

In the official world golf rankings, Jeev slipped three places to 78 but was still the highest-ranked Indian golfer — three notches above Jyoti Randhawa.