Two under pushes Jeev up the ladder

HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS, JULY 26: Jeev Milkha Singh, the lone Indian on the European PGA, shot a good two-under final round, his best for ...

HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS, JULY 26: Jeev Milkha Singh, the lone Indian on the European PGA, shot a good two-under final round, his best for the week, at the Dutch Open to climb up from joint 50th to joint 42nd spot. The Indian star carded 69 after first three rounds of 72, 70 and 70.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood got Colin Montgomerie’s European No 1 spot in his sights after winning the Dutch Open here on Sunday. The 26-year-old Briton came from five shots behind to equal his own course record With a brilliant closing 63, eight under par, and snatch the 133,000 pound first prize.

His 15 under total of 269 left him one shot ahead of overnight leader Gary Orr of Scotland, with Argentinian Eduardo Romero and Australian Jarrod Moseley a shot further behind. It was Westwood’s first victory in Europe this season after an injury-plagued year but he has far from given up hope of preventing Montgomerie from taking a record seventh consecutive Order of Merit title.

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Darren Clarke had to settle for a share of fifth placeafter a closing 70 while Bernhard Langer’s tie for 15th, and Andrew Coltart’s joint 20th were enough to move them into ninth and 10th respectively in the Ryder Cup points standings.

Simi finishes 32nd

WARREN, OHIO: Simi Mehra the lone Indian on the US LPGA Tour, finished joint 32nd in the $ one million Giant Eagle Classics. Simi shot a par round of 72 in the third and final round, after first two rounds of four under 68 and two over 74. In fact, after the first round, Simi was lying 11th in the field.

Jackie Gallagher-Smith picked exactly the right time for the best round of her career. Gallagher-Smith fired a bogey-free seven-under-par-65 on Sunday.