Stuttering Jeev cards one-over 71

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh suffered a crippling triple bogey on the fourth hole but still managed to hold his opening round to one-over 71 at the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup here on Thursday.

Jeev was lying 20th, but as much as 10 shots behind the double defending champion Hiroyuki Fujita, who shot nine-under 61 to lead by three shots. Fujita has won this event the last two times.

Toshinori Muto is lying second at 64 and Kenichi Kuboya is third at 65 in the event where there are only 26 starters and there is no cut.

Jeev qualified for the tournament on the basis of his win in the Scottish Open and by virtue of being a member of the Japan Tour.

Poor start for Atwal

In La Quinta, California, Arjun Atwal paid the penalty of a poor finish with a bogey and a double in last three holes to return a card of two-over 74 which pushed him to tied 150th place after the first round of the six-round PGA Tour Qualifying School tournament. 

Meanwhile, Daniel Chopra had a decent start at four-under 68. Playing at the same course PGA West, Chopra bogeyed the third, but then found five birdies and no more bogeys for a good start. In tied 50th place was Bhavik Patel who shot two-under 70.  

Atwal had five pars before his first bogey on sixth, but he recovered with a birdie on eighth. A birdie on 12th augured well before he bogeyed the 16th and double bogeyed the par-4 18th. Steve LeBrun put himself in good shape with an opening-round 64 on the Stadium Course to take a one-shot lead after the first round.

Bhasin tied 49th

Himmat Rai salvaged his round with three birdies in the last four holes to card one-under 71 in the first round of the King’s Cup at Khon Kaen, Thailand, on Thursday.

Compatriot Ajeetesh Sandhu also posted a 71 and both were tied 71st. Kunal Bhasin was tied 49th after carding two-under 70.