New Delhi – Nov. 2, 2004 – Jeev Milkha Singh was consistency personified as he rattled off a two-under 70, his fourth straight under-par score of the week to end his sojourn at the 120 million Yen ABC Championship 2004 at tied-16th position at an impressive tournament tally of seven-under 281.
Jeev pocketed a cheque worth Yen 1,718,400 for his effort. The tournament, an event on the Japanese PGA Tour, was played at the par- 72, ABC Course Club at Hyohgo. Meanwhile, Jyoti Randhawa, the other Indian in the fray, plagued by a mid-event form slump could manage only a one-over 73 to finish at tied-50 place at one-over 289. Jyoti’s monetary benefits totaled to Yen 312,960.
According to information received here, local pro Makoto Inoue birdied his final hole to avoid a play-off and thereby win his first title on the Japanese PGA Tour. The winner, who tallied 15-under 273 for the week, took home a handsome cheque worth Yen 24,000,000.
Jeev, a first tee starter erred only once in his entire round and this on the 16th, where he dropped a shot. Otherwise, the 32-year olds card was studded with birdies on the sixth, seventh and 15th. The key to Jeev’s success this week was his excellent form on the greens. The Chandigarh based golfer took 26, 27, 27 and 28 strokes respectively in four days of golf at the ABC Golf Club.
Jyoti on the contrary fell victim to the ‘double-bogey’ decease for the second day in a row. The former Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit winner had two double bogeys on Saturday. On Sunday, the tenth tee starter fired two more on the 12th and ninth. Further adding to his miseries were bogeys on the 14th and third. These indiscretions overshadowed Jyoti’s birdies on the 15th, 18th, second, fourth and seventh.
Inoue decision to play safe today (Sunday) nearly cost him the title but the 29-year old managed to pull through by a solitary stroke. His round looked good enough on the front nine with birdies on the fourth and seventh placing him at two under at the turn. Thereafter however, Inoue went on to drop shots on the 11th, 12th and 16th. It was only birdies on the 15th and his closing hole which finally saw him through.
SCORES (after 72 holes): 273 M Inoue(69,67,66,71); 204 T Suzuki(71,65,68,70), R Kawagishi(71,69,64,70); 275 T Kamiyama(68,66,70,71); 276 T Taniguchi(68,69,71,68), D Chand(72,70,66,68), D Maruyama(71,69,68,68); 279 H Kase(72,68,68,71), S Hirota(69,74,65,71), C Pena(71,67,74,67)
