Jeev, Vijay Singh miss the cut
Greensboro (USA), Aug. 16: Even an improved card of one-under 69 in the second round could not lift Jeev Milkha Singh’s fortunes as he missed the cut for weekend action at the Wyndham Championship here on Friday.
Jeev, overnight tied 145th after a horrendous opening round of 73, missed the cut by five strokes and signed off with a total of two-over 142 at the $5.1 million event.
The seasoned pro was yet again off to a poor start and opened with a first-hole bogey before recovering with birdies on the second and sixth holes.
A double bogey on the seventh brought him back to square one but he did well to pick up back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth.
Jeev’s backward journey started with a birdie on the 10th and he added another one to his tally on the 15th. But dropped shots on the 14th and 18th put paid to his hopes at the Sedgefield Country Club.
At the top, Swede Carl Pettersson took the sole lead with a sensational 61 in the second round that took his total to nine-under 125.
The Swede was followed a stroke behind by American Garrett Willis, who carded a second successive 64.
Pettersson’s score matched the lowest of his PGA Tour career, his other 61 coming on the Palm course at Disney World.
"I’m thrilled with the way I’m playing but you can’t relax until Sunday night," said the two-time PGA Tour winner.
"I knew at the beginning of the week it was going to be a low scoring week," he added.
Pettersson narrowly failed to make the European Ryder Cup team two years ago, so he’s trying not to think about it this time, with less than three weeks until the team is picked for the biennial showdown with the United States.
Pettersson is unlikely to win an automatic spot on the European team, even if he wins this week, because he is 17th on the world points list, with only the top five earning selection.
However, he could come into consideration for one of captain Nick Faldo’s two wild card picks.
The cut fell at three-under 137 and a tournament that already lacked star power lost its only world top 20 player when Vijay Singh bowed out. — PTI, AFP