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Jeev leads at Volvo European Masters

Source:PTI
October 29, 2006 15:46 IST

Ace Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh overcame tough scoring conditions to open up a one-shot lead at the end of the third round in the Volvo Masters golf tournament and set himself up for a rare double.

The 34-year-old Indian star, who is in the midst of the finest season in his career and has already won the Volvo China Open, carded a three-under 68 with six birdies and three bogeys in a superb round that put him on top of the leaderboard.

Jeev's round was the second best of the day after the 66 by Peter O'Malley, who is lying tied 13th. He (210) was followed by four players at 211 -- Sergio Garcia (70), Johan Edfors (69), Lee Westwood (72) and Henrik Stenson (73).

The top-ranked Indian, who has led the UBS Asian Tour Order of Merit since he won the Volvo China Open title, said: "I've seen the course on television so many times and hopefully I can keep going for one more day. If it happens, good. If it doesn't, I've got another week."

Jeev's 68 leaves him at 210. If he wins, the 44th-ranked player in Europe will win a purse of US $840,855, an amount that would take him inside top-20 of the European Tour.

It will be the best in his career and will also put him on road to try and get into top-50 of the world rankings, his goal for next year.

"I'm going to go out there and just play for myself. If it happens, it's good. If it doesn't, I've got another week," Jeev said.

Jeev had birdies on the fourth, sixth and eighth but also dropped a shot on seventh and turned in a two-under. The eighth was one hole he had birdied all three days. He added another birdie on tenth to go three-under.

For the second day in a row, Jeev dropped bogeys on 12th and 13th, which have been among the most difficult holes at the Club de golf Valderrama.

But he made up with birdies on 15th and 17th to come to three-under and take outright lead.

On his performance in the third round, Jeev said, "I have had a good start whenever I have gone out and I was two under for the front."

Source: PTI
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