Jeev, Jyoti stay in hunt at Hong Kong Open

Hong Kong, Nov 18 (UNI) Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh were very much in the hunt after returning an identical round of one-under 69 as the Indian duo shared the sixth spot with four others after the penultimate round of the two million dollar UBS Hong Kong Open here today.

With a three-day aggregate of eight-under 202, Randhawa and Jeev were six shots of the leader, Jose Manuel Lara, as the Spaniard continued to sizzle with four-under 66 card today.

Randhawa, who was leading the field after round one before slipping down the ladder, showed promise today hitting back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes. However, he undid the gains by bogeys on the par-four seventh and par-four 15th. He signed off with a birdie to cling into the top 10.

On the contrary, Jeev Milkha Singh had an inauspicious start and the Asian Tour Order of the Merit leader floundered and dropped a bogey in the very first hole. He recovered and gained a stroke on the third hole.

On his back nine, Jeev again dropped a storke on the 12th before making amends with birdie apiece on the 13th and 16th holes.

Among others who share the sixth spot with the Indian duo are Simon Khan of England, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark, Jean van de Velde of France and Lian-wei Zhang of China.

UNI XC DH SAM RK1632