Jeev win Order of Merit crown; Randhawa too finish 3rd in HK Open

Hong Kong, Nov 19 (UNI) Jeev Milkha Singh won the prestigious Asian Tour Order of the Merit crown when he finished an impressive tied third in the two million dollar UBS Hong Kong Open here today.

Tied sixth overnight , Jeev returned a superb four-under 66 card to aggregate 12-under 268 card to finish as second runner-up alongside his equally illustrious compatriot Jyoti Randhawa and Thai Thongchai Jaidee. With the finish, Jeev took his season earnings in the Asian Tour to an unassailable 573,442 dollars.

Meanwhile, Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara clung to the lead he had enjoyed throughout the co-sanctioned event and returned a one-under card today to lift the title with 15-under 265 -- a stroke clear of Filipino rookie Juvic Pagunsan.

Out to make the season-ending event memorable, highest-ranked Indian golfer Jeev started on a strong note firing in a birdie on the third hole but dropped a stroke on the ninth to make a turn at level par.

Jeev was a changed player on the back nine as he hit a birdie on the 10th and, even better, an eagle on the 13th before signing off with another birdie on the last.

Randhawa, who slipped after leading the field on day one, also had a point to prove. The golfer had a sedate start and played a uneventful level par front nine before, like Jeev, changing the gear on the backward journey.

He fired in a birdie on the 10th, followed it up by gaining two more strokes on 13th and 16th before ending the day with another birdie on the last hole.

Among others, Indo-Swede Dainel Chopra returned a level-par card to finish tied 25th. Gaurav Ghei finished tied 42nd while Rahil Gangjee lost the plot towards the end and had to be content with a tied 62nd spot.

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