Jeev Milkha Singh sank four birdies over the last seven holes to move into tied sixth place at the end of the first round of the Volvo Champions tournament at the Riffa Club, Bahrain.
The Indian ace, who last week missed the cut in Abu Dhabi after returning from an injury, shot a five-under 67 and was one of the eight players to share the sixth place, and three behind leader Johan Edfors.
Edfors, 35, carded a course record eight-under 64 with nine birdies and one bogey to take a two-shot lead over four players sharing the second place.
Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, Swede Peter Hanson, Italian Francesco Molinari and England’s Graeme Storm were all at 66 in second place.
Jeev, the lone Indian in the field, opened on the tenth and immediately went two-under after four holes. A drop shot on the 16th and two pars saw him turn in a modest one-under.
On the second stretch, he birdied the third and fifth and then closed birdie-birdie on eighth and ninth for a 67.
“It felt good as the birdies dropped nicely,” said Jeev, who found eight of the 14 fairways and reached 13 greens in regulation.
He needed 27 putts to go through his round.
