Jeev Milkha Singh literally caught the last train to the Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s after booking a berth to The Open with a dramatic victory in the play-off at the Scottish Open.
The 40-year-old finished his flawless round of 67 to become the clubhouse leader and then waited for more than an hour tucking into his favourite chocolate cake and sipping tea to suddenly find himself in the play-off with Francesco Molinari at Castle Stuart.
Even Jeev did not expect anything dramatic as Marc Warren, three ahead at one stage, seemed to be running away.
“Frankly, I think I never expected myself to be in a playoff. I was just enjoying a cup of tea and some chocolate cake. I said, it’s an hour I’ve got; my flight is at 8.30 pm out of Aberdeen. I thought I would see the finish and then leave for the airport,” he explained.
“As the chocolate cake and tea were going down, it got very exciting on the golf course and I was fortunate to get into a playoff. (In the play-off) I left myself a good birdie chance.
“Earlier in the last hole (18th of regulation) I had a similar putt but I left it short. I said (to myself), you left that short, but this one, don’t. Give yourself a chance. I hit a good putt, and it went in,” he added.
It was a win that brought Jeev a huge bag of goodies, none better than a berth into the British Open beginning next Thursday at the Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
