Castellon (Spain), Oct 25 : India's Jeev Milkha Singh shot a bogey-free five-under 66 to be tied at 20th place at the midway stage of the Castello Masters golf.
Jeev, who started with a triple bogey in the first round, shot five birdies, three on the front nine and two on the back nine. He is now five-under 137 after the second round here Friday.
Jeev, 52nd after first round, is now six behind leading trio, which included Sergio Garcia (65) at 11-under.
Jeev, 10th on the European Money and winner of two titles this season, one each in Europe and Japan, birdied the first, fifth and eighth and then added two more birdies on 13th and 16th to finish at five-under 66.
Another Indian, Shiv Kapur, just managed to make the cut as he pulled back from one-over after 10 holes to finish the day at one-under 70 and was even par for two rounds. He was tied 59th as 67 players made the weekend action.
Jyoti Randhawa missed the cut after carding a second straight 73. He ended at four-over 146. He finished tied 92nd and will now finish outside the top-60 and miss the Volvo Masters of Europe.
Garcia shot a six under par 65 which gave him a share of the lead at the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, where he grew up and his father Victor is still the professional. He reached 11-under after his second round and that put him level with Englishman Richard Finch and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, the first-round leader.
Garcia suffered a shaky start with a bogey at the second hole, but used his local knowledge to good effect as he fired seven birdies thereafter.
Finch went on a six hole birdie spree on his way to a 66, racking up shots on six successive holes from the fifth, but that run came to an abrupt halt at the par four 11th where he three putted for bogey, and he dropped another shot at the last.
Five players were on nine under, including Alvaro Quiros, last week's Portugal Masters champion, who continued his red hot form with a 66, and Frenchman François Delamontagne, who needs a strong performance to finish in the top 115 and retain his European Tour card for next season.
Camilo Villegas lived up to his billing as one of golf's most exciting young talents by hitting a hole in one on the par three 12th, which helped him to a five under 66 to leave him six under.
--- IANS
