Loch Lomond (Scotland), July 11 (IANS) Despite the putter letting him down badly, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh hung on grimly to add a 68 to his first round 68 at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club. At six-under for two rounds, he was placed tied seventh midway through Friday. Jeev is three shots behind the provisional leader, Angel Cabrera, the 2007 US Open champion, who was four-under through six holes in second round.

Jeev found 12 of the 14 fairway and then 16 of the 18 greens in regulation, he still needed 32 putts, which was four worse than 28 in first round.

“The putts just didn’t fall. I had a bunch of birdie chances, but had 14 two-putts and just four single putts,” said Jeev.

Damien McGrane (66) was eight-under after two rounds, while three players, Thomas Bjorn (68), Simon Khan (66) and former Open champion Paul Lawrie 967) were all at seven-under, while Jeev and two others were tied seventh at six-under.

Jeev, who started early on second day, finished his second round with six birdies and two bogeys, both on his second nine, which was the front stretch of the course.

Jeev opened the tenth and had two birdies on tenth and 13th to turn in two-under. On the second nine, he had a birdie-bogey sequence on second and third and again on fifth and sixth. But he birdied the ninth to come to three-under again.

Thursday Jeev in almost his customary style started with yet another low card with a three-under 68 in the opening round. But with many others, including his Asian Tour mate and leader, Thai Thongchai Jaidee (64) also going low, Jeev was only tied 19th, but just four off the lead.

Jeev, for whom this is the last chance to qualify for the British Open next week, needs to be the highest non-exempt finisher in top-five to make the grade.

Jeev opened with two birdies in first three holes and then parred the rest of the front nine. A bogey on tenth was his only blemish, which he quickly made up with back-to-back birdies on 13th and 14th. The leaderboard was tightly packed with 35 players within four shots of the lead.