Ecstatic Jeev catches the last train to British Open

The 40-year-old, a former top-50 player, 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.

It was virtually the last chance for anyone to qualify excepting the reserves moving up due to withdrawals.

Jeev's fourth win on European Tour making him the most successful Indian on the European Tour, also moved him inside top-15 on European Tour, making it easier for him to make the season-ending Race to Dubai event.

The world ranking also pushed him inside top-90 and he could by the end of the year realistically look at getting into top-50, which could see him return to the coveted Masters next April. MORE