Jeev Milkha Singh

Jeju: Two runner-up finishes in five weeks have convinced Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh that his game is going in the right direction and a title is just round the corner.

The ace Indian golfer was closing in to his sixth Asian Tour title till he was pipped on the third play-off hole by Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell at the inaugural Ballantine’s Championships.

“Obviously, you play to win but somebody has to win. The last hole, he hit a great shot in there after I hit a good shot and I think the best man won,” said the 36-year-old Jeev.

“This week is over, I’ve got to look forward to something better. I gave it 100 per cent, I tried my best.”

The heartbreak came just weeks after he missed out on the title at the Indonesian Open to Chile’s Felipe Aguilar with a bogey on his 72nd hole. But rather than dwell on the past, Jeev has turned his attention to this week’s WGC-CA Championship in Doral and the US Masters next month.

“I gave it a good effort. I would like to congratulate Graeme for playing excellent golf and I’m looking forward to Doral now because I’m playing well.” “So may be, there’s something better waiting for me there,” said the Chandigarh golfer, who finished tied 28th in Doral last season.

He will be flying the Tricolour at the elite event along with Indian Masters champion S.S.P. Chowrasia and will be confronted with a field led by world number one Tiger Woods.

Jeev could find solace from the fact that his recent close finishes have taken him to second place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with winnings of $517,050, approximately $40,000 behind leader Mark Brown of New Zealand.