Jeev Milkha Singh [Images] blasted a brilliant hat-trick of birdies on the back nine for a flawless six-under 65 to finish tied third at the Celtic Manor Wales Open in New Port.

Jeev set off with a flawless front nine, dropping two shots at the third and ninth holes while parring the rest.

The Chandigarh golfer looked unstoppable on the back nine as he sank a birdie on the 13th hole and followed it up with three back-to-back birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th to share the third place with Alvaro Velasco of Spain.

However, a sub-par card eluded S S P Chowrasia and Jyoti Randhawa as the two carded an identical one-over 72 to finish joint tied-91. Delhi lad Shiv Kapur turned in a disastrous two-over 73 to languish at tied-111.

Chowrasia started off well firing a string of birdies from the fourth to the sixth but bogeys on the eighth, ninth, 11th and a triple bogey on the par four 12th hole dented his chances.

The Kolkata-based golfer, however, came back strongly sinking consecutive birdies on 14th and 15th holes.

At the top, Australian Scott Strange (63) fired as many as nine birdies to catapult himself to grab the lead even as Italian Edoardo Molinari kept breathing down his neck from one shot behind.