Masterful performance by Jeev

Jeev Milkha Singh’s run at the prestigious Augusta Masters might have begun with a nightmare, but it ended like a dream

By V Krishnaswamy

An Indian leading at the Masters? A dream indeed—but on the first day, there was Jeev Milkha Singh right on the top at three-under after nine holes. He ended with a 72, but an aspiration had just taken concrete form.

It began like a dream although, for a brief period at the first hole on the last day, it seemed to be turning into a nightmare. In the end, Jeev, the standard bearer of Indian golf, held his nerve and finished a creditable 37th on his debut at the Augusta Masters.

A quadruple bogey after crisscrossing the green three times dashed hopes of a top-15 finish. A frustrated Jeev battled with himself and hung in to finish the week far better than many of the more reputed names. He had only dropped from tied 16th overnight to tied 37th. The likes of Ernie Els and Michael Campbell didn’t even make the cut. Zach Johnson (31) emerged the 2007 Masters champion, holding his nerve in the closing stages. Starting the day at four-over and two behind leader Stuart Appleby, Johnson won his first Major with two shots to spare.

A downhill skiing fan and a Nationwide Graduate from 2003, Johnson shot a final round of 69 to finish one-over and two clear of the bunch of three players, including Tiger Woods (72), Rory Sabbatini (69) and Retief Goosen (69), all of whom finished at three-over 291. Jeev was crushed by the big numbers on first, and two other double bogeys besides three bogeys negated the four birdies he made. For three days, he had been patient and managed the course so well, but lost his focus on the final day.

“I learnt a few things, but frankly I’m really disappointed. I’m not happy. I enjoyed everything except for the last round at the Masters, but that’s all right. Maybe I’ll learn something from here. I started off badly and didn’t get back into shape after that. That was it,” said the Asian Tour number one, who totalled 14-over-par 302 in the year’s opening Major.

“I couldn’t get my focus back after that bad start. I kept trying hard on every shot but I couldn’t do anything. I had some bad breaks as well, but that’s golf. “Hopefully, I will be back soon at Augusta. I’m not proud with the way I finished. I’m happy that I made the cut and I would love to come back as I like the course. It’s set up perfectly for my game. We’ll see what happens next year,” added Jeev.

“This course suited my game, and I love the way it sets up perfect for my game. I don’t normally take things too hard and often take it as another round, but this last round hurt me,” he said after playing the last round with the other ‘Singh’—Vijay Singh of Fiji.

Jeev, in my opinion the Christopher Columbus of golf—for he has always been the one venturing to new and uncharted territories in international golf—scripted a remarkable story. Braving cold and blustery conditions, the 35-year-old son of India’s iconic athletics legend, Milkha Singh, shot a first round 72 and 75 that saw him finish 36 holes in three-over 147, which saw him end the day at a superb, tied 15th place.

Jeev, who won four times last year to become Asia No 1 and climbed more than 300 places in world ranking to finish at No 37, is in a tie with nine others, including Woods.Jeev was asked whether he was any relative of former Masters champion, Vijay Singh. And he politely had to
say no. He was also repeatedly asked whether golf can overtake cricket in popularity.

Jeev—hardly the keenest of followers of cricket—said nonetheless that he was disappointed at India losing in cricket, but couldn’t be sure about golf overtaking it.