Jeev Leads Indians to Golf in Hong Kong

Three years ago, Hong Kong was where Jeev Milkha Singh confirmed his Asian Tour Order of Merit. But this time around as the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open is all set to tee off, things have changed so much that Jeev will be making only his second appearance in Asia after last week’s HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Jeev leads a strong Indian challenge of 10 players, eight of whom have won on the Asian Tour in past and two of them broke through with maiden wins this season.

Jeev, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit title holder, may not have played much in Asia, but he continues to be one of the top draws in the event. Jeev will tee up with the current Race to Dubai leader, Lee Westwood, and the defending champion of Hong Kong Golf Open, Lin Wen-Tang of Chinese Taipei in the first two rounds. Jeev carries with him happy memories of having whipped Westwood 6-up in his first round of the Volvo World Matchplay earlier this month.

Jeev hoping to finish strongly enough to get back into the World’s top-50 in world golf rankings, will have no less than 10 Indians for the company. Gaganjeet Bhullar, winner of Indonesia President Invitational, Chinnaswamy Muniyappa, winner of the Hero Honda Indian Open and Anirban Lahiri, third at the Indian Open, are competing in the event. The trio is seen as the new face of Indian golf, with Bhullar and Lahiri just 21 and 22 years of age and Muniyappa is 32.

Also in the field are Jyoti Randhawa, winner of the Singha Thailand Open, SSP Chowrasia, winner of the Indian Masters ion 2008, Gaurav Ghei, three-time winner on Asian Tour, Shiv Kapur winner of the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2005, Rahil Gangjee, who won in his rookie year back in 2004. Randhawa goes out with Mark Brown and former Major winner, Ben Curtis.

Of the 10 Indians in the fray, only two have not won on Asian Tour – one is Digvijay Singh, who has time and again been in top-3 but not closed in on a title and Lahiri, who in his first full season has four top-10s and has won his last two starts on Indian domestic Tour, including last week.