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| Jeev Milkha Singh |
Shanghai: It will be an unprecedented high for Indian professional golf with four from the country teeing off in the prestigious $7 million WGC-HSBC Champions here Thursday.
Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar and C. Muniyappa would be part of the star-studded field headlined by none other than Tiger Woods at the Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club.
Jeev has been paired with Gonzalo Fernandes-Castano and Prayad Marksaeng, while Randhawa has Peter Hanson and Richard Sterne for company in the first two rounds. Bhullar was drawn with Wu Ashun and Jean Hugo, while Muniyappa would have Garth Mulroy and Jeppe Huldahl alongside him.
“This is a very proud moment for Indian professional golf,” Professional Golf Tour of India director Padamjit Sandhu said.
“The consolidated efforts of our Tour and event partners are helping take Indian professional golf to the next level and we are confident the momentum will continue,” Sandhu said.
All eyes, however, will be on Woods, who has been paired with Thongchai Jaidee and Ross Fisher.
Of the four Indians in fray, Jeev will spearhead the challenge in the event that also features players like Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy and Yang Yong-eun.
Jeev booked his ticket to the showpiece event courtesy his victory in the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup last December. Randhawa, on the other hand, made it to Asia’s first WGC event as a result of his triumph at the Asian Tour’s Singha Thailand Open earlier this year.
Bhullar made the cut with his win at the Indonesia President Invitational (Asian Tour) in July 2009 while Muniyappa’s landmark victory at the Indian Open last month opened the door for him.
Meanwhile, the South Korean Yang Yong-eun is wary of a Woods backlash after beating the world No.1 to win the PGA Championship in August to become Asia’s first major winner.
“With Tiger, I don’t want to push my luck any further. I know that Tiger is at his peak condition right now. He’s been rested,” Yang said Wednesday. (PTI)
