Jeev Milkha Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

New Delhi: Indian golf’s biggest success story Jeev Milkha Singh said that the grind he went through during the rough patch in his career helped him come back stronger and achieve rare milestones this season.

World number 37 Jeev, who had an outstanding year with four career titles and the Asian Order of Merit trophy to his name, added that the enormity of the achievement is still to sink in.

“Its is really a dream. I am fortunate to have such a year. I never thought that I could achieve what I did,” Jeev, who was voted as Players’ of Player in Asia, said on his return home.

“I went through a very lean patch and the struggles during that period have helped to achieve the success. I became more patient and wasn’t result oriented,” Jeev said on the sidelines of a function.

“The Volvo China Open was a major win. And then I won Volvo Masters in Spain, that was the biggest win in my career,” he said.

“I did not put any pressure on myself and just wanted to enjoy playing golf. I think that is one factor which kept me going,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jeev Milkha Singh and South Korean Yang Yong-Eun are among 17 players who will make their debuts at next year’s US Masters.

“I’ve reached my goal of finishing in the top-50 on the world ranking and I am really excited to play in next year’s US Masters,” Jeev said in a statement released by the Asian Tour.

“I’ve now won on three different Tours this season, and it can’t get any better than this. I thank God for my fantastic form. It’s been a perfect year.”

The 34-year-old, who ended a seven-year title drought with victory at the China Open in April before winning the Volvo Masters in Spain and the Casio World Open in Japan, will become the first player from India to play in the Masters.

Also among those earning debuts at Augusta National next April are Colombia’s Camilo Villegas, Swede Johan Edfors, US Ryder Cup players JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich, and Britain’s Bradley Dredge.

Welshman Dredge squeezed into 50th spot in the world rankings published on Monday, narrowly ahead of Englishman Justin Rose.

The final Masters field will not be decided until the week before next year’s tournament when organisers will extend invitations to the world’s top-50 and the leading 10 players on the 2007 PGA Tour money list.

(Reuters)