Jeev Milkha Singh regains belief after Thailand Classic

A T7 finish at the Thailand Classic has filled Jeev Milkha Singh with renewed hope

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A T7 finish at the Thailand Classic has filled Jeev Milkha Singh with renewed hope

March 15, 2016: Jeev Milkha Singh feels he can still win. “That’s the reason I am still playing,” said the 44-year-old stalwart, who has 20 wins around the world.

Finishing T-7, which was his first Top-10 has given him his confidence back and he feels he is on the way back on the eve of the US $ 1.66m Hero Indian Open. (Read More in Golf)

Jeev, who has never won at the DGC, where he has played since the age of nine, is also fired up at the prospect of trying to make the Indian team for the Olympics, where golf will return to the Games after 108 years.

Jeev said, “I have hit the rock bottom in the last three years and have had some injuries. For an athlete, getting injured is one of the toughest things. More than the physical aspect of an injury, it’s the mental side that sets you back even more. The shots that you could easily hit, suddenly you find that you can’t hit them anymore. And that can have a devastating effect on an athlete. But as of now I am feeling good and I believe that age is just a number. In fact, with age you get more experience and become more patient.”

Excited about the Hero Indian Open, he added, “It’s our National Open and I look forward to play here. It is sponsored by Hero Motocorp and Mr. Pawan Munjal is a very good friend of mine. Hero has supported me for a long time, so there is a strong emotional bond.”

He went on, “I have been playing at the DGC since I was nine years old. Though, I have not won here, I look forward to change that. The key is to manage the course and you got to be positive over here. It’s very easy to get frustrated on this course, but it’s important to quickly put the bad shots behind and do the right things.”

Jeev feels there is still a lot of golf left in him. “It’s been three years since the Scottish Open (2012) that I have won anything. But last week was a jumpstart at the True Thailand Classic and that has given me a lot of confidence. I have gone through long periods of title drought in the past, so I’m waiting for the cycle to happen once again. I am hoping that the balls will start rolling in again.”

As for the Olympics, he said, “I have grown up in household hearing great stories about the Olympics from my father. And even now those stories give me goosebumps. Golf being included in the Olympics is one of the best things to happen to the sport and especially for India. I still have three or four months to try to make it to the Indian team. As of now, Anirban (Lahiri) is certain, and SSP (Chawrasia) is in contention for the second spot. If I could make it to the team then it would be the greatest gift I could give to my father.”

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