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Indian duo to make history at US Open

India's Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa prepare for a wild ride at the US Open on Thursday hoping their historic double act will capture the imagination of the golfing world.

Singh, the current Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit leader and 2002 Asian number one Randhawa carry the region's charge at Winged Foot Golf Club, New York where they will face the likes of title holder Michael Campbell and world number one Tiger Woods.

This is the first time that two Indians are featuring together in a US Open, with Singh making his second appearance and Randhawa his debut. They earned their places in the year's second major through qualifying in England earlier this month.

"It should be a big day for Indian golf," said Singh. "Whenever you qualify for a major, you want to play well for personal reasons. But coming from an Asian background, the both of us being here is fantastic for the Asian Tour. The more Asians we have in big tournaments and majors, the more recognition we'll get."

The tenacious Singh, who qualified and played in all four rounds in the 2002 US Open in Bethpage, also in New York, is riding on a crest of new-found confidence. Since April, he has notched one victory, his first since 1999, and posted three other top-10s.

"I'm playing well," said Singh, whose competitive spirit was nurtured by his father, an Indian Olympic runner. "I've got a lot of trust after winning the Volvo China Open (in April).

"I now trust my game under pressure and I believe in myself. That's taken me ahead. I'm looking forward to this week. There is self belief. I've worked quite hard although there could be a lot more improvements."

At 7,264 yards, the par-70 Winged Foot's West Course will pose a severe test for the best golfers and Singh is prepared to grind out a result. "It's a monster," he conceded. "The rough is up and the greens are undulating with a lot of slopes. They will put some tough pins out there. The only good thing is that it's rained a lot and the greens are soft but the forecast is that it'll stay dry for the rest of the week."

Singh will have a small band of supporters cheering him on this week. His parents have flown into New York while his two sisters live in the Big Apple. "I am fortunate to play in New York all the time. I'm excited about it. I always like to play on tough courses and it doesn't get any tougher than this.

"I will try to take it like a normal week. I'm pretty excited with the large crowds as it's a different atmosphere," said Singh.

Singh, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour, will tee off in the first round at 12.30pm on Thursday and 7am for Friday's second round. "I think I've got a good draw as I'm first out on both days. Hopefully I can take advantage of the conditions."

Randhawa, who has also won five titles on the Asian Tour, tees off at 9.01am for the first round and 2.31 for the second round.

Korean star Choi Kyung-ju, known better as KJ, has a marquee pairing where he will play the first two rounds with two-time US Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa and American Ryder Cup star Chris DiMarco.

June 14, 2006