Singh ready to make history at The Masters

Next week, the Asian Tour number one will realise his dreams when he makes an historic Masters debut where every step and shot that Singh makes at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club will be followed closely by an entire nation.

"I've always dreamt about playing in the Masters. When I was young, I would joke with my friends on the golf course that I've got a putt to win the Masters. Now, the dream has come true," said the 35-year-old Singh, the first Indian to qualify for the Masters.

"That's my favourite major championship. I'll go out there and enjoy every bit of that. I started playing golf at the age of nine but it wasn't until I was 13 or 14 that I first watched the Masters intently."

The tenacious Indian earned his place alongside the world's elite by finishing inside the top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking last year. After a seven-year winless streak, Singh enjoyed a bumper season, winning four titles around the world and the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit for the first time.

"I'm very excited. Indian golf has come of age. It is showing to the world that it's the fastest growing sport in our country. We've got so many talented players. We've got Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa and youngsters like Shiv Kapur, Rahil Gangjee and S.S.P. Chowrasia are all coming up," he said.

Singh, who has played twice in the US Open and made the halfway cut on both occasions, knows that the Indian golfing population will be eagerly following his progress in the Masters.

"I think there will be a lot of following. There will be a lot of expectations," said Singh.

"When I go out there I will be nervous but I'm going to give it my best shot. I will not be result oriented and I will just focus on my routine and process. And I will try to have my best performance."

Routine and process have been Singh's catch-phrase since the beginning of last year. He had often been let down by his own high expectations but after coming to grips with his emotions thanks to a combination of yoga and reading self-improvement books, Singh claimed the Volvo China Open title in Beijing for his fifth Asian Tour career victory last April before going on post another monumental success when he defeated Europe's finest to win the Volvo Masters in Spain.

Following that success, Singh secured back-to-back triumphs on the Japan Tour in a season which saw him play a staggering 40 tournaments worldwide which included 15 top-10s.

Singh used to watch the Masters on TV into the wee hours in his home town of Chandigarh during his formative golfing years and was truly absorbed by the magic of Augusta National when he attended college in the US.

"I'll never forget it when Fred Couples won (in 1992). I was in college and he holed a bunker shot on the 16th to win the Masters. I thought that Freddy was one of the best things for golf then and that he was the man. The Masters is something different. The way it is portrayed and talked about by the players is truly special," said Singh

Singh hopes to extend his run of success on the international fairways in hope that it will generate greater interests in the game in India.

"If it keeps going the way that it's going, I think it'll catch up with cricket. There are a lot of talent in the country. The main thing is that when parents see us guys doing well and making a good living, then they will let their kids try out the sport.

"When I turned pro, parents were very shy in allowing their kids to follow their dreams and turn professional. But now, their thinking is changing. They are now pushing their kids. They say if Jeev, Jyoti and Shiv are doing well, one of our kids can also do well.

"I think that's good for the game. The present guys can't last forever and we need the young guns to come out. If I can make a difference by taking the game to the masses by playing well, hopefully in five to 10 years time, there will be more kids coming out and making golf their profession."

And Singh certainly hopes that an Indian, if not him, will one day win the Masters as well.

March 30, 2007