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Jeev, Atwal hope for a dream finish

Special Correspondent

India’s richest-ever sporting meet gets underway on Thursday

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

CHAMPION PLAYERS: Arjun Atwal (right) and Ernie Els won the three-team contest played over nine holes.

NEW DELHI: Before the curtain goes up on the historic Emaar MGF Indian Masters at the Delhi Golf Club here, two on the list of sentimental favourites Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh wish for an Indian winner of the $2.5 million event, the richest ever sporting extravaganza in the country.

The recent form of the two players is encouraging and should help their chances for an honourable finish in the first European Tour event in the country that starts on Thursday.

After a three-month layoff, Atwal, ranked 428th in the world, finished tied second in the Panama Movistar Championship on the Nationwide Tour in Panama City last month.

Jeev, with a world ranking of 91, shared the 19th spot in the Desert Classic in Dubai last weekend.

“If an Indian wins, it will be icing on the cake. The European tour coming (to India) is fantastic start if an Indian could win it, it would be great. There are good players this week, a lot of young guns. I can’t pinpoint anybody but I think there’s going to be a lot of good players this week who are going to be contending and who are hungry to prove themselves,” said Jeev.

Home advantage

On his chances, Jeev said, “I have been playing well and hoping for a good finish this week. I think it (the course) does give Indian players an advantage, especially the way the course is set up.”

However, Atwal did not agree. “I don’t think there is really much advantage for the Indians, except for maybe the greens because growing up on these greens, you learn most of the lines on the greens,” said Atwal who tipped Jyoti Randhawa to do well again by adding, “Who knows how many times he has won on this course. So he is always a contender here.”

Given the nature of the course, which is tight but not long, Jeev thinks the conservative way of hitting a lot of irons and a lot of 3-woods off the tee is the best way to tackle the challenge.

“You hit one bad drive and you can be 3-over for 4-over on that hole,” said Jeev referring to dreaded bushes behind the tree-lined fairways.

Jeev also agreed that the presence of names like World No. 4 and winner of three Major Championships Ernie Els, World No. 50 and twice winner on the European Tour Nick Dougherty, the 2006 winner of the BMW Championship David Howell was going to change the equation for the home challengers.

“The European Tour has a lot of depth and anybody can win this week.”

Under pressure

Unlike Sania Mirza, who declined to play in India on Monday, Jeev said, he loved playing “under pressure” in India. “There is always pressure and expectations are high. And I do understand that. But that’s what we professional golfers are there for. You have to handle the pressure and get the most out of it. I can understand where she (Sania) is coming from but I can say that I enjoy playing at home.

Meanwhile, Ernie Els got some useful tips from Jeev on playing this course during the light-hearted Challenge match in the afternoon.

Els teamed with Atwal to win the three-team contest played over nine holes. The pair of Jeev and two-time Major Championships winner Mark O’Meara came second ahead of Darren Clarke and David Howell.

In a significant move in the evening, it was decided to revert the 14th hole to par-5 and the course to par-72. According to Tournament Directors Jose-Maria Zamora (European Tour) and Wanchai Meechai (Asian Tour), “originally it was believed that the hole would play a driver and a mid-iron. It has become clear that the hole is playing considerably longer. As a consequence it is felt that the green complex which has been designed as a par-5 is too demanding as a par-4 to accept a long iron or even a fairway wood approach shot.”

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