New high: Jeev set to tee off in own event
CHANDIGARH:AN apt honour is the consensus as the Chandigarh Golf Club gets ready to host the ~1.5 crore Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational tournament presented by TAKE Solutions from November 1 to 4.
As ubiquitous as it is to see an Indian among top golfers in the world, way back in 1993, when Jeev turned pro, it was a rarity. Into his third decade as a top flight golfer, Jeev will play host as well as compete in the event named after him — a first for Indian golf.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I am humbled by the gesture. I have played in tournaments in the USA which have been named after legends like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and I feel it’s an ultimate honour for a sportsperson to have a tournament in his name,” Jeev said while sitting on the dais along with SSP Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur and Panasonic Open winner Khalin Joshi.
For Kapur, who has shared numerous ups and downs with Jeev, the veteran golfer is an icon and a long time friend. “I have had the honour and privilege to play with him. I see him as a friend and guiding force. We have a lot of memories on tour and I am looking forward to playing this event,” Kapur said.
Jeev charted a course through the unknown in Indian golf. He has the rare distinction of being the only Indian to have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit twice (2006 and 2008). He has won multiple titles on the European Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour and has 14 Major appearances to his name. He also achieved a career-high world ranking of 28, which is an Indian record.
Khalin said Jeev was an inspiration to all golfers in India. The Mexican Grand Prix started with Daniel Ricciardo on pole position in a Red Bull that finally looked faster than its rivals.
As the red lights went out, Lewis Hamilton — who needed merely to finish in the top-7 to take the world championship — squeezed his Mercedes between the Red Bulls as if scalded, eager to seal the deal with a victory he didn’t need. Champions don’t wait their turn. He got his nose in front, then was surpassed by another driver not used to waiting.
Max Verstappen, 21, is special. At the US Grand Prix a week ago, he wasn’t supposed to be racing Hamilton. He was ahead on track, but had a different tyre strategy and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted as much as he spoke to the commentary team.
“Our race isn’t with Lewis,” said Horner. “But we still have track position.” Knowing how obstinate and unyielding Veralonso stappen can be about his racing line, the commentators asked whether Horner would relay that fact to Max, to keep a cool head and basically not bother with keeping Hamilton behind? There was audible pride in Horner’s reply: “Max does not let anyone past.”
Verstappen held his ground in America, denying Hamilton the world championship that week, and here in Mexico, he made his way past the British driver like a figure-skater playing with his food. In a race dictated by pit timing and tyre wear, Verstappen flew solo in front. At the end, after his woebegone teammate Ricciardo faced yet another retirement, Verstappen enquired if he should turn his engine “way down”.
His tone is often coloured with the earned entitlement of those who keep themselves out of reach.
Speaking of the insurmountable, Lewis Hamilton now has five world championships. That is a staggering number, as many as Ayrton Senna and Fernando