Jeev Milkha Singh

Last updated

Jeev Milkha Singh Rathore
Milkha Singh.JPG
Singh at the 2009 Omega European Masters
Personal information
Born (1971-12-15) 15 December 1971 (age 52)
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [1]
Sporting nationalityFlag of India.svg  India
Residence Chandigarh, India
Spouse
Sakshi
(m. 2008)
Children1
Career
College Abilene Christian University
Turned professional1993
Current tour(s) European Senior Tour
Asian Tour
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Professional wins20
Number of wins by tour
European Tour4
Japan Golf Tour4
Asian Tour6
Other7
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament T25: 2008
PGA Championship T9: 2008
U.S. Open T36: 2007
The Open Championship T69: 2012
Achievements and awards
Arjuna Award 1999
Asian Tour
Order of Merit winner
2006, 2008
Asian Tour
Players' Player of the Year
2006, 2008
Padma Shri 2007

Jeev Milkha Singh (born 15 December 1971) is an Indian professional golfer who became the first player from India to join the European Tour in 1998. He has won four events on the European Tour, becoming the most successful Indian on tour. He was the first Indian golfer to break into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2006. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2007. He is also the recipient of 1999 Arjuna Award. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Singh was born on 15 December 1971 [1] to Indian Olympic athlete Milkha Singh and Nirmal Saini, former captain of the Indian women's volleyball team. [4] Singh attended Bishop Cotton School in Shimla and later went to Abilene Christian University in the United States, obtaining a degree in business and international studies [5] in 1996. [6]

Singh won the NCAA Division II individual golf championship in 1993 in addition to a number of amateur tournaments in the U.S.[ citation needed ]

Professional career

Singh turned professional in 1993 and his first professional win was at the 1993 Southern Oklahoma State Open, a minor local event. He played mainly in Asia, where he was a regular winner in the mid-1990s. In 1997 he finished seventh at the European Tour qualifying school, and joined the tour the following year.[ citation needed ]

He became the third golfer to receive Arjuna Award in 1999. [7]

His best season in Europe until 2006 was in 1999, when he came 50th on the Order of Merit. He struggled with injury in the early years of the new millennium. In April 2006 he won the Volvo China Open, becoming the second Indian player to win on the European Tour after Arjun Atwal. He also won the season ending Volvo Masters, which elevated him to a final position of 16th on the Order of Merit. He finished 2006 as the winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and capped his season with a pair of back to back wins in Japan to become the first Indian to make the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. [8] In 2007 he became the first Indian golfer to participate in the Masters Tournament. [9] In August 2008, Singh achieved the highest ranking for an Indian in any major event at the 2008 PGA Championship in Oakland Hills, finishing at T9, making him arguably India's best golfer ever.[ citation needed ]

Singh finished the 2008 European Tour season ranked 12th on the Order of Merit, and after winning the Barclays Singapore Open won his second Order of Merit title on the Asian Tour.[ citation needed ]

In 2009, Singh finished the WGC-CA Championship in fourth place, after leading round one.[ citation needed ]

Singh played on the Nationwide Tour in 2003. He played on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2010, where his best finish was 4th place at the 2009 WGC-CA Championship.[ citation needed ]

Singh received India's fourth highest civil honour, the Padma Shri, in 2007. [10]

On 15 July 2012, Singh beat Francesco Molinari in a sudden-death playoff to win the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the week before the 2012 Open Championship. [11] The win secured Singh a spot in the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club as a result of finishing as the highest non-qualifier at the event. The win was also Singh's fourth career victory on the European Tour and moved him ahead of Arjun Atwal, making him the most successful Indian golfer in European Tour history.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Singh lives in Chandigarh with wife Kudrat and their son. [1]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (20)

European Tour wins (4)

Legend
Tour Championships (1)
Other European Tour (3)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
116 Apr 2006 Volvo China Open 172-69-67-70=278−101 stroke Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño
229 Oct 2006 Volvo Masters 71-71-68-72=282−21 stroke Flag of England.svg Luke Donald, Flag of Spain.svg Sergio García,
Flag of Ireland.svg Pádraig Harrington
38 Jun 2008 Bank Austria GolfOpen 64-63-71=198*−151 stroke Flag of England.svg Simon Wakefield
415 Jul 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open 66-70-68-67=271−17Playoff Flag of Italy.svg Francesco Molinari

*Note: The 2008 Bank Austria GolfOpen was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2008 Ballantine's Championship Ulster Banner.svg Graeme McDowell Lost to birdie on third extra hole
2 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Flag of Italy.svg Francesco Molinari Won with birdie on first extra hole

Japan Golf Tour wins (4)

Legend
Japan majors (2)
Other Japan Golf Tour (2)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
126 Nov 2006 Casio World Open 66-69-69-68=272−162 strokes Flag of New Zealand.svg David Smail
23 Dec 2006 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup 67-65-67-70=269−111 stroke Flag of Japan.svg Nobuhiro Masuda
327 Jul 2008 Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup 67-74-68-66=275−132 strokes Flag of Japan.svg Sushi Ishigaki
47 Dec 2008 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup (2)64-70-68-66=268−122 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brendan Jones, Flag of New Zealand.svg David Smail,
Flag of Japan.svg Taichi Teshima

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1999 Kirin Open Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg K. J. Choi Lost to par on first extra hole

Asian Tour wins (6)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
117 Dec 1995 Philippine Classic 65-73-72-73=283−51 stroke Flag of Thailand.svg Preecha Senaprom
221 Jan 1996
(1995 season)
Asian Matchplay Championship 3 and 1 Flag of Thailand.svg Boonchu Ruangkit
31 Sep 1996 Philip Morris Asian Cup 66-66-65-65=262−266 strokes Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg Kang Wook-soon
417 Oct 1999 Lexus International 69-69-65-72=275−13Playoff Flag of Pakistan.svg Taimur Hussain, Flag of Myanmar (1974-2010).svg Zaw Moe
516 Apr 2006 Volvo China Open 172-69-67-70=278−101 stroke Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño
616 Nov 2008 Barclays Singapore Open 73-68-67-69=277−71 stroke Flag of South Africa.svg Ernie Els, Flag of Ireland.svg Pádraig Harrington

1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Asian Tour playoff record (1–3)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1997 Ericsson Asia-Pacific Masters Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darren Cole Lost to par on first extra hole
2 1998 Thailand Open Flag of South Africa.svg James Kingston Lost to par on first extra hole
3 1999 Lexus International Flag of Pakistan.svg Taimur Hussain, Flag of Myanmar (1974-2010).svg Zaw Moe Won with birdie on third extra hole
Hussain eliminated by par on first hole
4 2008 Ballantine's Championship Ulster Banner.svg Graeme McDowell Lost to birdie on third extra hole

Korean Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
111 Sep 1994 Shinhan Donghae Open 73-71-66-73=283−54 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Tom Pernice Jr.

Korean Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2008 Ballantine's Championship Ulster Banner.svg Graeme McDowell Lost to birdie on third extra hole

Other wins (6)

Results in major championships

Singh at the 2008 Bank Austria GolfOpen Fontana Vienna Euro PGA 2008.JPG
Singh at the 2008 Bank Austria GolfOpen
Tournament200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016
Masters Tournament T37T25CUT
U.S. Open T62T59T36CUTCUT
The Open Championship CUTT69
PGA Championship CUTT9T67CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 00000132
U.S. Open 00000053
The Open Championship 00000021
PGA Championship 00001142
Totals000012148

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament2009
The Players Championship T64

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament200720082009201020112012
Match Play R64R64R16
Championship T28T264
Invitational T51T64T67
Champions T33T23T46
  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

European Tour professional career summary

YearStartsCuts MadeWins2nd3rdTop 10Top 25Earnings (€)Money list rank
199410000000n/a1
199511000004,200n/a1
199621000006,944n/a1
199711000008,689n/a1
199822110001583,823104
1999241501128222,78350
20001350002368,199145
2001171000024174,011108
20022080001283,347152
200321000001,773n/a1
2004530001128,817n/a1
2005750001242,845n/a1
20061711200481,173,17716
2007312600119717,79046
200826201208151,218,20912
2009221700038847,84434
2010151000027393,44974
2011301700028329,26294
2012251910026926,06232
201323600015156,643133
Total*30419043233916,487,98762

1 Not a full Tour member in these years

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jeev Milkha Singh profile". Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  2. "LIST OF ARJUNA AWARD WINNERS - Football | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports". yas.nic.in. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
  3. "List of Arjuna Awardees (1961–2018)" (PDF). Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (India). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  4. "Jeev Milkha Singh," Archived 15 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine the south-asian.com June 2002. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  5. "Carry on, Jeev," The Telegraph (Calcutta, India), 4 November 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  6. "Wildcats lead way as LSC honors all-time top performers," Archived 29 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine ACU Today, Summer 2007, p.32. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  7. "Gaganjeet Bhullar becomes seventh golfer to receive Arjuna". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  8. Punjab Golf Association confers award on Jeev Milkha Singh Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine , zeenews.com, 31 December 2006.
  9. "Record 34 European Tour Members Invited to Augusta". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  10. "Vikram Seth, Jeev Milkha Singh win Padma Shri". The Times of India. 26 January 2007. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  11. "Phil Mickelson finishes with 74". ESPN Golf. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.