Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh with New Zealand’s US Open winner Michael Campbell at Thursday’s HSBC India Legends Championship Pro-Am. Image courtesy Legends Tour.
By Rahul Banerji
Event host Jeev Milkha Singh is fervently hoping to see an Indian emerge winner of the inaugural HSBC India Legends Championship at the Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida.
Nine Indians are in the 64-strong field from 17 nations at the $500,000 event and keen to present a strong challenge for the trophy.
The first Legends Tour event to be staged in India has been co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India and tees off on Friday at the spruced-up Jaypee Greens Golf Resort.
It will see six international winners from India take the field led by 13-time international winner and tournament host Jeev Milkha Singh.
“This tournament provides a great opportunity for senior Indian professionals 50 to come out and compete,” Jeev said on event eve. “A win here will open the door for the very next event and for a year thereafter.
“I feel if the seniors stay fit and determined they can have a career probably up to the age of 70 with the kind of platform provided by the Legends Tour.
Relaxed air
“It’s a much more relaxed atmosphere as you’re not thinking about making cuts. Just play for three days, shoot your number and take the prize money. Jaypee Greens is an outstanding venue and I’ve always enjoyed playing here.”
Added nine-time international winner and thrice Indian Open champion Jyoti Randhawa, “It’s an opportunity for me to be competitive as my passion for the game is still there. I feel it’s also a time for us seniors to give back to the game through such events.
“Youngsters can come up to us when we’re practicing as we now have the time to give them lessons and give them some direction in life drawing upon our experience of so many years.
“I have good memories of Jaypee Greens having won here multiple times. The way the course is playing and taking the weather into account, I think Indian players have an advantage.”
Mukesh Kumar, a winner of over 125 titles including one international victory, is always a threat in home conditions.
“We senior Indian players are delighted to have this opportunity to play at a Legends Tour event,” the veteran said.
Reviving memories
“I’m 59 now and have lost some distance on the course but the fact that so many of my old friends from the Indian circuit are playing here inspires me to raise my game and perform well. It gets the competitive spirit going.”
Another international winner, Digvijay Singh, who has 13 professional titles in all, is looking to shake off the rust as he returns to competitive golf after nearly 20 months.
“This event makes our resolve even stronger to start a Senior Tour in India,” Singh said.
“I stopped playing on the Asian Tour nine years ago, so I’m really looking forward to competing against some of my friends from those days like Simon Griffiths, Keith Horne and James Kingston and others.
“This will be my first event in a year and eight months and I’ve been nursing a bad left shoulder. I will try to play within myself and not expect too much, let’s see how it goes from there. The conditions, especially the rain, makes it tougher. The Jaypee Greens course will provide a true test of skills.”
Amandeep Johl, a winner of 11 professional titles and a regular on the Asian Tour for many years, will be the other notable Indian name in the field as he has a full card on the highly competitive PGTI.
Said Johl, “The growth of golf in India in recent decades has been phenomenal and India has also produced a huge number of top professionals since the late 1990s with the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Gaurav Ghei shining on the global stage.
High time
“Therefore, it is befitting that the Legends Tour has finally come to India. It is also befitting that our own legend Jeev is hosting the event.
“This event also sets the stage for our own Indian Senior Tour that can give our legends like Mukesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Ali Sher, Feroz Ali Mollah and many others, a platform to compete.
“Camaraderie at our level is phenomenal, with so many old friends of mine like Keith Horne and James Kingston competing this week, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve been playing decent golf and I feel having a card on the PGTI and competing with the youngsters gives one a competitive edge.”
Five-time winner Harmeet Kahlon will also look to roll back the clock this week.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity. A big thanks to HSBC, the Legends Tour and PGTI for getting this event to India, and thanks to Jaypee Greens and Jeev for hosting it,” Kahlon said on event eve.
“As preparation for this week, I’ve practiced hard and visualised the Jaypee Greens course laying down my strategy for each hole because I’ve played here many times in the past. I look forward to executing my plans and coming up with a good performance.”
Former Indian Open champion Vijay Kumar is the other international home winner in the field. Vishal Singh, a winner of 12 professional titles and Sanjay Kumar with eight professional wins to his name, complete the Indian line-up at the event.
Also read: Nine Indians to line up at inaugural HSBC Legends Championship
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.