The first Indian golfer to enter the European tour way back in 1998, Jeev Milkha Singh had a relatively disappointing outing at the recently concluded Panasonic Open in Delhi. In the final round, he finished with a score of 73 with four bogeys and three birdies, ending tied for 53rd place at five over par.
It was Indian Tour veteran Mukesh Kumar who picked up the top prize at the tournament, winning wire-to-wire with a total score of -10 over three rounds. Singh, talking exclusively to Sportskeeda, was full of praise for the 51-year old Kumar and spoke on various other topics. Here’s the conversation in full!
Q – First of all, how good was Mukesh Kumar’s performance?
A – I am proud of him and am delighted for him. He has over 100 wins on the Indian Tour and this is his first win on the Asian Tour after the age of 50. It’s wonderful to see. He gives guys like us hope! (laughs)
Q – It was a strong show by the Indian contingent at the Panasonic Open. Your thoughts on that?
A – It is obviously great to see Indian golfers do well and this competition was no exception. I hope our guys do even better in the coming time.
Q – What do you think of the course and the weather conditions here in Delhi?
A – It was unfortunate that a round had to be cut down due to the fog. The weather conditions were definitely tough but it was the same situation for everyone, so I can have no complaints.
Q – Do you think golf has a place at the Olympics? Should it feature in Tokyo four years later?
A – Absolutely, by all means! Rio was a great start and in my opinion, more governments and countries should get involved and increase the number of golfers at the Olympics. It is always good to represent the country and there’s no bigger platform for that than the Olympics!
Q – How would you rate Aditi Ashok’s performances on the Ladies European Tour?
A – I am extremely proud of her and I congratulated her on Twitter as well. It is good to see her do so well in such a competitive field. I hope she reaches greater heights and makes the nation proud.
Q – And what do you think of Tiger Woods’ return to golf in the Bahamas?
A – I think it’s great for the sport! He is obviously a huge icon and everyone on the Tour is excited to see him come back. His return will mean more sponsors coming in and more hype going into events, which is great for the game of golf!
