Volvo Golf Champions – Jeev Milkha targets hat-trick in Volvo sponsored events
Jeev Milkha Singh has set his sights on winning the Volvo sponsored event for the third time in his career, when he tees off next month at the Volvo Golf Champions, on January 10, 2013.
The tournament will be staged at the Durban Country Club, featuring the winners from the 2012 European Tour season and the players with 10 or more European Tour wins during their careers.
Singh won the Volvo Masters and the Volvo China Open in 2006. This season, he plans to add another Volvo event to his resume, by winning the Volvo Golf Champions.
The Indian star gained entry into the tournament, courtesy of his victory in the 2012 Scottish Open, the fourth European Tour victory of his career.
The tournament is known for attracting a strong field each year. This year too, the event has reeled in some prominent names, including the likes of the Ryder Cup stars Nicolas Colsaerts and Paul Lawrie, the European Ryder Cup team captain José María Olazábal and the defending champion Branden Grace.
While contending at the Scottish Open, Singh suffered a ligament tear in his right index finger, forcing him to announce his withdrawal from a number of events, thereafter.
Singh, who played his last event in South Africa in 2002, believes that his fond memories on the venue course will help him play well in the €2 million event.
His last appearance in South Africa came at the SA Open, when he recorded a top-40 finish in the tournament.
Talking to the reporters, he said that he really enjoyed his experience of playing in South Africa, as a number of Indian fans appeared on the course to support him. He now expects the same to happen, when he travels to the region after more than one decade.
“It was wonderful to have so many Indian fans walking along and cheering me on during the SA Open that year,” he said. “I hope I can count on their support again”.
He added, “Playing abroad can be a lonely experience. I remember how it lifted my spirits to have such amazing support. It made me feel like I was playing at home”.
According to him, his recent form on the European Tour will help him contend strongly at the Championship Course at the Durban Country Club.
Recently, the two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion stunned his rivals at the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, when he fired a course-record 64, in the third round.
“Right now, I feel like I am playing some of my best golf and it would be incredible not only to lift my third Volvo title, but to do it in front of the local Indian community,” he said.
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