Asian Tour veteran Jeev Milkha Singh has welcomed the addition of Dubai to the Asian Tour calendar.
The 42-year-old Singh, twice Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and winner of four European Tour titles, is a ‘golf in DUBAi’ global ambassador, and was one of the first players from the Asian Tour to qualify for European Tour and major golf tournaments.
Speaking to Sport360º from Zandvoort in The Netherlands, where he is playing the KLM Open, Singh said: “I have been a part of the ‘golf in DUBAi’ (giD) family for a long time, and this really is a matter of great pride for me personally. I am very proud of my Asian Tour roots and I am happy that they are getting this opportunity to break new ground.
“Dubai is a home away from home for me, and every time I am there, I am amazed by the response we get from the many Indian and Asian fans there. We used to have an Asian PGA Tour event in the mid-90s, and I am sure all the players will love going back there.
“Given the track record of giD, my Asian colleagues can expect a world-class event.”
Jeev celebrates his birthday on December 15, which means he will be in town when he turns 43.
“I don’t mind it at all,” he said when asked about having to spend his birthday away from home. “I do that most years anyway, but this time it will be special with so many friends around.”
The Indian ace fully supported giD’s plans to allocate a few spots to the MENA Golf Tour members.
“That’s wonderful news. I can vouch from my personal experience that the best way to develop as a player is to be able to compete against more experienced players. That’s what happened for us in the early days of Asian Tour when we played the co-sanctioned events with the European Tour,” said Jeev.
“The MENA Golf Tour is a wonderful initiative to develop the local golfers, and the next logical step for them is to start getting opportunities in bigger Tours through it.”
Jeev said it did not matter that the tournament won’t be played at the Majlis course, one of his favourite tracks in the world.
“Of course, I love Majlis. But there are so many great courses in Dubai with world-class facilities, any one of them is good enough to host a championship,” he said.
