It146;s like a dream: Jeev

Carrying the hopes a billion people, Jeev Milkha Singh would begin his campaign in Augusta Open here tomorrow.

Carrying the hopes a billion people, Jeev Milkha Singh would begin his campaign in Augusta Open here tomorrow. 8220;I am still an ambassador for a billion people,8221; he says. 8220;This is a place that has so many traditions, and yet it is so friendly. No wonder, they all say, you come to the Masters once and you are hooked for life,8221; he says.

Grouped with Ben Crane and Shaun Micheel, Jeev will become the first Indian to tee off at the Masters tomorrow.

8220;This is the dream I have had ever since I picked up a golf club and heard of the Masters. In India, we often talk of the British Open, but the Masters gives you goose pimples,8221; says Jeev.

In Augusta Open, the world is talking about the Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson duel and how they have won this title four times between them in the last four years. But for Indians, there is just Jeev Milkha Singh. 8220;I had promised myself not be awe-struck. But on Monday, when I walked through the gates, I couldn8217;t help it. It8217;s like a dream. I8217;m enjoying every minute of it since arriving. Driving down Magnolia Lane into the clubhouse, I was really excited,8221; said Jeev.

Indians from close by have all made a beeline for Augusta, picking up tickets, extremely rare to come by. And even if you do get them, the prices are sky-high.

Jeev has been holding the flag up for India and Asia. Sure, there is KJ Choi and there are a lot of Japanese. But the affable Jeev is very popular. The local paper, The Augusta Chronicle ran a feature on him and the Sports Illustrated did the same and in greater detail.

Jeev played his practice round with Major winners Todd Hamilton and Shaun Micheel and veteran Fred Funk. His first impressions of Augusta were different from what he expected.

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8220;On TV it doesn8217;t look hilly but when we got out there, I was amazed by the undulation changes on the course. The greens are amazing. It8217;s like putting on glass,8221; he said.

Jeev is not setting any lofty goals for his debut Masters, but he does not want to be in the footnotes either. 8220;Now that I am here, I want to learn and do well,8221; he says. Only once before has a Masters debutant won the titl and that was Fuzzy Zoeller. But then that was what they all said about Valderrama, too, and last October, Jeev tore up the opposition and won the Volvo Masters of Europe there, one of the toughest courses in Europe.

4-time champ Palmer 8216;returns8217;

AUGUSTA: Arnold Palmer will tee it up in the Masters again, but only for one ceremonial swing. The four-time Masters champion, who played for the 50th and final time three years ago, will hit the opening tee shot Thursday and become the seventh honourary starter in tournament history. AP