Jeev Milkha Singh 38 golfer
For someone who was number 22 in the Asian Order of Merit in 1999 and went on to top the Order of Merit in 2006 and 2008,the past decade means a lot for me. I moved on from the Asian level to the world level. The early part of the Nineties had seen me doing well on the Asian tourI began playing the Asian tour in 1995and a lot changed after 1999.
I became the first Indian to qualify for the US Open in 2002 but also relinquished my European Tour card the same year. I also missed the chance to earn a full PGA Tour card in the early part of the decade.
So,I had my share of downs but they helped me become a more mature player in terms of mental strength and laid the foundation of what I have achieved today. They had a role to play when,after a seven-year-long wait for a title,I won the Volvo China Open win in early 2006. The Volvo Masters title in Spain that followed the same year was the best win of my decade. Whenever I feel down,I remember that win and it makes me happy. That year too,fellow Indian golfers Jyoti Randhawa,Shiv Kapur and Arjun Atwal were doing well. Whether it was playing in the World Cup with Jyoti or in the domestic circuit,I have always learnt a lot from fellow players.
In 2008,I had four wins. In 2009,I finished fourth at the World Golf Championship at Doral. Both years were great.
I had my share of injuries too but I was lucky to resume playing after a career-threatening wrist injury in the late Nineties. Whenever I finish my career,if I would look back,playing the Majors was always my dream and this dream came true in this decade apart from breaking into the top 50. Breaking into the top ten is the next dream for me and I believe the next decade will make that happen.
With golf being included in Olympic Games in 2016,I definitely see myself representing my country in Brazil. With youngsters like Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri performing well,Indian golf is set for better things in the next decade.