Singh is truly King

What a magnificient achievement by 'Jeev' Milkha Singh! Holding off World No 4 Padraig Harrington and World No 8 Ernie Els - both multiple major winners - to win the Singapore Open by 1 shot was truly unbelievable. The fact that another multiple major winner and World No 3 Phil Mickelson was also in the fray, makes his win even sweeter.

This win has catapulted him not only to the top of the Asian Order of Merit, but into the World top 50 (at No 46). Jeev had achieved that feat in 2006, which had earned him an invitation to play in the Masters. That year, he had won the Volvo Open at the difficult Valderrama course in Span and had two victories in Japan.

What followed was a disappointing 2007 without a single victory that dropped him out of the world top 50 list. It only increased the resolve of one of the most dedicated sportsmen of India. He worked even harder at his game, and the sheer determination and perseverance is now paying off in cartloads.

Jeev has won again in Japan this year and the Austrian Open in Europe. The only blemish in his otherwise excellent career has been the lack of a victory on the US tour. One reason is that he was never able to qualify for a US PGA tour card despite several attempts. May be he was trying too hard.

The occasional wild cards and special invitations to the major tournaments didn't provide Jeev with enough opportunities to learn about the different US tour courses. Familiarity with these difficult courses is an essential element in winning tournaments.

Now that Jeev is back in the world top 50, he should get more opportunities to play on the US tour where one victory will automatically earn him a PGA tour card.

Arjun Atwal, another strong Indian golfer who lost his PGA tour card and had to play in the lower level Nationwide tour this year, has earned his PGA tour card back with a victory and finishing the year in the top 15. Jeev, who is a far more consistent - if less talented - player, will surely be aiming to win a US PGA tournament. May be even a major.