Expecting nothing is the best plan

So far, so good. I feared I might have to withdraw from the Volvo World Matchplay at Finca Cortesin because of my ankle injury, and things definitely did not go according to plan on the opening day - I actually managed to beat European Tour No1 Lee Westwood by six holes!!

I went into the match against Lee without any expectations. After pulling out of the Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour last week, I had spent the rest of the week in my hometown of Chandigarh. The weather was perfect for golf, but I did not even touch my clubs. Instead, I just had endless sessions of physio work, deep heat radiation and ice pack applications.

That seems to have done the trick so far. I was also lucky we could use carts during the pro-am and I had just one round to play on Thursday. The hard work began yesterday. I will have to play at least 36 holes if I make it to the finals.

To be honest, the final is not even on my radar. When I started my match against Lee, the result was the last thing on my mind. All I wanted to ensure was that I did not do anything stupid, or try and hit a heroic shot and hurt my ankle again in the process. That mindset has given me a great plan for the next few weeks — do not expect anything.

As I said in my previous column, the next two tournaments are very important for me. After the matchplay, I am scheduled to play the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, which is a new World Golf Championship event, followed by the inaugural Dubai World Championship.

The Volvo Matchplay and the HSBC are very important tournaments as far as my position in the Race to Dubai is concerned. And obviously, nobody wants to miss the Dubai World Championship. We have waited for almost two years for it to come.

I am also scheduled to represent India at the World Cup of Golf in China next month. Any thoughts of time out will be entertained only after that. The PGA Tour is playing the Viking Classic and only one event remains on the Tour.

I will get to know officially about my status after the last tournament. Gaining the PGA Tour card was the biggest goal of the year for me, which I have achieved. Now, I need to somehow do well in the remaining few tournaments and finish inside the top-50.

Jeev Milkha Singh is a three-time winner on the European Tour.