Bridgend, Wales: Dubai resident Jeev Milka Singh opened up his first round at The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Royal Porthcawl in Wales with a two under par 69 to be sitting in joint 4th spot. Only three shots back from overnight leader Spain's Miguel Ángel Jiménez who is at five under par.
“Overall the game was really good today. I expected myself to hole more putts, but I'll take it, 2-under par on this golf course. It's a tough golf course that demands a lot of distance control, especially in the wind because the wind is up there right now and you've got to keep it low and you've got to have the right bounces. And I'll take that 2-under par.”
India's Singh, 52, has racked up 20 wins worldwide including 4 DP World Tour events and claimed the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2006 and 2008. But his love affair in golf and connection to Wales specifically Royal Porthcawl, goes way back.
Aged 15, my first links golf course
“It's an amazing story how I got here.”
“There is a history and a story to my association with this golf course. I played this golf course when I was 15 years old and this was the first links golf course I've ever played,” recalled Singh.
“I played the British Amateur qualifying when I was 15 years old. It was quite an experience to get here. We were playing in France and it was suddenly decided that the British Amateur qualifying was taking place at Royal Porthcawl and we would play it.
“But, we didn't have a visa. We didn't have money. We spent three nights on the streets of Paris, sleeping on the train, sleeping under the Eiffel Tower. We got great help from the Indian Embassy. Amandeep Johl (who became a pro and is now a coach) and Uttam Singh Mundy (later a pro and now the CEO of the Indian PGTI Tour) and myself were there. Johl had money but we finished it. Then we came across Sir (Michael) Bonallack, who was very nice and helped us and made sure that the British Embassy issued the visa to the Indians in Paris, because we were told earlier that we had to go back to our home country to get it.
“We finally got here and I played my first practice round on a beautiful day with no wind. I told myself that Links golf was the easiest. And the next day when the rain and the wind came, I said ‘how do they play golf in this weather’. That was my introduction to links golf and now I am playing the Senior Open here after 37-38 years.
Singh’s father, Singh Snr, was an Army man, who became an athletics legend. Singh Snr won India’s first athletics gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, which is just over a 30-minute drive from Royal Porthcawl.
“Also, some 50 miles from here (in Cardiff), my Dad won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 440 yards. So all good memories,” recalled Singh, whose success in golf put India on the world golf map.
Jeev gets his second round underway at 08:40 local time.
