Dubai: India’s Jeev Milka Singh dedicated his course record-equalling 64 on day three of the DP World Tour Championship to his mother, who has been hospitalised after a fall.
Singh’s mother, Nirmal, 76, slipped while at home in India on Friday and broke her leg. She’s now in intensive care and is due to undergo major surgery on Sunday.
But the Indian golfer didn’t lose his focus, hitting nine birdies and one bogey for an eight-under-par round on Saturday, leaving him on seven under for the tournament. He even had a chance to break the course record on the 18th green, but he missed a 15-foot putt so had to settle for a share of the best-ever score at Jumeirah Golf Resort’s Earth Course.
“I dedicate this round to my mother. She was in ICU [intensive care unit] yesterday [Friday]. I learnt about it just before I teed off,” Singh said.
“She had a bad fall and she’s fractured her leg, the knee, plus the fibula bone and she needs major surgery. She needs some plates put in and that surgery is going to take place tomorrow morning — we are hoping and praying that everything goes fine and she comes out well.
“She was in the garden looking at the plants. We’ve got a driveway which has marble stone, and there was some water on it and she slipped. It was a bad fall and we’re just hoping and praying she comes out of it.
“After yesterday, my mum just told me to go out there today and play well and I said ‘yes, let’s try to give it a good shot’ and I did. I will dedicate this round to my mum for sure.”
Singh added: “The doctors have said it’s going to take a while for her to be walking and playing again. She had knee surgery about ten years ago, both the knees, and she was playing golf every day in the morning.
“She used to love it. That was her exercise. Hopefully she can do it again after five to six months.”
