High Indian golfers Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa have by no means performed a Main collectively of their common profession, however now at 50-plus, they’ll compete on the moist and windy Royal Porthcawl right here for the Senior Open, one of many Majors for gamers over 50 years of age.
Relishing the considered being again collectively on the identical occasion, simply as that they had accomplished for 20 years and extra from junior days to professional days earlier than shifting previous 50 (to grow to be seniors), they have been excited to hook up regardless of the moist and windy climate.
“We liked enjoying with one another and this can be a new starting,” Jeev mentioned.
The ‘Huge Three’, as they’re at all times known as, have seven World Tour wins between them, 5 wins in Japan and one on the PGA TOUR amongst their complete assortment of 40 worldwide titles. Whereas Jeev was twice Asia No 1, the opposite two have been on prime as soon as every.
Shubhankar Sharma finishes tied-eighth, the perfect by an Indian golfer on the British Open
Jeev performed and missed the reduce on the Senior Open final 12 months when it was held at Gleneagles. Atwal and Randhawa, on their half, are enjoying their maiden Senior Main.
Atwal has performed three senior occasions earlier than this week and two of them have been Majors and he made the reduce in each. For Randhawa, it is going to be his debut in seniors.
“This will probably be my fourth Senior occasion and three have been Majors. I’m going to play a mixture of Seniors and some occasions that I can get on within the PGA TOUR,” mentioned Atwal, the one Indian who has gained on the most important Tour on the earth.
Jeev has been enjoying numerous Senior occasions around the globe — a number of within the US and a number of other others in Europe and Japan, too. He has had some top-10s, too, however none in Majors.
“I really like the hyperlinks and the Royal Porthcawl was my introduction to Hyperlinks golf once I was about 15. We got here for a Junior Newbie occasion. We (Amandeep Johl and Uttam Singh Mundy) had travelled from Paris and had run out of cash,” Jeev recalled.
“We have been helped by the Indian embassy to get visas and after we got here right here, we noticed wind and rain and climate like this for the primary time and performed golf in it. I simply fell in love with Hyperlinks golf,” he added.
After successful his first World Tour — then known as the European Tour — occasion in China, Jeev grew to become the one Indian to have gained three extra in Europe: the Scottish Open in Scotland, the Masters at Valderrama and the Austrian Open.
“That win in Scotland continues to be one in every of my finest,” mentioned Jeev.
Randhawa was drawing plans for a month-long keep in Europe for a number of occasions and when he noticed that the Senior Open was in Wales, he determined to present the Qualifiers a shot.
“I did it identical to and received one of many spots. It will likely be enjoyable to be again with my outdated buddies (Jeev and Arjun) and many others who I performed golf with for therefore a few years on European and Asian Excursions,” he mentioned.
All three heaped their reward on the younger Shubhankar Sharma, who performed excellent golf to complete in top-10. Sharma was tied-Eighth and was the one participant in the complete subject to play a bogey-free spherical.
Jeev known as it “a implausible efficiency by the younger boy”.
“He was up there and something might have occurred. And I believe that’s an awesome end by the younger man ending eighth. I’m happy with him. I believe the nation needs to be happy with him for the efficiency he’s put on the market,” he mentioned.