Jeev Milkha Singh

Jeev is the son of an Olympic runner, Milkha Singh. Struggled with injury in the early 2000s but recovered sufficiently to taste victory in China, which also made him the 10th player to surpass the U.S. $1 million mark in career earnings. Comes from Chandigarh, which has produced top golfers such as Amritinder Singh and Amandeep Johl. Previously trained under Sam Frost but decided to do it alone in 2004, relying on Amrintinder's help and analyzing his own game through videotapes. Says reading mental books has helped his game. Jeev attended Abilene Christian University in Texas and was part of the team that went to the NCAA Division II golf tournament. In 1993 he won the NCAA DIvison II individual golf championship.
Jeev is one of Asia's most decorated and global players, having won six times on the Asian Tour and multiple times in Japan and Europe. He is also a two-time Asian Tour No. 1-ranked player and was conferred an honorary membership in 2009. In 2011, Jeev produced successive T-4 finishes in the Macau Open presented by Cityneon and Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in Japan and was also equal ninth and tied 11th at the Thailand Golf Championship and Avantha Masters, respectively. His season was also hampered by a back injury that saw him cut back on his schedule globally. He competes in Europe as well and played on the PGA Tour in 2010, where he finished fourth at the WGC-CA Championship in Doral. He carded his best finish of the season in Asia with T-7 at the UBS Hong Kong Open. Jeev enjoyed a stellar year in 2008, winning four titles across the globe and lifting a second Asian Tour's Order of Merit crown in three years. After starting the season with two disappointing runner-up finishes at the Indonesia Open and Ballantine's Championship in Korea, he hit top form by the Bank Austria Golf Open on the European Tour and Sega Sammy Cup in Japan. His biggest triumph of the season came at the Barclays Singapore Open in November, when he held off major champions Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els by one shot. The victory helped him become the first man in Asian golf history to win over $1 million during a season, eventually earning $1.45 million, which is a Tour record. He went on to win the Nippon Series JT Cup in Japan which saw him end the year in 35th place on the Official World Golf Ranking. Jeev also finished tied 25th in the Masters in what was his second appearance at Augusta National and tied for ninth at the PGA Championship, his best in a major. Was named the Players' Player of the Year. In 2006, he also won four times across the world and claimed a first Asian Tour's Order of Merit title. He ended a frustrating seven-year winless drought with a one-stroke victory at the Volvo China Open in April which was an emotional triumph as a wrist injury had curtailed his career after winning four titles in the late 1990s. He went on to win the Volvo Masters, the European Tour's season-ending event, in Spain and then back-to-back titles in Japan at the Casio World Open, his first triumph in Japan, and the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup. He was the third Indian to win the Order of Merit title with a then-record earnings of $591,884. Such was his great form that he also notched no fewer than 15 other top 10s on the Asian, Japan and European tours. He also qualified and played in all four rounds at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Was also named the Players' Player of the Year and also won the Special Achievement Award for his magical season. In 2007, Jeev played primarily in Europe and the United States. Made a successful Masters Tournament debut in April, becoming the first Indian golfer to participate in the Masters by finishing tied for 37th and topped the leader board briefly after nine holes. Also played in all four rounds at the U.S. Open, finishing 36th but he was generally disappointed that he did not win that season. Prior to 2006, Jeev came close to winning at the start of the 2005 season in the Okinawa Open. He led the third round by four shots but was overtaken by a fast-charging Kiyoshi Miyazato in the final round and settled for T-2. Posted two other top 10s. In 2002, Jeev became the first player from his country to qualify for the U.S. Open. He carded four straight 75s to settle for joint 62nd position in what was his first appearance in a major. His American adventure continued at the U.S. PGA Tour Qualifying School finals where he was on the verge of securing his card for 2003 but shot a disappointing final-round 77 when a level-par round would have seen him through. Jeev was also the first Indian golfer to qualify for the European Tour. Having won his card at the end of 1997, he contended for numerous titles, but relinquished his playing rights in 2002 and focused primarily in Asia and Japan. In 1996, he was part of the Indian team that stunned Scotland in the Dunhill Cup in St. Andrews where Jeev beat Andrew Coltart. Has also finished second in the following events - 1995 Passport Open, Korea, lost in a playoff in the 1997 Asia Pacific Ericsson Masters in Indonesia, 1998 Hero Honda Masters, 1998 Thailand Open, tied second in the 1999 South African Open and 2001 Iiyama Cup, 2006 Pakistan Open, 2006 SK Telecom Open in Korea and 2006 Yomiuri Memorial Open in Japan.
The first Indian golfer to qualify for The European Tour continued to compete at the very highest level in 2011, finishing 94th in The Race to Dubai. The last of his three European Tour titles came in 2008 in Austria, and with eight top tens, he finished a career-high 12th on the Order of Merit. Off the course, the highlight came when he was granted the Padma Shri by the Indian government, an award the equivalent of a knighthood - given to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of public life, including the arts, industry, and sports. He really hit his stride in 2006 with wins in the Volvo China Open and the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama. In July, 2012 won for the fourth time on the European Tour at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. He finished 2012 32nd in the Race to Dubai with earnings of euro 926,062.
2013 Notes: Struggled most of the year, played in 32 events around the world, and only had one top 10, T-10th at the Dubai Desert Classic. On the European Tour finished 133rd in the Race to Dubai with euro 156,643 in earnings.
2014 Notes: His best finish in 27 worldwide events was T-26th in the Venetian Macau Open.
2015 Notes: His best finish in 31 worldwide events was T-17th in the Paul Lawrie Match Play.
2016 Notes: Had a T-7th in the Thailand Classic, played twice on the Japan Golf Tour, missing the cut at the Singapore Open and T-74th at the Panasonic Open Championship. Was T-2nd at the BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour, he was three back of winner Gaganjeet Bhullar Singh finished 47th on the Asian Tour order of merit.
2017 Notes: Played in 23 events around the world, best finish T-22nd at the Handa World Super 6 Perth.
2018 Notes: Played in 19 events around the world, best finish was T-18th at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
2019 Notes: Played in 14 events around the world, best finish of T-39th in the Tata Steel Tour Championship. After that with COVID-19 striking, Singh has only played in only seven events in 2020 and 2021 making one cut, 74th at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship.
2022 Notes: Has played in four events around the World. Missed the cut at the Singapore International and SMBC Singapore Open. Was T-17th at the Tata Steel Players Championship and T-49th at the DGC Open. He played twice on the Japan Senior Tour, T-49th at the Kanehide Senior Okinawa Open and T-48th at the Nojima ChampionCup Hakone Senior. His start in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is his first event on the PGA Tour Champions. He missed the cut at the KitchenAid Senior PGA and the Senior Open Championship. He went to PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament and was T-48th. Played in several Asian Tour events, but finish was the T-17th at the Tata Steel Players. Jeev also played for the first time on the Japan Senior Tour, a tour that gets very little press. He played 11 events on that Tour. He had two top-10 finishes and ranked 42nd on the money list, but needed to qualify again.
2023 Notes: On the Asian Tour
Missed cut at the International Series Oman
64th at the International Series Oman
Missed cut at International Series Qatar
Missed cut at International Series Thailand
T-39th World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club
Missed cut at International Series Vietnam
T-35th GS Caltex Maekyung Open
In March did make it through the Qualifying School for the Japan PGA Senior Tour He shot rounds of 71-67-72 and was the that always
T-57th at the Kanehide Senior Okinawa Open
T-14th at the Nojima Champion Cup