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EMAAR-MGF INDIAN MASTERS

February 5, 2008

Jeev Milkha Singh

NEW DELHI, INDIA

SHENTON GOMEZ: Welcome, Jeev, and thank you for taking time to attend this press conference.
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Thank you.
SHENTON GOMEZ: You're coming here after a top 20 last, week you must be quite pleased coming into the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters.
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Yeah, I've been playing really well. I think it all comes down to putting for the four days. I'm striking the ball really well. I'm really confident with my striking. Like I said, it all depends on the putting. Hopefully it's a good putting week.
SHENTON GOMEZ: You've played this course before and you enjoyed a top 20 last year, so what do you think is the key for a solid round?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: It's a very demanding golf course. You have to be very patient on this golf course. You have got to plan a lot of golf shots, especially off the tee, and you can't get too aggressive.
The main thing I find on this golf course is that you have to keep the ball in play off the tee. If we can do that, everything after that I think is quite simple after that. Off the tee I think is the key, to leave yourself well with a better chance of making birdie.
Even if you hit it in the bush, you have to take your medicine and move on and don't try to get too aggressive. If you do get aggressive, it's going to come up and bite you. That's the experience I've had. So I basically am going to try that.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Looking for a solid start to 2008.
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Yes, I have been playing well and hoping for a good finish this week. And also for all of the kids to watch the top players playing this week, I think it's the best thing that could happen for Indian golf.

Q. ?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Not my home course. Obviously I've played here quite a bit but I think it does give an advantage because we've played it so much and we know the course well. I think it does give the Indian players an advantage because especially the way the course is set up.

Q. Who are your favourites to win this week?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Oh, yes, it does, especially The European Tour has a lot of depth, a lot of good players. I think anybody can win this week. A lot of things can happen, especially on Sunday the way this course is. You hit one bad drive and you can be 3-over or 4-over on that hole.
Like I said, it's anybody's game, because there's a lot of depth.

Q. What would it mean if an Indian were to win this week?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I've mentioned earlier that golf is -- if an Indian wins, it will be icing on the cake, that's the way I would put it. The European Tour coming in is fantastic start and if an Indian could win it, it would be great and the way the economy is going and the corporate spending more -- if we can fit them on the schedule.

Q. Who are the most promising young Indian golfers?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: There are a lot of good players this week, a lot of young guns. I can't pinpoint anybody but I think there's going to be a lot of good players this week who are going to be contending and who are hungry to prove themselves. So I would put it as there are a lot of good players who could win this week.

Q. Have you played the course yet?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: No, I haven't. I'm just going to play the challenge match and also tomorrow is going to be a good practise round. I'm playing in the Pro-Am.

Q. What will your strategy be this week?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I think the way I play this golf course, I use the driver maybe twice if I'm comfortable with it. Otherwise it's normally a 3-wood or a lot of irons off the tees. I think it depends on every individual how he wants to play this golf course. Some like to be aggressive. Some use the conservative way of just hitting irons off the tee.
That's the experience I have to I like to hit a lot of irons and a lot of 3-woods off the tee.
Every single time, I just come here and try to give it my best.

Q. Which tour will you be playing this year?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: This year, maybe it's going to be The European Tour, and depending if I come back in the Top-50 in the world, then I'll go play the major championships, and also the WGC events, and a few before that and after that. I was really fortunate that I got invited back to the Masters this year. I was a wild card entry, and just such a surprise for me and I'm going to play the week before that and the week after that.

Q. When did you get word you were invited to the Masters?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I got it in Abu Dhabi, I had the flu and I got a call from Mr. Johnson and he said, "What are you doing?"
I said, "I'm lying in bed resting."
He said, "We've got an Augusta invitation for you."
And I said, "I couldn't be better, my flu is already gone."

Q. Can you talk about Arjun and what the future looks like for him?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Excellent. I think I'm very proud of the guy. I think he's gone through some tough things in life and he's struggled with his game but I'm very proud of him for what he's done in golf. I see that he's going to do a lot better in the coming year because he's developed a place for himself and he's comfortable on the Tour.

Q. Do you think Vijay Singh should be here this week?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I think every professional golfer has his own commitment and I think he has his own commitments and I understand that.

Q. Do you think players in the US don't understand how golf is changing here?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I think they understand more in Europe because the European players come more to Asia and they understand and they play with us guys and so we talk to them and explain to them how golf is coming up and now with this event here, things are going to change completely.
Yes, I think they know less about golf in India, that's the way I would put it.

Q. ?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Basically they normally ask me how many courses are there and how many players you have and if you have a tour there and I do explain to the players and they do understand that. I think that more -- I think the players understand more than the public. I think the public would have an opinion of like how many courses, how many goals, do you have a tour there, but the players do understand because they have interacted with us guys, Arjun and all of us and they do understand there's a tour in India. There are good players coming out of India. They have a better knowledge than I think the public.

Q. Even the Europeans --
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Oh, yes, we have the Asian Tour event here and a lot of players -- not the US PGA tour guys but the guys who play on the Asian Tour.

Q. Do you see golf becoming as big as cricket?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I don't see that. I think cricket is far ahead of golf, and maybe if you get close to correct, I think that's going to be fantastic. I think we can't compare the two because cricket is a massive sport, and golf being a little bit different, I think it's two different ways we are looking at it. But if we can get close to correct, I think in the next ten years or so, I think that will be an achievement.

Q. Is there more pressure playing at home in India?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I do enjoy playing at home, there's always pressure and expectations are high, and I do understand that. But that's what we professional golfers are there for. You have to handle the pressure and get the most out of it.
And I can understand where she's coming from but myself, I can say that I enjoy playing at home. And if I can do that in the future, also, I would love to come back here.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Thank you, Jeev and good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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