Pre-Tournament interview with: JEEV MILKHA SINGH
SHENTON GOMEZ (Media Officer, Asian Tour): 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 depend 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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: In this week an advantage to Indian players?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will it change the equation with the top players here?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: How significant will it be if an Indian golfer wins this event?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Who is the favourite Indian player to win this week?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Have you played on this course with the new changes?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: The driving aspect, how crucial is that here?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will we be expecting anything different from you this week?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: Every single time, I just come here and try to give it my best.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What are you expectations and focus 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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: When were you invited?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I got it in Abu Dhabi, I had the flu and I got a call from Buddy 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."
SHENTON GOMEZ: What do you think of Daniel Chopra’s performance?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What are your thoughts of him not playing 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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Arjun was saying that some people have no clue about golf in India. How is it in Europe?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What about United States?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Have you heard of any golfers from United States indicate their interest here?
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.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will golf be at par to cricket in India?
JEEV MILKHA SINGH: I don't see that. I think cricket is far ahead of golf, and maybe if you get close to cricket, I think that's going to be fantastic. I think we can't compare the two because correct 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 cricket, I think in the next ten years or so, I think that will be an achievement.
SHENTON GOMEZ: The Indian tennis player (Sania Mirza) doesn’t play at home because of controversies. Do you enjoy playing at home?
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.
Pre-Tournament interview with: ARJUN ATWAL
SHENTON GOMEZ (Media Officer, Asian Tour): Let's get started with coming back to India, you must be pleased to be playing competitive golf here since your last appearance in 2005.
ARJUN ATWAL: Definitely. Sorry, my voice is not good, bear with me. But yeah, I'm really happy to come back home. If nothing else just to see my family as well, because my parents are here and my wife.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Tell us about your adaptation to being here.
ARJUN ATWAL: Whenever I land in Delhi, I always get indiscernible, but I'll be okay by the time Thursday comes around.
SHENTON GOMEZ: How has your preparation been coming into the Emaar MGF Indian Masters?
ARJUN ATWAL: You know, I had three months off, so I practised really hard and worked on my game and it's pretty good. You know, I played one tournament on the Nationwide Tour in Panama, and finished tied fifth so getting the right step two weeks ago.
SHENTON GOMEZ: And you've played the course; how is it looking?
ARJUN ATWAL: It's difficult. Maybe I'm biased toward it because I'm growing up playing in Delhi so much, but it always brings back good memories, and some of the changes, you know, are good, but some are a little weird for me. You know, I've seen this golf course without any of the bunkers and all that stuff, so I guess that makes it harder. But it's in good shape.
SHENTON GOMEZ: How significant is it to have a European Tour event here?
ARJUN ATWAL: Huge. When I first heard about it, I think there was a reporter who called me from India and asked me at that time there was still some controversy about the Asian Tour and all that stuff. I said, you know, it doesn't matter what happens. Just this event coming to India, I mean, for the Asian Tour and now The European Tour, it's really, really good.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What do you think it would do for golf in India?
ARJUN ATWAL: I think, you know, with the help of you guys, the media covering it so well, I've already noticed in the paper and TV and all that stuff, I think there's going to be more awareness of professional golf in India. I mean, there is a little bit already considering after '95, there wasn't that much. But having guys like Ernie and later Vijay Singh and Adam Scott coming for the Johnnie Walker, having these events in India is going to be huge.
SHENTON GOMEZ: How do Americans look at golf in India?
ARJUN ATWAL: They don't know much about it. I mean, I played four years and they still don't know if there is golf in India. So I know there's a few of the guys who know Jeev and Joyti because they have obviously done well in the last few years. But apart from that, they still ask me the same old questions about how many golf courses there are in India and where did I learn to play. I said, when I tell them about Royal Calcutta, which is older than any course in America, they are shocked. That's why these events are great. We need events to help change that.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Is that a general impression of golf in India?
ARJUN ATWAL: I think it's more to do with India. It's not so much Asia because they have seen the Asian Tour on TV quite a bit. I think it's more India.
SHENTON GOMEZ: There’s talk about China as the next big thing in golf. Will India match it or go beyond?
ARJUN ATWAL: I hope so. I don't know about, you know, going beyond it, but India keeps doing what they are doing right now, I think everyone is happy in India. I don't think it's a competition with China, as long as both of them are growing at the same pace, it's beautiful.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will golf catch up with cricket in terms of popularity in India?
ARJUN ATWAL: I don't think so, because cricket is a religion in India. I don't think golf will catch up with it but I think it can become the second most popular sport in this country, especially with the youngsters taking so much interest in it. Yeah, I think definitely it could be the second most popular sport.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Examples of Americans asking you naïve questions about India?
ARJUN ATWAL: Since I am going back no, I mean, just generally, people who know India through Indiana Jones think we eat monkey brains, stuff like that. You'd be amazed, guys like Tiger, they know everything about what's going on in India, Asia, all that stuff. So I'm not generalising but there are quite a few guys who do know, as well.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Is there an advantage to the Indian players on this course?
ARJUN ATWAL: If they haven't made all those changes it would be a huge advantage but I think it's a pretty fair playing field right now. You know, I played it for the first time with the changes yesterday, and I thought, this golf course is like way different from when we played it on the Asian Tour events and all that. I don't think there's really much advantage for the Indians, except for maybe the greens because growing up on these greens, you learn most of the lines on the greens.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Care to share on changes on this course?
ARJUN ATWAL: Most of them are pretty okay. Just a few bunkers they added which I thought they didn't need to. First of all, for example, it's 280 out and it's almost in the right centre of the fairway. It takes the option of hitting driver off that tee, you know, just out of everyone's hand. Whereas, I've seen a bunch of guys and I've had this personal experience as well when I'm working on this golf course. You step up on the first tee in a practise round you hit your driver and you find it and it's like, wow, it's easy. Then when Thursday comes around and those bushes kind of steep in a little bit, it becomes tough and now there's no options. I guess most guys will hit 3 wood or 2 irons or whatever. Same thing with 18, because that bunker on the left at 280, you don't need it, you know. Probably prevent balls from going in the bush which is the main defence of the golf club.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What do you think about the free admission this week?
ARJUN ATWAL: I have no comment. I really think it's good, if you want to promote a game, if you charge for people to come in, it will hold a few people back, won't it. That's my comment.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Have they put the tees back on the seventh hole?
ARJUN ATWAL: Yeah, but it's fine. It's not unfair or anything. It's fine. It's longer but you can still hit it on the greens.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will we see an Indian winning this week?
ARJUN ATWAL: I hope so. I definitely hope so.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Will this be a venue where you fancied your chances over other courses here in India?
ARJUN ATWAL: Yeah, I really do like playing here. In fact, my last win in '03 was on this golf course, so, you know, I'm looking forward to this.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Jyoti Randhawa has won here before so he must be a strong contender?
ARJUN ATWAL: Who knows how many times he's won on this golf course, so he's always a contender here.
SHENTON GOMEZ: What are your thoughts on the winning score this week?
ARJUN ATWAL: I have no idea. It all depends on the wind and the conditions and how the greens are setup. Right now there's not much grass on the greens so I don't know what they are going to do with it. They don't look pretty but they are rolling fine. But I don't know if they can cut it any further.
SHENTON GOMEZ: Thank you for coming in this weekend, good luck.