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TURNING STONE RESORT CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2009

Jeev Milkha Singh

VERONA, NEW YORK

MARK WILLIAMS: Jeev Singh, thanks for joining us in the interview room at the Turning Stone Championship. It's your first time playing here at Turning Stone. Have you had a chance to look at the golf course, and what are your thoughts, if you have?
JEEV M. SINGH: Not really. I was too cold in the morning, and the rain was coming sideways, but I walked a few holes. It looks great. It looks in great shape, and I'm looking forward to playing this week.
MARK WILLIAMS: You've been an international player for many years, I remember you coming down and playing Australia many years ago, and you've played both tours this year, Europe and United States Tour, and probably a little bit Japan, too, maybe.
JEEV M. SINGH: No. I didn't play Japan and Asia this year. Basically just Europe and U.S. this year.
MARK WILLIAMS: How has that been? Is it difficult to play both?
JEEV M. SINGH: It is tough, but I've always been a global player, and I would like to do that. That's why I'm playing here, and if I hopefully make enough money to keep my card for next year and just keep going across the pond, you know, playing Europe and also here.
MARK WILLIAMS: Before we open up for questions, obviously the Presidents Cup was probably a great disappointment to you. Have you had any contact with Greg Norman, Captain Norman? Did he contact you beforehand, before the decision was made?
JEEV M. SINGH: No. Obviously I was disappointed, but you know, end of the day, it is the captain's pick, and it's his choice, whoever he picks. Nothing against that.
But he called me up after the team was announced, and he was very nice, and I spoke to him. And there are no hard feelings, you know.
I just feel that with the injury I shouldn't have played. I should have healed myself in six weeks, and I came back too early and it took me three months to basically get all right with the intercostal muscle. But it's all a learning. And you know, I'm feeling good now, and I'm looking forward to some good weeks coming up, and hopefully next time I'm in the Top 10 and make the team that way.
MARK WILLIAMS: Just referring to that injury, I know that you withdrew from the British Open. Did the injury happen before that?
JEEV M. SINGH: Yes. I injured myself in the European Open on a Sunday in May, and then I just was too hungry to play the U.S. Open. You know, every player I think is like that. You know, when you're injured, you don't want to miss a major.
But I think it was a mistake on my part, it was too early for me. I took like three weeks off and I was feeling good, but the muscle was torn, and the doctor did tell me it was six to eight weeks, and I did take that long or maybe even longer because I came back early.
MARK WILLIAMS: Do you feel any effects from it now or are you fully healed?
JEEV M. SINGH: No. I'm good now. I'm all good. Swing also changed a little bit, but I feel pretty good now.

Q. The exemption to this event that you received, can you just tell the story behind that, how you got that? What relationship you might have established with Turning Stone officials?
JEEV M. SINGH: I applied, and you know, they had offered the sponsors I think the first year when I met some people in management, the guys at Doral in Tour 7, but I couldn't come back because I was focusing on Europe, but this year I asked them because I really wanted to play this tournament because it's important because I've got a good chance to keep my card on the TOUR.
And I approached them. They were very nice. They understood, and I asked some friends to put in a good word, and they did it was very nice, and I'm fortunate enough to be here.

Q. India is the second place historically to get golf, and not too many players have come out of India to become Tour players. Cricket is still probably the No. 1 sport there. What do you see as the future of golf in India being and how can you help that?
JEEV M. SINGH: I personally believe golf is the faster growing sport in our country today, and obviously you can't compare cricket. It's a religion in our country.
But golf, I think is the fastest. You've got a lot of good youngsters coming up, and hopefully with golf being included in the Olympics, it's going to make a big boost, big, big difference in fact, because the government is going to be involved in a big way. There is going to be more public driving ranges. They're going to be open basically everywhere in India, more public courses because we just have one public golf course right now in India and one public driving range.
So with golf coming into the Olympics, the government's going to push it hard because there are a lot of good players, and it is the fastest growing sport.

Q. How did you wind up choosing it then?
JEEV M. SINGH: I lived close to a golf course, and I cycled down from my house, and there used to be another four or five kids of my age playing, and they play on the Asian Tour now, and it was a good foursome we used to have, so that's how I started.

Q. How are you going to approach the course since you've never seen it before, and with the expectations of rain and wind?
JEEV M. SINGH: Basically rain and wind I'm used to playing, coming from Europe, but the course, I walked the Back 9. It was in excellent condition, with all that rain that's come down yesterday and today.
But just go out there, what you see is just fire at that basically. And you can't be -- especially when it's cold and windy, you're just basically playing in limitation. You just can't try to take chances, because everybody's going to be making mistakes, and you just basically go out there and just try to hit the green and try to two-putt and move on.
MARK WILLIAMS: You talked about the Olympics, and you know, your dad was an Olympian. If you had the opportunity to play golf in the Olympics, what would that mean to you?
JEEV M. SINGH: Oh, fantastic. I think that would be one of the best things to happen. I think it's going to be in 2016. Hopefully I'm fit enough to play by then. I'm 39 right now, so hopefully I can last to 50 and I can make the team and play and represent India in the Olympics. That would be great.
MARK WILLIAMS: Are you involved in any programs in India to generate golf in the junior level?
JEEV M. SINGH: Not right now, but what I do is basically I've opened up some academies. I've opened up two academies, GMS academies, which are going to help. They're not ready right now. They're going to be ready in another three or four years, they were private builders basically to help the game grow. And in the future I'm going to open up a lot more academies.
And what we're doing with that is that a common man who can't afford to get to a private golf course or a private driving range, X amount of people will be allowed to come and use the academy and give it a shot, and if they're good enough, they can surely move onto a golf course and follow their dream.
MARK WILLIAMS: Maybe can produce some future Olympic champions.
JEEV M. SINGH: Yeah. For sure. There's a lot of good youngsters right now. There's Gaganjeet Bhullar. He's a very good player. Obviously there's been Jhoti, Armandeep, myself, Shiv, who is a youngster who's he's very good. Rahil Gangjee is good, this young kid. He's 21 years old. Gaganjeet Bhullar, the young breed coming out. And they're right now on the Asian Tour, but in a few years you're going to hear about them coming out of Europe and U.S., so they're going to be doing well.
MARK WILLIAMS: Are you in the World Cup this year?
JEEV M. SINGH: Yes. I am.
MARK WILLIAMS: Who's your partner?
JEEV M. SINGH: Jhoti Rhandawa.
MARK WILLIAMS: Yeah. He was facing challenges there. Jhoti's been playing pretty well.
JEEV M. SINGH: Yeah. Jhoti is playing well. We've just gotta -- it's a tough format, especially alternate shots. And like I told him last time when we played, no sorries. Just hit it. And he just basically go find it.
MARK WILLIAMS: Do you enjoy the same format?
JEEV M. SINGH: Oh, yeah. I think it's a great format, and it's a great golf course, too. So looking forward to that.
MARK WILLIAMS: Now, if you were to continue on and get your Tour card this year here, would you continue to play both tours?
JEEV M. SINGH: Yes. I'm going to play both tours. I'm going to play in Europe and the U.S.
MARK WILLIAMS: Do we have any further questions for Jeev?

Q. What did you prepare for and what have you heard about this tournament throughout the course of the year, because I know, you know -- they don't want to say recruit, but they do try to sell coming to Upstate in early October.
JEEV M. SINGH: Yeah. I heard a lot of good things about this tournament, and especially from a Notah Begay. I think he's one of the best ambassadors of golf. And I've spoken to him about this and he's always spoken highly about this tournament. And I said I would love to play this, and that's why I'm here.
You know, and I saw the golf course today for the first time. It's in excellent condition, with all that rain, too. So I'm looking forward to this week. Hopefully it doesn't come down this hard, but if it does, we gotta make the most out of it and enjoy the week.

Q. (Inaudible).
JEEV M. SINGH: Yes. (Laughs). I checked on the weather, though, because I was in India the last two weeks and it was hot out there, and when I checked the weather forecast, I said I better take all the woolies.
MARK WILLIAMS: I guess playing both tours, you must have a lot of suitcases with lots of different clothes.
JEEV M. SINGH: Yeah. My suitcase always weighs 30 kilos because half of it is jerseys and half of it is the summer weather because you don't know each week where you're going.
MARK WILLIAMS: Okay. I appreciate you coming in, Jeev. Thank you, and all the best this week.

End of FastScripts

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