Jeev Milkha Singh, an Indian golfing great, is about to achieve a new career landmark by being the first Indian to tee off at this year’s Rolex Senior Open. The 50-year-old has competed in 14 Majors, the most recent of which is the US Open in 2016. His illustrious career includes being the first Indian to participate in the Masters in 2007 and playing all four Majors in a single year. He also made at least one cut in each of them (in 2012) and won many championships on the European Tour, Japan Tour, and Asian Tour. I came on to the European Tour in 1997, and it is very fitting I am here at the Legends now (as senior tours are called in Europe) after precisely 25 years, says Jeev.
Jeev Milkha Singh is an Indian golf pro who would become the country’s first player to enter the European Tour in 1998. He has won four European Tour events, making him the most accomplished Indian on tour. In October 2006, he became the first Indian golfer to enter the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In 2007, the Indian government bestowed the civilian honour of Padma Shri on him.
Singh won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, about a week before the 2012 Open Tournament, in a sudden-death shootout against Francesco Molinari on July 15, 2012. Singh earned a berth in the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club by emerging as the event’s top non-qualifier. The victory was Singh’s fourth on the European Tour, moving him over Arjun Atwal to become the most successful Indian golfer in European Tour history.
About the Senior Event
The event first occurred 35 years ago in 1987 and was added to the European Seniors Tour calendar in 1992. It predates the PGA Seniors Championship, which began in 1957, and the US Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship. It was classified as the fifth primary title on the Champions Tour programme in late 2002. Winners before 2003 were not acknowledged as Champions Tour major winners retrospectively until late 2018. Winners advance to the Open Championship the following season. The event is typically held the week after the Open Championship, while it was staged the week before the Open in 1991 and three weeks just after the Open in 1998.
The regular field size is 144 players, and an 18-hole qualification round is conducted on the Monday before the championship course event, with at least 24 spots available. If less than 120 exempted players participate, the field is expanded to 144 with extra high qualifiers. If more than 120 exempt players enter, the top 24 finishers win admittance, even if the area grows to 144.
