Journey to Masters was long for first competitor from India
The bootleg videotapes usually found their way into Jeev Milkha Singh's VCR about a month after the Masters Tournament winner slipped the green jacket over his shoulders.
At 12, the boy from India wasn't concerned about the tape's timeliness or that people in America considered the news of the Masters history. To him, it was as live as it could get.
"People who were traveling in the U.S. would come back ... and I'd borrow them and watch them because there wasn't live television at that time," Singh said after Tuesday's practice round at Augusta National Golf Club.
"That was the only way we were able to watch the Masters."
His countrymen won't need videotape Thursday when Singh becomes the first player from India to compete in the Masters.
And though cricket still captivates the people of the second-most-populated country in the world, Singh realizes that he'll have one of the largest galleries - at least on television.
"Everybody keeps joking that there's a billion people behind me this week," he said. "The only thing I can say is that I'm very fortunate, and hopefully I'll make the most out of it."
Singh discovered golf at the age of 9, though most thought he'd follow in his father's footsteps. His dad, Milkha Singh, was a three-time Olympic sprinter and known throughout the country for his prowess in the 200 and 400 meters. He broke the Olympic record in the 400 at the 1960 Games in Rome.
But Jeev, by way of his father, found golf to be more relaxed, more fulfilling.
"I went with him to the golf course and, like a little kid running around, I just got hooked on it," he said. "He was a great runner. I'm better at walking."
Singh, who is not related to Fijian Vijay Singh, was far away from Augusta National as a driving range hacker seven years ago. He tore ligaments in his right wrist while trying to slash a ball pressed against a bunker's lip at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic. The injury, similar to the one suffered by 2005 U.S. Open winner Michael Campbell, was the primary reason Singh's play was mediocre for five years.
Then came 2006.
After healing, Singh won four events across the world, including a victory in the Volvo China Open that ended a seven-year drought.
The quartet of wins put him into 37th place in the World Golf Ranking, which landed him in the Masters.
"My dream has come true," Singh said. "I've worked hard for many years. Coming here, I can't explain my feelings. I used to joke around with the caddies back home that if I played in the Masters, these were the shots I was going to hit."
After Singh tees off with Ben Crane and former PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel at 12:24 p.m. Thursday, he'll stroll by the gargantuan scoreboard that stands beside the fairway on No. 1. He said he'll glance at his country's flag perched atop the scoreboard's middle and briefly reflect on his arduous journey to the Masters.
"It took a long time to get here," he said. "I'd like to make my stay as long as possible."
Reach John Kaltefleiter at (706) 208-2213.
