Jeev Milkha Singh was in good company Monday.

Ryo Ishikawa, one of eight players from Asia in this year's field, tees off at the eighth hole. (John Curry/Staff)

The Indian golfer practiced alongside Greg Norman, who invited Singh to join him in a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club.

Singh, the face of the Asian Tour, has made a name for himself far beyond his own continent. As the captain of the Presidents Cup International team, Norman was interested in seeing Singh's talent up close.

"I was impressed. I was surprised how far he hits the golf ball," Norman said. "He's sneaky long, which is a big advantage on this golf course, obviously. I asked him pointblank, 'How are you playing?' and he said, 'I'm playing very well.' You don't hear too many players come out openly and say, 'I'm playing very well.' "

Singh's self-confidence stems from his recent success. In December, he was crowned Asia's No. 1 golfer and awarded his second Asian Tour Order of Merit. He captured four titles on different tours last year.

"Jeev has been fantastic," said Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han. "I think he's been the best ambassador of the sport. He started playing the tour when it first started in 1995. He's worked his way up."

As Singh was honing his craft, the Asian Tour also began to grow.

It has expanded from 18 to 30 events in 15 years. In the past six years, it has added eight tournaments to its schedule, which has expanded to 17 countries.

This week's Masters Tournament field reflects the game's global growth. Fifty-seven of the 96 players are international, including eight of Asian descent.

Prize money has also reached a record high on the Asian Tour. Last year, Singh broke the $1 million mark.

"Compared to the PGA Tour, it's still pretty small, but the way it's been growing has been encouraging," Han said of the prize money.

Y.E. Yang, of South Korea, chips onto the second green. Yang won the PGA Tour's Honda Classic in March to earn a Masters invitation. (Jackie Ricciardi/Staff)

"Now a lot of companies have been seeing that it's a great marketing tool for them. We hope in the next few years, we'll consistently get the tournaments over the million dollar mark."

What has been the reason for the Asian Tour's advancements?

"The economies have grown. There was a golf course boom in the '90s," Han said. "It's become affordable. It's been a great sport for people to take up at a personal level, but also at a business level. Young executives feel like it's the sport to be in. It's good networking for business. It's been great."

Younger golfers have been making a large splash. Noh Seung-yul, a Korean teenager, won the Midea China Classic and had three runner-up finishes last year.

"There's a lot of guys under 22 or 23," Han said. "That makes it encouraging. I think that's what sponsors want to see, too. The main players coming out are from Korea, India, Thailand and China."

Singh, however, is still leading the pack.

He is making his third consecutive Masters appearance and is thankful for the opportunities the Asian Tour has provided for him.

"The Asian Tour will grow," he said. "It's got a bright future. I think Asia has given a lot to a lot of players like me. I'm thankful I started in Asia. I think in the near future you're going to see a lot more Asian players coming out and playing on the world stage."