Former champion, Jeev Milkha Singh, is banking on the feel-good factor as he seeks another victory at the SMBC Singapore Open which tees off here tomorrow.
Jeev, one of the legends of Asian golf, is a six-time Asian Tour winner, besides being a board member of the Tour. He won the Singapore Open in 2008 and is hoping for a repeat at Sentosa Golf Club.
Among the six other Indians in the field is Gaganjeet Bhullar, who has always looked up to Singh for inspiration. He could pose a threat to Singh's title ambitions again.
Bhullar defeated Singh in Indonesia last year and is ready to do so again, not only against Singh but also the stellar field that includes Spain's Sergio Garcia as well as Major winners Adam Scott and Ernie Els.
The other five Indians are Jyoti Randhawa, Chiragh Kumar, Shubhankar Sharma, Shiv Kapur and RahilGangjee.
Jeev said, "I am very happy to be back here. It definitely brings back a lot of good memories for me, having won the Singapore Open here in 2008. It was a fantastic year for me in 2008.
"In fact, 2006 has been great for me too. I won four times that year to win the Order of Merit. It was excellent that I managed to repeat that in 2008, winning some big events in Singapore and Japan. Whenever you come back to a golf course that has given you a life-changing experience, it's always very positive."
He added, "This is a very challenging golf course. It requires a lot of good routines, processes and all sorts of mental strength to stick to what you are supposed to do. A lot of things will come in your mind but you got to come back to what it takes to hit a good golf shot and stick to that. There are a lot of times where you will hit bad shots but you got to take the medicine and move on to the next hole."
Bhullar, who won twice last year, said, 'I am really excited about this week. I have worked hard during the off season. I finished the last season, especially the second half, in a very positive mode so I am really hoping to get on the good side of the draw this week and try to get some momentum going.
"There have been a lot of positivity during the second half of the season last year, having two wins in four months. I am glad my hard work paid off. It feels great to get what you wanted to after putting in so many hours."
He went on to say, "The Serapong course is quite a test for us this week but it's definitely one of my favourite golf courses in Asia. I remember playing well here in 2008 and earned my spot for The Open by playing well here in 2009. I have a lot of positive memories of this golf course. I really enjoy myself inside the fence whenever I am here."
China's Liang Wen-chong, who finished third at the SMBC Singapore Open last year, will be bidding for another win in Singapore following his last victory in the Republic a decade ago.
That victory played a pivotal role in seeing him become the first Chinese player to win the Order of Merit in 2007 and he is looking for another repeat.
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