Jeev was the undisputed star but there were others like SSP Chowrasia who too have left a mark.
It was one of the finest years for Indian golf. In a sort of coming of age, the country’s golfers created a stir amongst those who walk the greens worldwide.
Though Jeev Milkha Singh, who won the Asian Order of Merit, was the star of the year, a handful of other golfers came into their own. And none more so than caddie-turned-pro SSP Chowrasia, who beat the likes of Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn to lift the Indian Masters.
The talk of the town was, of course, the man from Chandigarh. Jeev took home four titles on three different tours. Who would have thought about an Indian finishing in the top-ten of a Major?
Jeev finished ninth at the PGA Championships on a rainy Sunday in Michigan. The total of five-over 285 put him in ninth spot on the final leaderboard, tied along with Alastair Forsyth, Justin Rose and Charlie Wie. He posted a tied 25th finish in The Masters.
Jeev touched a career-high ranking of 36 (currently ranked 35) after his win in the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in Japan. And adding to the achievement he yielded the Asian Tour Order of Merit title this year, with record earnings of $1.44 million — the first time any player won more than $ 1 million on the Asian Tour.
The victory in Japan would have been even more important than his achievements this year as his wife Kudrat delivered a stillborn baby during the course of the tournament. Playing golf was the last thing on Jeev’s mind for sure. However his wife urged him to play on, eventually winning the tournament. He rates his win at the Singapore Open as his best of the year. And getting his ticket for the 2009 season, he will be cutting down his appearances on the Asian Tour and focusing on the Majors.
There was another name who had a decent run in 2008. Arjun Atwal may not have had a brilliant season but the Orlando-based golfer did pick up a few wins, including the Chattanooga Classic. The 201-ranked player also made a comeback on the US PGA tour.
On the other hand, European Tour regular Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur had a season not worth mentioning. Randhawa finished outside the top 100 with just five top-10 finishes. Randhawa blamed complacency and a new grip for his slide down the leaderboard.
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