Jeev Milkha Singh wins Volvo Masters
His victory is the first by an Asian at a European golf tour event.
Good news from a golf course in Spain, on a day the Indian cricket team crashed out of the Champions Trophy.
Jeev Milkha Singh won the Volvo Masters, the flagship event of the European Tour, in Sotogrande on Sunday. The win was historic for two reasons — it meant an Asian triumph in Europe and a fat pay packet for Singh.
Bad news came from the cricket pitch in Mohali where Australia ended India's dreams of a place in the last four in the Champions Trophy. India's 249 never looked good enough and half-centuries by Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn gave Aussies the victory by six wickets.
But at the Valderrama golf club, champagne popped as Singh earned 666,660 euros (Rs 3.8 crore), by far the largest amount in prize money picked up by an Indian in an individual sporting event. It surpassed Arjun Atwal's Rs 1.4 crore when he finished second at the BellSouth Classic on the US PGA Tour last year.
Singh also became the first Asian to win a European golf tour event. Earlier wins on the European Tour by Asians had been in joint-sanctioned events held in Asia.
"It is a great feeling. It all started with the Volvo China Open and I am happy I could do it again. This is a big win," Singh said.
