Dubai: Indian golfers Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur have hailed the Asian Tour's entry into the Middle East and hope to put their name on the inaugural Dubai Open trophy to be held at the Els Club Dec 18-21.
Two-time Asian Tour No.1 Jeev believes the new event, which will be the final tournament of 2014, is a wonderful addition on the region's premier Tour and hopes it would pave the way for more events in the Middle East.
"I'm very excited for the players and the tour and I hope we have more tournaments coming up there. I'm looking forward to going to Dubai. It feels great to be part of something new in Dubai and I have a feeling that given the strong Asian expat population in the UAE, the Dubai Open will become a very successful tournament," said Jeev.
Kapur, who holds one victory on the Asian Tour, said: "Dubai is the place to be where all the golf action is happening. We've got the (European Tour's) Race to Dubai and the Challenge Tour grand final there, so to have the Asian Tour there now is obviously very good. It bodes well for the future and it's a huge market. Hopefully we can have multiple events there in years to come."
Jeev, who has been ranked as high as 35th in the world, is keen to finish off 2014 on a strong note after a tough season where he has slipped down the rankings. A series of injuries has not helped his cause but with homeopathic treatment, he is on the mend.
"I love coming back to Asia, it's given me a lot and I just love the Asian Tour and the camaraderie. It feels like home to me," said Jeev, who has won three times in Europe.
"I've never played at the Els Club but I've heard it's a fantastic golf course. I'm looking forward to playing there. Dubai at that time of the year is fantastic and there's a buzz to it. I have won tournaments in different parts of the world but winning in Dubai would be special," added Jeev, who is the son of legendary Indian runner Milkha Singh.
Kapur has set himself a target of winning one title before the end of the year and Dubai would be a good prospect, especially when he won the Dubai Festival City Challenge last year which was the final event on the European Challenge Tour.
"I've had a steady season but I've not won a tournament. I like to try to end the year with a win again. I've played at the Els Club previously and it's a great track. It's a long course and quite tricky. If they have the rough up, it'll be a good test," he said.
"It's quite different than what we usually play on the Asian Tour - it's like an American style course. There is not too much grain on the greens and it'll be a good change for the Asian Tour players."
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