November 16, 2006 – Movie buff Jeev Milkha Singh enjoyed a starring role on the first morning of the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open.
The Indian ace was very much the action hero as he shrugged off a nagging wrist injury to join the early pacesetters with a four-under-par 66.
That left him two shots behind leader Jose Manuel Lara of Spain after the Thursday morning rounds at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.
“I started off really well and was four under after the first six holes and was pretty excited,” said Singh, winner of two European Tour events this season and current leader of the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit.
“Coming in, I hit the ball well but did not hole too many putts. Overall, I made six birdies and two bogeys.”
Singh, 34, revealed he had been having intensive treatment on his right wrist, which he injured during a tournament in Japan six weeks ago, and that he had been forced to adjust his game.
“The physios have been working hard for 45 minutes to an hour every day. It’s better, but I think I still need time off. I’m not going to think too much about it and just keep playing my game.
“On uphill chips, I can’t judge the distance because I let my right hand go up, so I’m using my putter now which I think is better for my wrist. If my ball is not going to be lying good, I’m just going to hit it to the front of the green.”
With his wrist causing him discomfort, Singh will be looking to tough it out over the next three days, just like his favourite movie star, Harrison Ford.
“I’m a fan of both Hollywood and Bollywood,” he revealed. “I love watching movies, I don’t miss any when they come out. I’ve got about 100 DVDs in my laptop case and I’ve got more than 2,000 movies in total.
“One of my favourite English-language movies is The Fugitive. I love films which feature Harrison Ford.”
In The Fugitive, Ford plays a wrongly convicted prisoner on the run from the police.
Jeev, too, will be seeking to escape from the pack in the UBS Hong Kong Open. “It was a good start and I’m happy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next three days.”
