Shane Warne, Rajasthan Royals stand by terror-hit Mumbai

Spin legend Shane Warne and the Rajasthan Royals team today expressed shock at the Mumbai terror attacks and said they stand by the city in its hour of crisis.

"We are disappointed to not be playing (in Champions League) but right now our thoughts are with the people affected by this tragedy," Warne, captain-coach of Rajasthan Royals, said in a statement.

Warne was on his way to Mumbai for the now-postponed Champions Twenty20 League but once he heard about the attacks, he stayed put in Singapore before deciding to return home.

Royals chairman Manoj Badale also expressed shock at the attacks and said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic incidents that took place in Mumbai on Wednesday. We think of Mumbai as a second home for the Royals, and we all feel terrible right now for the wonderful people of Mumbai who make it such a vibrant city."

Jeev Milkha Singh wants World Cup debut to be memorable

Jeev Milkha Singh wants to cap a great season by making his World Cup debut this week memorable.

Jeev, now ranked 45th in the world, will be one of the major stars of this week's Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.

Jeev, who has wrapped the Asian Tour Order of Merit with some more tournaments still left on the calendar, will be partnered by Jyoti Randhawa, as India make their strongest bid ever at the World Cup.

Another Order of Merit winne Robert Karlsson, the first Swede to win the Harry Vardon Trophy as Europe's leading money winner, will also be hoping to making it a double winning a World Cup gold medal at the spectacular José Maria Olazábal designed course on the Mission Hills complex. Karlsson ranked No. 6 in the world will partner World number one Henrik Stenson.

India with Jeev and Jyoti Randhawa are expected to provide a strong Asian challenge. Jeev is fresh from his recent victory in the Barclays Singapore Open besides two other successes in Europe (Bank Austria Open) and Japan (Sega Sammy Cup) this year. He is back in World's top-50, at 45th place.

"I always missed the World Cup because I was either defending a title or committed to some other event. This time I am in good form and playing well. Jyoti and I hope to do well and make a serious attempt at the title. That will be a nice bonus for the season," said Jeev.

"Jyoti and I should pair well and we will be hoping to compliment each other's strengths," he added.

Jyoti said, "Jeev is in great form. I hope to raise my play with him. Last week in Hong Kong I found the rhythm towards the end and hope I will be able to stretch it into the tournament here."

The 28 two-man teams will play two rounds of foursomes and two of fourball to determine the winner of famous World Cup trophy.

Scotland, represented by Colin Montgomerie and a new partner in Alastair Forsyth, will be defending their title in the company of the host nation China, which once again field Liang Wen-chong and Zhang Lian-wei.

China feel confident they can improve on their 11th place of last year and build on the China's success of the Olympic Games in Beijing to further help the growth of the game in their country.

Scotland, on the other hand, waited for 54 years to savour World Cup success when Montgomerie and Marc Warren edged out the United States in a dramatic play-off.

A total of 18 exempt nations and nine more countries, which emerged through qualifiers in Asia, Europe and Latin America, join the host nation in the World Cup.

Two of last week's winners are also in action with Lin Wen-Tang, who claimed a spectacular victory in the 50th UBS Hong Kong Open and will represent Chinese Taipei alongside Lu Wen-teh. And Prayad Marksaeng, who won the Dunlop Phoenix on the Japan Golf Tour, will be partnering Thongchai Jaidee for the Thailand team.

New Zealand and France will have the honour of getting the event underway as the first group out. Other groupings include that of Venezuela with 2006 champions Germany, Philippines and Ireland paired together and Mexico and England.

The World Cup was first played as the Canada Cup in 1953 and was renamed the World Cup in 1967. The event entered a new era last year following the agreement, which brought the watchmaker Omega together with Mission Hills. The event is set to continue in China till 2018.

‘The day I win the Masters I’ll overtake Dad’

Jeev Milkha Singh’s win at the Singapore Open made him the Asian Tour’s first single-season millionaire and also earned him the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit for the second time in three years. On a hot streak, the Indian golfer tells Mihir Vasavda that he wants to surpass his father, Milkha Singh’s achievements

It was a quite year for you. You dropped out of the top-50 and now you are back with a bang.
I’ve been playing well the entire season. I feel the golfing Gods have been kind to me during most of the crucial rounds, which has been the key. I have just done my best and things have fallen into place.

Chandigarh has given us two great achievers this year in you and Abhinav Bindra…
Both of us have grown up in the same place, so it really feels great. I feel it is the standard of facilities this city provides that helps produce sportsmen. Chandigarh is one of the best cities for sports because the facilities provided are easily accessible to everyone. All major sporting centres are well managed. We may have nice centres elsewhere but what is the use of having good infrastructure if you are not able to make proper use of it.

You have also won the Asian Order of Merit before in 2006. What makes it different this time?
I feel it’s always good to be first in anything you do in life. As I’ve said, this will help my ride into the Majors next year be smoother. It will also help to gain more recognition. It’s good to win it a second time.

India now has three golfers in top-five on the Asian Order of Merit, the other two being Arjun Atwal and SSP Chowrasia. Is Indian golf going through its best phase ever?
This just shows that our golfers have the potential to compete at the highest level. The fact that you are in the top-five shows that we are doing well. This is the fastest growing sport in our country and I feel parents should not stop a child if he or she wants to take up golf. There is money, recognition but most importantly sport helps you mature.

Achievements wise, how would you rate your father’s performance?
I feel I am coming close to matching my father’s achievements. He has done wonders in his sport, during his era. The day I win the Masters, I think I will overtake him, with regard to achievements.

Jyoti Randhawa ready to leave things to Jeev Milkha Singh

Struggling to find form ahead of next week’s Omega Mission Hills Golf World Cup, Jyoti Randhawa says he would just focus on making pars and leave the rest on teammate Jeev Milkha Singh’s winning touch when the duo take the course for India at the mega-event.

“I just need to keep making pars and he’ll do the rest,” Randhawa said of his first-time partner in the event starting November 27.

“It’s a good team and we hope to do well. It is different playing in the World Cup as there is more pressure as you’re playing for the country and there is a lot riding on it. It’s a great event and I'm looking forward to it,” he added.

The Delhi-pro, who has struggled this season with poor form and fitness, is good friends with Jeev as they grew up playing professional golf during the 1990s, which Randhawa believes will carry the team to a good showing in Mission Hills.

“We’re comfortable being around each other, we are regularly having meals together on Tour. He’s a funny guy as well and I hope we don’t take it onto the golf course! We will certainly focus on our game and I’m looking forward to partnering him,” he said.

While Randhawa featured in the team that ended ninth in 2005 for India’s best ever finish, Jeev will be making his long-awaited debut and is excited at the opportunity to fly his country’s flag in China.

“We are very excited, we are very strong as a team,” said Jeev, the Asian Tour’s number one in 2006 and virtually assured of this season’s Order of Merit title after securing victory at last week’s Barclays Singapore Open.

Struggling carmakers set to reign in sponsorship spending

Carmakers are the driving force behind some of the world's most lucrative golf tournaments but nose-diving demand and anemic earnings amid the global financial crisis has put the brakes on sponsorship spending.

Car sales have plunged and the 'Big Three' automakers in the United States, General Motors, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC, may need a financial lifeline from the Federal Reserve to weather the storm.

GM, which has warned it will run desperately short of cash by early next year without support, spends heavily in golf mostly through its Buick brand but deep cuts in its advertising and promotional budgets means that money could soon dry up.

"Everything is fair game right now and we're taking a hard look at it all," Larry Peck, Buick and Pontiac promotions manager for GM, said in a telephone interview.

"Obviously, we are looking to reduce our overall marketing expenses and our advertising and promotional budgets have been reduced, and there's continual pressure on that."

GM is the title sponsor of two PGA Tour events, the Buick Open and Buick Invitational. Both tournaments are on the schedule for 2009 and their contracts run through 2010.

"We're certainly trying to spend our money more efficiently there. In particular the Buick Invitational that's upcoming in February, really we've trimmed back all the back-of-the-house kind of stuff... no dealer contests, no hospitality, all that is cut back," said Peck.

"You'll still see products on television and advertising that will promote the products through the broadcast, but any of the entertainment, hospitality type of activities have been canceled."

Peck said that despite the current hardships, the automaker was still committed to promoting itself through golf.

"We have still a very large involvement in the sport of golf from a General Motors standpoint, specifically from a Buick standpoint."

TRICKLE DOWN

America's world number three Phil Mickelson acknowledged that carmakers' woes could have a trickle down impact on sponsorship.

"I think the biggest impact for the US PGA tours is more with the auto manufacturers. As we have seen, General Motors has been hurting and has reported that they may run out of cash by the end of the year," he said ahead of last weekend's Singapore Open.

"We have so many sponsors in the automotive industry, that we will start feeling it shortly. Certainly when our next contract is up, we will have to find new sponsors unless there's a turnaround fairly quickly."

BMW, which pumps millions of dollars into golf tours worldwide, has slashed production and scrapped earnings forecasts this month as quarterly profits tanked 60 percent.

Spain's Jimenez eyeing Hong Kong Open hat-trick

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez will be bidding for his third Hong Kong Open title when the defending champion tees off on Thursday in a strong field boasting six major champions.

"The Hong Kong Golf Club is one of my favourite courses in the world," said the cigar-chomping Jimenez, who will bid to become only the second player to defend the title after Taiwan's Hsieh Yung-yo in the 50th year of the tournament.

Britons Nick Faldo and Paul Lawrie, German Bernhard Langer, Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, Michael Campbell of New Zealand and American John Daly are the former major winners vying for honours in the $2.5 million (1.7 million pounds) event co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.

Other in-form contenders include England's Oliver Wilson, who was pipped by Spain's Sergio Garcia in a playoff at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last Monday, and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, winner of the Volvo Masters in Spain at the start of November.

ASIAN HUNT

Asia's top golfers will be fighting hard to end a ten-year drought, South Korea's Kang Wook-soon being the last Asian to win at the Hong Kong Golf Club course in Fanling in 1998.

India's Jeev Milkha Singh, winner of the 2006 Order of Merit, will be firing on all pistons after the weekend's Singapore Open win made him the Asian Tour's first single-season millionaire and virtually assured of his topping the money list again.

"The course doesn't really suit Europeans or Asians," Singh said. "I think it is all dependent on the mindset and how the form is."

Asian Order of Merit will bring recognition: Jeev Milkha Singh

Jeev Milkha Singh, who added another feather in his cap by winning the Singapore Open, said the Asian Order of Merit title will help Indian golfers in getting recognition at the top level and boost the confidence of young players back home.

Jeev, who on Sunday put up a special performance at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore to claim the Singapore Open -- his third title of the year and sixth on the Asian Tour -- said the "golfing gods helped him in the crunch situation".

Asked that he was now assured of the Asian Order of Merit title, he said over phone, "It will make things easier for me
as I would get direct entries to many top tournaments and playing in big events will give confidence to me. It will also
help me in getting my rankings below 50 which at present is my main aim".

On the significance of the title, he said, "It will be another feather in the cap of Indian golfers, who have been doing well at the highest level. This will help us in getting recognition at the top level and will boost the confidence of young golfers back home".

On his stunning win at the Singapore Open which came playing against top players Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els, the 38-year-old Jeev who hails from Chandigarh said, "It was an excellent performance. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was really excited about playing against the world's top players and winning the tournament in the end is a great treat for me".

He, however, rates his performance at the 2006 Volvo Masters as his best. "Winning the title was not on my mind yesterday. I went into the final round with a positive mindset. I was looking to give my best and in the end I pulled it off," Jeev said, adding he can play a lot better than what he did on Sunday.

"I am looking forward to much better wins and performances in coming years," he said.

Jeev said he would now be flying out to Hong Kong to play there.

He is also looking forward to play in the World Cup Open in China this month and in the US Masters next year.

Jeev feels he and Jyoti Randhawa stand a good chance of winning the World Cup.

Jeev Milkha Singh wins Singapore Open golf in tight finish

Jeev Milkha Singh rode his luck and pluck before laying his hands on the Singapore Open title and the cool $ 795,500 winner's cheque, which virtually assured him of the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

Stealthily climbing up the leaderboard, Jeev began the day five shots off the lead but went on to blast a final round of two-under 69 and his aggregate of seven-under 277 was good enough to lift his third title of the year, following the Bank Austria Golf Open on European Tour and the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup on Japan Tour.

Both Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington needed to birdie the final hole to force a play-off but Harrington could not sink the five foot putt while Els' 15-footer curled round the lip, much to Jeev's relief.

"Padraig and Ernie put a good effort in out there but the golfing gods were on my side," a beaming Jeev later said.

"To be honest, I haven't played that well in the last two weeks so, like I said, the golfing gods have been great to me and things worked really well," said the in-form Indian.

For Jeev, morning showed the day and for the second day on the trot, the Indian got off to a perfect birdie-birdie start.

He picked up one more shot on the seventh in an impeccable front nine and was in fact going four-under following the 11th hole birdie before bogeys on the 13th and 16th threatened to provide that twist in the tale.

Two par shots to end the round, and some luck in the process, and Jeev finished with a wafer-thin one shot lead over Els and Harrington, who share six Majors between them.

Another feather in Jeev Milkha Singh's cap

Jeev Milkha Singh, the most successful Indian golfer on the international circuit for quite some time now, won his sixth Asian Tour title and the 11th on an official Tour here on Sunday.

It also gave him rare accolade of winning titles on three different Tours in the same year for the second time. The first was in 2006.

This year Jeev has won the Bank Austria Golf Open on the European Tour, the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup on the Japan Tour and now the Barclay's Singapore Open in the Asian Tour.

Jeev has now sealed the 2008 Asian Tour Order of Merit. He had earlier won the title in 2006.

Following are Jeev's title wins on International Tours outside India:

Asian Tour wins (6)*
2008 (1) Singapore Open
2006 (1) Volvo China Open*
1999 (1) Lexus International
1996 (1) Philip Morris Asia Cup
1995 (2) Philippines Classic, Asian Matchplay Championship

European Tour wins (3)
2008 (1) Bank Austria Golf Open
2006 (2) Volvo China Open*, Volvo Masters

Japan Golf Tour wins (3)
2008 (1) Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup
2006 (2) Casio World Open, Golf Nippon Series JT Cup

Other International wins (4)
1995 (2) Thailand PGA Championship, Toyota Crown Open (Thailand)
1994 (1) Shinhan Donghae Open (South Korea - not an Asian Tour event)
1993 (1) Bukit Kaira Golf Championship (Malaysia)

Note:
* Volvo China Open in 2006 was co-sanctioned by Asian and European Tours

India's Jeev Milka Singh pips big names in Singapore

India's Jeev Milka Singh outplayed major winners Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els to win the Singapore Open with a final round 69.

Singh finished one stroke clear of the pair with a seven-under-par total of 277 at the Sentosa Club.

A double bogey at 16 cost Harrington and both he and Els missed birdie putts at the last to miss out on a play-off.

Harrington carded a 70, Els had a 71 and Rory McIlroy and Australia's David Gleeson shared fourth place after 69s.

Thailand's Chapchai Nirat headed the field by three at the start of the final round but his hopes faded with a series of dropped shots as he struggled to a 78.

And it was 36-year-old Singh, also a winner in Europe and Japan this year, who seized the initiative with three birdies on the front nine.

He took the outright lead with a five-foot birdie at 11, only to fall back into a tie with Harrington when he missed from 10 feet for his par two holes later.

But the Irishman was out of luck at 16 where his pitch landed eight feet from the flag but ran off the green into the water and he could do no better than a double bogey.

Singh dropped a shot at the same hole, but pars at the last two were enough as both Harrington, after a magnificent fairway wood to five feet, and Els saw their birdie attempts fail to drop.

"I couldn't have asked for better. I'm a very fortunate man to win," said Singh.

"That was a good effort out there by Ernie and Padraig but I think that the golfing gods were on my side so I'm breathing much better now."

Harrington was left to reflect on his unlucky breaks, but insisted he had no complaints about a year which saw him win both the Open Championship and USPGA title.

"I hit a lovely shot into 16 that resulted in a double bogey and a lovely shot at the last that was about six inches away from being a short putt for eagle , but that's the way golf goes," he commented.

"I holed the right putts at the right time this year and I may not feel good about this for a few hours but I am still delighted with my year."

Slow start for stars in Singapore

Open champion Padraig Harrington made a quiet start to the Singapore Open with a one-over 72 that left him five shots off the lead on a rain-hit opening day.

The world number five bogeyed his final hole but finished a shot better off than Phil Mickelson and Darren Clarke.

Mickelson dropped three shots in his first four holes, while Australian Adam Scott had seven bogeys in an errant 76.

Lam Chih Bing led after three birdies in four holes but half the field were unable to complete their rounds.

The Singapore Open follows geographical logic and is an Asian Tour tournament as opposed to European, but several top players are competing in the lucrative $5m event.

Ernie Els, who was runner-up in this event in 2006 but missed the cut last year after suffering from illness, reached three under after 14 holes on the Serapong course at Sentosa Island before the weather worsened.

Mickelson described the changeable conditions as challenging, and said: "I know two-over par doesn't sound good but I'll actually take it. When we were playing it was windy with some rain so it was a lot tougher."

The American unusually had problems with his short game and admitted: "This was the worst chipping round in years that I can remember."

Harrington, who saw three shots slip away on his inward nine, remained in positive mood and said: "I'd be very happy if I played the same way for the next three days.

"I'm sure at some stage I'll start holing a few putts and making a few things happen."

Stolen driver forces Poulter out of Singapore Open

British Open runner-up Ian Poulter has pulled out of the Singapore Open after being unable to replace the driver he had stolen at the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai which ended on Monday.

"I am really gutted," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I have been thinking about it for four hours and I have decided to withdraw because my new driver will not arrive on time.

"It is disappointing because I did not come all this way not to play. But with so many world ranking points at stake, if I played badly (by using a different driver) I may have lost ground."

The tournament starts on Thursday but world number 25 Poulter would have been unable to secure a replacement driver until Friday.

India's Anirban Lahiri will take the Englishman's place in the field for the $5 million event at Sentosa Golf Club, the richest national open on the Asian Tour.

Padraig Harrington aims for Singapore Open win after year to remember

The 37-year-old Irishman has enjoyed victories in two majors this season - The Open Championship and the US PGA Championship - and a win in the richest national Open in Asia would put the seal on a memorable year.

"It's my last tournament of the year and you always want to finish well, I'm very much focused on trying to get one last win for the year and that would be the icing on the cake for Christmas," said Harrington at the Sentosa Golf Club "I am enthusiastic to get out there and play, which is a good sign.

"There is no doubt that after my two major wins in the summer that there was a period afterwards that I did not get enough time to take a break from the game, and I suffered a little bit because of it.

"I think I have gotten a little bit of a break since and as I said I am keen to go out there and play.

"I am changing a few things at the moment and that has kind of distracted me at times, but this being my last tournament of the year I am focused on playing this weekend and leave all the work and progress to the next eight weeks after this."

Harrington can look back on 2008 with plenty of pride after becoming the only player other than Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to have won consecutive majors since 1995. He said: "My season will go down as the best season of my career so far and one to remember.

"I think going forward my goal will remain the same as it has been for the last three years, which is peak for the four majors."

The majors remain the top priority for Harrington but the Irishman will also attempt to make his mark at the end of next year in the inaugural Race to Dubai.

"I think that the Race to Dubai comes in under the four majors. Essentially my schedule next year will be all about peaking for the four majors next year," he added.

"It's all about building up for those, all about making sure I do not over play and that I am ready for those tournaments.

"Once the US PGA finishes in August then the Race to Dubai kicks in, then that's when I start thinking about how am I doing in that Race and whether I am in a position to win it.

"It gives you that added focus to move on for the rest of the year. I think it is very much the last three months of the year that the Race to Dubai becomes a goal because no matter what you do in the first several nine months you don't win that title."