I started playing golf in school. I could have opted for athletics or cricket but I always had the freedom to choose any game I liked. I used to go to the golf course with my father and felt at ease with the game right from the start. Very few individuals are able to make a living from a game they love the most and so I am lucky to have done that. I have always tried to make golf my top priority. My mother was very particular that I go through proper training alongside my studies and early in my career, she insisted that I go to the US for higher studies.

•Nainu Rohtaki: What was your father’s reaction when he learnt that you wanted to play golf?

My father was a competitive athlete and he realises that all games are alike. Once he realised that I was interested in playing golf, he was very supportive. Whether it was going to the US for further studies or playing on the junior circuit, my father always supported me and was always eager to arrange the best facilities for me. There are times when I feel low about the game and then, there is no one better than him to give me advice.

•Nitin Sharma: In the early days of your career, as an amateur, you played a lot in the US. What was it like to play on the nationwide tour and in tournaments like the Eisenhower Trophy?

The toughest and easiest days of a golf player’s career are when he is playing amateur. Expenses are low and you are focussed on making the cut for most tournaments which is essential to be eligible for scholarships. But then, you have no sponsors. Once you turn professional, it is tough, financially, for a couple of years. I was lucky that I got a scholarship from ONGC and they paid for most of my expenses while I was in high school. When I went to US, I was lucky that I was on a scholarship—the two-and-half years that I spent in college made me realise the importance of money. Most of the time, you start your professional career from scratch. In the US, most players are funded by their respective clubs. Once you start winning, the club shares part of your earnings. When I turned professional in 1993, my experience in the US came handy.

•Swadesh Talwar: There is a perception that only people from rich and affluent families can take up golf as a career. Comment.

The mindset has to change—the game can be played by people from all backgrounds. It all depends on the government—corporate sector funding is not enough. We need more and more public driving ranges. If you go to countries like US, Australia and Japan, they have 15-20 public driving ranges in one city. Apart from that, I guess a lot depends on players like us. If we do well, we inspire the next generation. The last few years have been good for us with players like SSP Chaurasia, Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur doing well—that augurs well for the game. And with the likes of Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahul Ganjee and Gurbaaz Mann, the game is on the rise.

•Harpreet Bajwa: Do you see the government supporting golf?

Whatever is happening in golf in India right now is due to private houses. Imagine what would happen if people from all spheres of life could practice at ranges. I hope the government realises this soon so that we have adequate infrastructure for the game in India. The Indian Golf Union does provide free kits for upcoming players and I guess more such initiatives are needed.

•Mukesh Bhardwaj: Tiger Woods happens to be the world’s richest sportsperson. Do you think the prize money in Indian tournaments is good enough to attract more players to golf?

The situation at the moment is alright, although sponsorships are not so good. We have got about 20 tournaments and the Professional Golf Tour of India has allotted prize money worth Rs 8 crore, which is quite good. The prize money is distributed among the top 60 players and on an average, a player gets at least Rs 2 lakh. We need some more financial assistance from the corporate sector and more funding for the players.

•Shalini Gupta: You won four titles in 2006, apart from 14 top-10 finishes. Is this your best season so far?

There are still three more months to go in this season and I guess this year will also be as good as 2006. Yes, it was a year to remember and I was able to make my presence felt on the international circuit. I hope before the season ends I will win at least three more tournaments.

•Rajendra Khatry: How do you view your chances in the forthcoming World Cup?

We stand a great chance. Jyoti (Randhawa) and I have been in fine form over the last few months. The World Cup will be special because it is my first one. I will be playing for five months straight before I play in the World Cup and this will help me at the tournament.

•Vipin Pubby: Do you think golf should be included in the Olympics? And why did it take you so long to play in the World Cup?

Golf has been included in the Asian Games and I don’t see any reason why it should not feature in coming editions of the Olympics. The reason why golf has not been included in the Olympics is that the best players are professionals. In the case of tennis, professionals do take part in the Olympics and we have to follow the same criteria for other games too. As for the World Cup, every time I wanted to take part in it, I was busy on the tour. In the last two-three years, I was the defending champion in a couple of the tournaments and that’s why I had to give the World Cup a miss.

•Bharti Bedi: After India’s performance in the Olympics, much of the focus has shifted from cricket to other games. Do you think this will benefit golf?

Definitely. I was in the US during the Olympics and I heard about Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender. With players like Arjun Atwal, SSP Chaurasia and Jyoti Randhawa, the game is on a high in India. More and more girls are also playing golf. A lot of companies like ONGC, Indian Oil and Tata provide career opportunities to golf players and I think it is great for the game

•Aarish Chhabra: Most people see golf as a boring game. Do you see a Twenty-20 version of the game or will it remain traditional?

A game like golf is quite different from cricket and there are more traditionalists who follow the game world over. Perhaps they can come up with a new ranking policy. But as far as the format is concerned, I do not see any change in the coming years. It all depends on the performance of the players to make the game popular. Look at what Tiger Woods has done to the game. His name alone gives so much publicity to the tournament he plays in.

•Preeti Prashar: Do you set individual goals and what is life beyond golf for you?

There is no such thing as individual goals. I play the game because of my love for it and I take all things in my stride, irrespective of whether I win or lose. Life beyond golf? Perhaps open a golf academy or indulge in social activities. I love going on safaris and whenever I get time, I go to South Africa for safaris.

•Jagmeeta Thind Joy: In a game like golf, it is important to relax. How do you do that?

The toughest thing in a game like golf is to control the mind. I guess yoga does that for me. There is a special exercise which I follow called the candle exercise in which one has to concentrate on the tip of the candle light. It is like a jigsaw puzzle in which one has to concentrate on more than 30,000 things that come into your mind. Besides this, I like to watch movies. I also consult many top psychologists. But a driver can teach you how to drive a car but it depends on you how you drive the car.

•Bharti Bedi: Has life changed after marriage?

Life has changed a lot after marriage. Life is more settled now and in a game like golf where one is travelling all the time, the presence of a partner makes things easier. You have good days and bad days in golf and it feels good if you have somebody to talk to between tours. I am playing more on the European Tour and American tours nowadays and we recently bought a house in London. It makes things convenient for us as I am playing from Tuesday to Sunday.

•Gautam Dheer: More and more companies are coming up with the idea of social responsibility. Do you think that sportspersons like you should also be involved in such causes?

Sportspersons are involved in such activities. I plan to open a golf academy where I can train young players and also start some kind of coaching programme. But at this stage of my career, I am out of the country for at least 40 weeks a year, so I don’t get much time for anything but golf. Whenever I get some free time, I take part in charitable events.

•Sukhdeep Kaur: Athletics is a fast sport while golf is quite a slow game. So there are two very different games in the family?

Yes, the two are very different but when you talk about the mental aspect, it is the same. And that is what my father Milkha Singh has always taught me. In golf you think for the whole day and sometimes even at night. Athletics is all about those microseconds that you have to perform. In golf, too, when you hit a shot it takes only seconds for the shot and your concentration is important in those microseconds.

•Navdeep Sandhu: Many sportspersons are superstitious. Do you follow any particular superstition?

None in particular nowadays. In my early days, I used to wear certain clothes on certain days of a golf championship. But a lot of things have changed over the last few years and I am not superstitious now. The clothes I wore when losing, I try to wear and win. It just has to do with the mind.

•Nitin Sharma: You are the first Indian to have taken part in the Masters and you were chosen as the Indian sportsperson of the year in 2006. How do you compare these achievements with the Padma Shri that you were awarded?

I rate the Padma Shri above all my achievements. The fact that my father too got it and there are two in the family makes the feeling special. Being part of a sporting family made me realise the importance of the award quite early in my career. My father is very proud of this fact. Taking part in the Masters was also nice and moments like these motivate me to perform well and consistently.

•Vipin Pubby: Golfers all over the world look towards only one name—Tiger Woods. How has your experience been playing with Woods?

Golf owes a lot to Tiger Woods. The way he has handled pressure despite all his injuries makes him someone to remember forever. He never gives up and he always wants to perform to his best. He never shows it but he lets his form do the talking. He had a tough life and he deserves the success which he has carved for himself over the last few years.

•Jagmeeta Thind Joy: Can we say Jeev Milkha Singh has emerged from his father’s shadow?

My father has influenced me a lot and I guess I am still coming out of his shadow. Sometimes when we go out, people introduce him as my father and it feels special.

Transcribed by Nitin Sharma