Jeev takes on Ryder Cup stalwart Stewart Cink in WGC Match Play

Tucson, Arizona, Feb 20 (UNI) Fresh from a week-long break, a determined Jeev Milkha Singh will make his debut at the eight million dollar WGC-Accenture Match Play and take on American Ryder Cup stalwart Stewart Cink in the first round of the elite 64-man field event starting here tomorrow.

Jeev skipped last week's Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open to return to New Delhi and work on his putting after an indifferent start to the season. He also worked on the mental aspect of the game knowing that the match play format will require a huge dose of resilience.

Should the Asian Tour number one prevail in the encounter against Cink at Gallery Golf Club, some heavy weights of the game await in the following rounds.

The winner of the showdown will face either Europe's number one Padraig Harrington or Lee Westwood, with former world number one Vijay Singh expected to pose a striking challenge in the third round.

''I'm pretty excited about the Match Play. It's my first time and I'm looking forward to it,'' said Jeev, who won four titles across the globe in an amazing season last year which saw him rise to world number 37.

The tenacious Indian, who claimed his first Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit crown last year, has some match play success to back up his hopes this week. He was the first Asian Match Play champion in 1995 which sparked his rise on the Asian scene.

''I like playing Match Play format. You have to be aggressive and you have to handle yourself well. It'll be fun. You have to play within yourself and focus on your game and not be worried about the other player. I will try my best to win a few matches,'' he said.

''I've worked on my putting. It's a question of trust. I'm putting well but I'm not trusting it enough,'' he added.

Korea's Yang Yong-eun, who beat Tiger Woods to win the HSBC Champions last November, takes on Australian Rod Pampling in the opening round while compatriot Choi Kyung-ju faces Carl Pettersson of Sweden.

UNI