Jeev takes on top stars, history at Qatar Maters

Doha, Jan 24 (UNI) Jeev Milkha Singh will go all out to prove that his disastrous show at Abu Dhabi last week was nothing but an aberration as the ace Indian golfer leads the Asian challenge in a star-studded field at the 2.2 million dollar Qatar Masters starting tomorrow.

However, the task will be Herculean taking into consideration an unobliging defending champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden besides a star cast that includes best in business -- four Major winners in Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell and Paul Lawrie and US PGA Tour stars Chris DiMarco and Stuart Appleby.

That an Asian had never won the co-sanctioned event will only add pressure on the World No 37.

''I'm looking forward to it. It's an excellent week. I love playing in the Middle East and I love starting out here after a break. The field is excellent. There are many of the world's top-20 players here and the course is a very strong one,'' said Jeev, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour.

The Indian star will make his first 2007 appearance on the Asian Tour following an almost all-conquering season in which he won a maiden UBS Asian Tour Order of Merit crown.

However, he suffered a blip in the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship last week, missing the cut by one in his first outing of the year but Jeev is confident of regaining his form in Doha.

''I think it was too long of a break!'' said Jeev of his year-end holidays. ''I took four weeks off and didn't practice much at all.'' Other top Asian names in this week's elite field, the best in the history of the Qatar Masters, include former number ones Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, India's Shiv Kapur and Jyoti Randhawa, China's Liang Wen-chong and Singaporean Mardan Mamat.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, England's Lee Westwood and Paul Casey will also challenge for the 10th Commercialbank Qatar Masters title.

UNI