BORN: 15 DECEMBER 1971 (AGE 43)
WEIGHT: 165 LB (75 KG)
HEIGHT: 6 FT 0 IN (1.82 M)
SPOUSE: KUDRAT (M. 2008)
CHILDREN: HARJAI (B. 2010)
COLLEGE: ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1993
CURRENT TOUR(S): EUROPEAN TOUR & ASIAN TOUR
PROFESSIONAL WINS: 21
About Jeev
Born on 15 December 1971 in Chandigarh India, Jeev is the first Indian Golf professional to join the European Tour in 1998. He has won four events on the European Tour, becoming the most successful Indian on tour. He was also the first Indian golfer to break into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2006. In 2007, he was granted the 4th highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri by the Indian government, which is the equivalent of a knighthood and is given to Indian citizens in recognition of their distinguished contribution in various spheres of public life, including the arts, industry and sports, thus becoming the only family in India with 2 Padma Shri awards (Jeev and his dad, the legendary Milkha Singh). Growing up, Jeev was always involved with sports. He attended St. Johns High School in Chandigarh India and Bishop Cotton High School in Shimla. Jeev attended Abilene Christian University in the United States, obtaining a degree in business and international studies in 1996, where he also won the NCAA Division II individual golf championship in 1993 in addition to a number of amateur tournaments in the U.S.
Jeev turned professional in 1993 and his first professional win was at the 1993 Southern Oklahoma State Open. He played mainly in Asia, where he was a regular winner in the mid-1990s. In 1997 he finished seventh at the European Tour qualifying school, and joined the tour the following year. In 1999, he finished 50th on the European Order of Merit and became only the third golfer to receive Arjuna Award. He struggled with injury in the early years of the new millennium. In April 2006 he won the Volvo China Open, becoming the second Indian player to win on the European Tour after Arjun Atwal. He also won the season ending Volvo Masters, which elevated him to a final position of 16th on the Order of Merit. He finished 2006 as the winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and capped his season with a pair of back to back wins in Japan to become the first Indian to make the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In 2007 he became the first Indian golfer to participate in the Masters Tournament. He has played in 3 Masters tournaments, being paired for the first two rounds with Tiger Woods in 2009. In August 2008, Jeev achieved the highest ranking for an Indian in any major event at the 2008 PGA Championship in Oakland Hills, finishing at T9, making him arguably India's best golfer ever. Jeev finished the 2008 European Tour season ranked 12th on the Order of Merit, and after winning the Barclays Singapore Open won his second Order of Merit title on the Asian Tour. In 2009, Jeev finished the WGC-CA Championship in fourth place, after leading round one.
On 15 July 2012, Jeev beat Francesco Molinari in a sudden-death playoff to win the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the week before the 2012 Open Championship. The win secured Jeev a spot in the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club as a result of finishing as the highest non-qualifier at the event. The win was also Jeev's fourth career victory on the European Tour and moved him ahead of Arjun Atwal, making him the most successful Indian golfer in European Tour history.