By Jeev Milkha Singh

In my long career, I have rarely come across a victory which was as impressive as Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia’s in the Hero Indian Open last Sunday. In fact, as outrageous as it may sound, I’d actually put his seven-shot win at DLF Golf & Country Club at the same level as Tiger Woods’ 1997 Masters win by 12 shots, or Rory McIlroy’s 2011 US Open triumph at the Congressional by eight shots.

I am sure many would point out that Tiger and Rory’s efforts came at major championships and against far better quality field. I understand that, but what makes Chawrasia’s win so special is that while people did expect Tiger and Rory to do well because their game suited the golf course, that wasn’t the case with the Indian.

Chawrasia was the defending champion, having won last year at Delhi Golf Club. But if you compare the new Gary Player course at DLF to the DGC, they are as different as chalk and cheese. At DGC, players like Chawrasia have a much better chance compared to DLF, where the first impression of the golf course is that you need to have length off the tee to conquer it. Chawrasia, on the other hand, is one of the shortest hitters on the Tour.

He struggled on the first day of practice, and also on the pro-am day, but somehow managed to devise a game plan that was so effective that he was the only player not to score an over-par round in the four days, and one of only three players in the field who did not make a double bogey or worse.

Just how difficult was the course playing? The TV broadcast showed the eclectic scorecard of the tournament — in which they picked up the worst scores on each of the 18 holes and tallied it — and it came to a whopping 71-over par! I personally made a 10 on the par-5 eighth hole on the first day, and once that happens, you are completely out of the tournament.

But Chawrasia decided to bring the DGC mentality to playing DLF. He stuck to his strength — which is his awesome short game — and just concentrated on keeping the ball in play. That’s what you’ve got to do at DGC as well. Given how dense the surrounding bushes are, most players do not hit drivers and instead try and be in the fairways with irons or woods.

The way he played the 18th hole on Sunday, despite leading by eight shots at that stage, showed not just how dreaded each and every hole at DLF was, but also how much respect Chawrasia was giving to the golf course. The 18th is a very long par-5 — 624 yards — and playing into the wind. Chawrasia hit a 3-wood, then a wedge, followed by another wedge, and then an eight-iron over the water. He was clearly trying to make sure that his worst outcome on the hole would be a bogey and nothing more.

I have often said it, and I will say it here again … Chawrasia perhaps is one of the most underrated players in the world. But he now has four European Tour wins. Even if they have come at home, as most of his critics would be quick to point out — I’d maintain that it is even tougher to win that consistently at home than on foreign soil. The expectation of the home fans, especially in a country like India, is immense.

I also think that the way he achieved this victory, will surely help Chawrasia break through on European soil. His confidence would be at an all time high after such a convincing win in such alien conditions.

(Jeev Milkha Singh is a four time champion on the European Tour)