Dubai: Having played with top three Indian golfers, world No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods is impressed that the sport has made dramatic progress in the country.

Woods has a fairly solid friendship with Arjun Atwal, who plays on the US PGA Tour. They are both members of the same golf club in Orlando.

The American had some words of praise for ace Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, with whom he played the first two rounds of the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last season.

At the same event, Jyoti Randhawa led for a brief period and played the third round with Woods.

Before he met Atwal, Woods knew little about Indian golf. He struck a decent relationship with him and got to hear about some names who are making a mark at the top level.

But, Jeev's back-to-back wins in Japan late last season arrested everyone's attention, including that of Woods, who wished the Indian and hoped to see him on the US Tour.

About his impression on Indian golf, Woods said, "I think it has progressed dramatically. It was nice to see how well they have played and just the quality of play. I think it's fantastic that they are playing that well and playing well at the same time as well. So it's fantastic for all of Indian golf."