Stellar Singh sweeps three top asian tour awards in memorable night
India's Jeev Milkha Singh capped a dream season when he scooped up three main honours at the Asian Tour's UBS Awards Gala in Bangkok on Sunday night.
In a stunning year which saw Singh claim four titles around the globe, the tenacious Indian made it a night to remember when he was feted by his peers after being voted the Players' Player of the Year and winning the inaugural Special Achievement Award.
The two accolades were in addition to the prestigious Order of Merit title which Singh claimed for the first time following a stellar season on the Asian Tour in which he won the China Open and registered five other top-10s for a record haul of US$591,884 from 14 starts.
'It's been a dream year for me. To receive the recognition from my fellow competitors, it's a great honour. Winning these awards will stay with me for the rest of my life.'
He is the third Indian after Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa to claim the mantle.
Singh, who has propelled himself into the world's top 50 which guarantees him starts in all four majors next year, also enjoyed tremendous success in Europe where he won the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain and also triumphed twice in Japan.
Rookie of the Year went to exciting Filipino talent Juvic Pagunsan, who finished seventh in the Order of Merit with US$291,847, following four top-10s in an impressive debut season.
Anthony Kang of the United States won the Birdie Leader award after snaring a total of 322 birdies throughout 2006, which saw the Asian Tour stage an unprecedented 27 tournaments with a record of over US$24 million in total prize money.
India's Jyoti Randhawa took home the Lowest Stroke Average with 69.74, a wonderful reflection of his consistent effort in which he won the Hero Honda Indian Open and finished sixth on the Order of Merit. Simon Yates of Scotland hit the most greens in regulation (GIR) with a strike rate of 73 per cent to top that category while Thailand's Chawalit Plaphol took home the award for lowest putting average with 1.69 per GIR. Singapore's Sentosa Golf Club was voted by the players as the Venue of the Year.
