Sports
Jeev Milkha Singh is the front-runner for the 'Keep Walking' Asian Golfer of Year 2006 award to be announced on Saturday, Rahil Gangjee too is on the list.
Updated : Sep 18, 2017, 06:43 PM IST
PHUKET (THAILAND): Jeev Milkha Singh is the front-runner for the Johnnie Walker 'Keep Walking' Asian Golfer of Year 2006 award to be announced on Saturday.
The ceremony will be held during the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic, which takes place at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand, from March 1 to 4.
Jeev and Rahil Gangjee are among the nominees for various awards in the prestigious annual Awards for players' performances during 2006.
The Awards created over a decade ago to recognise great progress and inspire others to pursue their own dreams and goals.
Among the nominees for the Asian Player of the Year award is Jeev Milkha Singh, who was Asia No 1 in 2006, Korean Yang Yong-eun who did well in Japan and also beat Tiger Woods at HSBC Champions in Shanghai, and Prom Meesawat of Thailand who was third in Asia.
A new 'Asian Rising Star Award' has also been instituted and among the nominees is Rahil Gangjee. This award is for a player who has shown the most promise, talent and commitment to the game of golf over the last 12 months.
The other nominations are Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Thai Chinarat Phadungsil.
Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano and Alvaro Quiros and Scotland's Marc Warren have been named as the three contenders for the Johnnie Walker Young Player of the Year Award.
Past winners of the Johnnie Walker Asian Golfer of the Year include Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit in 1995, Kyi Hla Han, the Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour, in 1998 and Korea's KJ Choi (2002).
England's Paul Casey, who is competing in this year's Johnnie Walker Classic, is the reigning Young Golfer of Year, an Award that has previously been won by Luke Donald (2004), Adam Scott (2003), Justin Rose (2002) and Sergio Garcia
(2001).
Jeev won four titles around the world, including one in Asia, the Volvo China Open and was also No 1 in Money List in Asia. He broke the record for maximum money in a single season. He also won the Volvo Masters of Europe and two titles in Japan, Casio World Open and Nippon Series JT Cup.
The 28-year-old Gangee, who turned professional in 2000, has risen up the ranks of Asian golf, winning his first Asian Tour event in 2004 at the inaugural Volvo Masters, China, and finished the 2006 season in a creditable 19th position having earned $170,000.