The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Jeev short-listed for Special Award

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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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Jeev short-listed for Special Award

Hong Kong: Jeev Milkha Singh's outstanding season notched another well-earned accolade for him on Tuesday when he was unveiled as one of five candidates for the Asian Tour's inaugural UBS Special Achievement Award.

The announcement comes as Jeev rose to a career-high 47th in the latest World ranking announced on Monday following his successive victories at the Casio World Open and the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup on the Japan Golf Tour in the last two weeks.

The Indian star has also clinched the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit title with next week's season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia still to play. He had also posted victories in Asia and Europe during his stunning season. The new award, inaugurated as part of UBS's title-sponsorship of the Order of Merit, highlights an individual whose performance, either over the last 12 months or cumulatively, has contributed to the development of golf in Asia.

It may be an individual performance or a career-long contribution that has had a positive impact on the game and deserves special recognition.

Jeev is joined by some of Asia's biggest stars in the list of nominees. Heading the challengers is one of Asian golf's most respected figures Boonchu Ruangkit along with fellow Thais Thongchai Jaidee and Chinarat Phadungsil and Singapore's Mardan Mamat.

The five players on the shortlist were nominated by the Asian Tour, with the final selection to be made by a panel of six members of the regional golf media and the sport's administration.

Secret ballot

The vote will be conducted by secret ballot, with the winner revealed at the Asian Tour's UBS Awards gala dinner in Bangkok next Sunday. Boonchu is a sentimental favourite, with the contribution of the player who struck the first shot on both the Asian Tour and its predecessor, the Asian PGA circuit, undeniable. His recent victory at the Champions Tour Qualifying School reiterated the 50-year-old's playing talent and his ability to continue forging a new path for Asian Tour members.

In addition to Jeev and Boonchu, the remaining contenders have also made considerable cases for recognition.

Mardan's outstanding home victory at the OSIM Singapore Masters earlier this year, Thongchai's 2006 debut at the US Masters and opening of his junior academy and Chinarat's maturation into one of Asia's rising young stars headlining their cases.

Oliver Bertschinger, Head of Sponsorship (Asia Pacific), UBS, said, ``the growth of golf in Asia in recent years has seen and continues to see many significant contributions being made by many different people and the UBS Special Achievement Award is designed to draw attention to those that have been particularly valuable. ``Although not restricted to players, it is appropriate that five of the Tour's finest, including Jeev, Boonchu and Thongchai, are being acknowledged for their contributions to Asian golf in the award's first year,'' added Bertschinger. — PTI

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