The Asian Tour's Best Moments of 2006

Based on the opinions of some of Asia's best golf writers, below is a compilation of what they thought were the finest moments of the year.

Joy Chakravathy, Senior Golf Writer, Emirates Today

Coming from India, my views may be a bit parochial, but Jeev Milkha Singh's triumphant year provided several moments that will stay etched in the memory forever.

Jeev's second shot to the 18th green on the final day of the UBS Hong Kong Open, which almost went in for an eagle two, was magical, but so was his calculated bogey on the final hole which won him the Volvo China Open.

And if I cast an objective eye, there was Yang Yong-eun's sensational win in the HSBC Champions by two shots over World No1 Tiger Woods in Shanghai, and the ever-smiling face of rookie Juvic Pagunsan, soaking in the pressure of playing in the leadergroup at the UBS Hong Kong Open as if he has been in such a position everyday of his life.

Or, the lingering tragedy of the young S.S.P Chowrasia being disqualified when leading by five strokes at the halfway stage of the Taiwan Open for not signing his card.

But my favourite moment on the Asian Tour in 2006 was Jeev calling a two-shot penalty on himself after his club accidentally touched the water hazard in which his ball was.

That happened on the ninth hole of the final round of the BMW Asian Open at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Club.

No one saw it happen, and if Jeev had carried on without the penalty, he would have finished tied 13th instead of tied 26th.

The significance of the difference that $8,000 caused was felt at the end of the European Tour season, when he finished 16th in the Money List, missing the 15th place - and direct entry into Majors and big events by virtue of being top-15 of the European Tour - by less than 7,000 euros.

But by admitting, Jeev kept up the spirit that makes golf the greatest and most special of all sports. May be, God was looking. Finishing inside the top-50 of the year-ending World Rankings could have been both a reward for his hard work, as well as honesty.

John Crean, Freelance golf writer

Mardan Mamat’s emotionally charged home victory in the OSIM Singapore Masters triggered tears and cheers from the patriotic crowd and was the most memorable television moment on the Asian Tour in 2006.

Mardan wept openly in the embrace of his wife and other family members on the final green at Laguna National Golf & Country Club after his one-shot triumph in the tournament, jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

An overjoyed Mardan then led the crowd in a stirring rendition of the Singapore national anthem ‘Majulah Singapura’ at the prize giving to underline the pride he felt at becoming the first local player to win an event on the European Tour.

It was the crowning moment for a player who came up through the caddy ranks to establish himself as one of Asia’s most consistent performers.

Spencer Robinson, Managing Editor, Asian Golf Monthly

It’s rare these days to witness the type of raw emotion on the golf course that makes the hairs on the back of your head stand up and bristle. And more’s the pity.

In these days of ultra professionalism, the joy of winning has been diluted. Rather than displaying unbridled and spontaneous delight, most tournament winners, upon holing the final putt, simply doff their caps and offer a cursory wave to the galleries.

At Laguna National Golf & Country Club, normal protocol went out of the window as a nation shared in the success of local hero Mardan Mamat. Cheered on by the partisan galleries, Singapore’s number one literally staggered across the winning line in the co-sanctioned OSIM Singapore Masters.

The tension – and expectation – was almost too much to bear. Mardan’s nerves were clearly shredded as he courageously got up-and-down from thick rough behind the 18th green to finish one shot clear of defending champion Nick Dougherty.

Overcome by the magnitude of his achievement, Mardan laid bare his soul. Genuine tears streamed down his face as he raised his arms to the sky in a silent prayer of thanks. The flood of emotion heightened as his wife and children emerged onto the green to join Mardan in a moving family union that captured the heart of a nation.

It was the defining moment in the career of a true home-grown hero and a refreshing departure from the frequently bland ‘celebration scenes’ we have become accustomed to.

V. Krishnaswamy, Freelance Golf Writer

There were several highlights which stood out throughout the course of the year:-

The hug Jeev Milkha Singh gave his friend and caddie, Ippei Fujimuro, after tapping in the final putt at the 18 th at the Volvo China Open in April. It ended a seven-year- winless drought and set the wheels in motion for the Jeev-Ippei combo to win to put together the finest season for any Asian in recent memory with four wins and a rise to 37 th in world rankings by the time the year ended.

Gaurav Ghei ending an 11-year wait for his second title by making a comeback from four shots behind to shoot a flawless 66 and win the title by one over his fellow Indian Rahil Gangjee at the Mercuries Masters.

The epic three-way struggle for the title at the Hero Honda Indian Open featuring three Indians, Jyoti Randhawa, SSP Chowrasia and Vijay Kumar, who finished at 18-under in regulation 72 holes. Randhawa beat Chowrasia on the second play-off hole after the tie-break carried onto Monday morning. Vijay Kumar was the third player in the tie-breaker.

South African Hendrik Buhrman saving par on the par-five seventh despite losing the first ball hitting it out of bounds. He then slotted an eagle on par-five 12 th on way to winning his first title on the Asian Tour in 11 years at the Aamby Valley Asian Masters at the Aamby Valley Golf Club, India

The spirit of sportsmanship lived on:-

SSP Chowrasia, realising he had not signed his scorecard, going back to the club from the hotel and asking for his card. He had indeed forgotten to sign when leading by five after two rounds and was disqualified from the Mercuries Masters, which curiously was won by another Indian, Gaurav Ghei.

Jeev Milkha Singh calling a penalty on himself for the touching the water on his backswing at the ninth hole on the final day of the BMW Asian Open in the week after winning the Volvo China Open. Including that penalty of two shots, Jeev ended at tied 26 th, but for which he would have been tied 13th. "No one noticed, but I knew I had touched the water on my backswing and I cannot keep quiet about that, so I took a seven on that," said Jeev.

Roger Crutchley, Sports Editor, Bangkok Post

My best moments of 2006 came not on the Asian Tour itself, but involved two Asian Tour players in the unfamiliar territorry of the great Valderrama course in Spain, scene of the Volvo Masters at the end of October.

Late in the afternoon on the final day, as India's Jeev Milkha Singh strode down the celebrated 17th fairway en route to a memorable victory, he received a tremendous ovation from the gathered throng of largely Spanish spectators.

This was a considerable tribute as they had only a few minutes before been understandably cheering their own Sergio Garcia who came so close to victory in the prestigious event.

Yet the Spanish gallery was honest enough to accept that Jeev deserved the honours on the day with his outstanding play and gave him the acclaim he so richly deserved. It was the sort of feel-good occasion which sent a shiver down your spine and made you proud to be a supporter of the Asian Tour.

At the same event there was a somewhat more poignant moment when Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee finished his round on the second day. Thongchai was not up with the leaders after a disappointing first round and probably feeling just a bit down and lonely. But when he emerged from the scorer's tent at the 18th he was ambushed by a crowd of enthusiastic Spanish youngsters, all desperate for his autograph. He was greeted with shouts of ''Mr Jaidee! Mr Jaidee!''.. And of course Thongchai obliged, with his trademark infectious grin.

In a way both of these ''golden moments'' reflected the growing influence of the Asian Tour. Just like Jeev, Thongchai may have been thousands of miles from home, with few Thai friends around, but he had clearly made an impression with the kids who were aware he was a player who had earned international respect.

Damien McDowell, Media Manager, Brand Rapport

In a season where Jeev Milkha Singh won the UBS Order of Merit and four international titles, KJ Choi again won in the United States and Thongchai Jaidee played his first US Masters, all amongst plenty of other fine achievements by Asian Tour members, it is hard to choose just one moment as the ‘best’.

However, the one that stood out for me this year was Jeev securing the UBS Order of Merit title in Hong Kong. Going into the tournament, which offers US$2 million in prize money, it was mathematically possibly for any player in the top 60 to win the Merit title if they were able to win both the UBS Hong Kong Open and the Volvo Masters of Asia, the last two events of the year.

As if to show Asia first-hand just how well he had played this season, though, Jeev flirted with victory before finishing in third place. Because the final prizemoney calculations for the tournament and the updated UBS Order of Merit had to be calculated after the final group finished, there was plenty of speculation about whether Jeev had secured the title or whether he could still be caught with one event to play.

I was the first person to find out officially that he was far enough in front of Prom Meesawat in second place that he could not be caught in the last event of the year. I raced over to the UBS corporate hospitality area where Jeev was waiting and had the privilege of telling him that he was the winner of the 2006 UBS Order of Merit. It was a great moment and a fitting highlight, among a list of many, for one of the best individual seasons in Asian Tour history.

Chuah Choo Chiang, Media Director, Asian Tour

Throughout the course of the 2006 season, the opportunity to witness the joy of winning, the despair of losing and the emotions that poured out during countless of interviews with winners was truly a privilege.

Being at the forefront amongst Asia's leading stars, there were of course many moments which will long be remembered.

Mardan Mamat's victory at the OSIM Singapore Masters was a tear-jerker. Not only did the victor shed tears of joy, those around him, spectators, friends and peers, were seen wiping a tear away in celebrating one of Singapore's greatest sporting moments. It was truly memorable.

Hendrik Buhrmann's maiden triumph after 11 long years on the Asian Tour at the Aamby Valley Asian Masters in India was also poignant. When the friendly South African sealed victory, he came up with one of the best quotes of the year, saying: "I said earlier in the year to some people that you know what, my dream is to win on the Asian Tour before I die. They really laughed at me but I really meant it. A few months later, I've got my dream come true. I'm really happy." These were the kind of comments that made our job interesting.

Chinarat Phadungsil wore his heart on his sleeve during the Crowne Plaza Open in China. Weeks after his coach Bud Kareeput had passed away, the Thai teen phenom played some of the best golf of his life to win a second Asian Tour event. He was two shots back with three hole remaining, but birdied the 16th and 18th with true grit.

At the prize presentation, Chinarat choked in his victory speech. "I'm giving this win to my teacher (Bud)," said Chinarat. Later at the press conference, he added: "I feel very happy. On every shot, I was thinking of him (Bud). I asked for his help on the last hole (in regulation) and he helped me. I knew I had to birdie that hole and after doing that, I was confident for the play-off.

But of course, the year certainly belonged to Jeev Milkha Singh. The newly crowned UBS Order of Merit champion was in the news throughout the season with a career-high season, winning four times across the globe.

It was at the UBS Awards Gala which provided my Best Moment of 2006. After conducting numerous interviews throughout the year which he has delivered with great composure, the Indian let his emotions come through with a heartfelt speech.

"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. It means a lot as this is the place where I started my career.

"The Asian Tour has been a family to me because this is where I started from. Everyone on Tour is so friendly and I'll never forget that."

To remember and honour the place where he started his golfing career, Singh showed that he was truly a gentleman of the highest order.

December 29, 2006

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