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Singh crowned Order of Merit winner

India's Jeev Milkha Singh capped a magical year by claiming the prestigious Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit title today.

A tied third finish at the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open cemented Singh's career first merit crown and he achieved the feat with one event, the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok next month, to spare.

“I’m very excited. It’s like a Christmas gift to me now. I’m ready for Christmas!” Said Singh.

“This year has been excellent. It’s like a dream year. With a tied third finish here and winning the UBS Order of Merit, it is just perfect for me,” he added.

Singh closed with a four-under-par 66 at the Hong Kong Golf Club and his 12-under-par total was three shots behind winner Jose Manuel Lara of Spain.

His rise to the Asian summit was a welcome return to prominence as Singh spent many years in the wilderness following a string of injuries and loss in confidence.

However, a victory at the co-sanctioned Volvo China Open in April saw Singh end a seven-year drought and the tenacious Indian rode on that momentum and secured another monumental triumph by beating Europe's best at the Volvo Masters in Spain where he became only the third Asian to win on European soil.

“I was glad that I proved something for myself with wins on the big stage. I won at Valderrama and that gave me a lot of trust and satisfaction. I personally feel that Asian players are good enough to win on any Tour in the world right now,” admitted Singh.

Sunday's finish in Hong Kong also ensured he broke the Asian Tour's record for earnings in a season where he has accumulated US$573,442, beating last year's mark of US$510,123 set by his predecessor Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand.

With US$104,000 on offer to the winner of the Volvo Masters of Asia, Singh cannot be caught as Thailand's Prom Meesawat lies a distant second on the UBS Order of Merit with his collection of US$365,471, some US$207,000 behind the new Asian number one.

The son of an Olympic runner, Singh has also accumulated an impressive 14 other top-10 finishes on the Asian, Japan and European Tours. He becomes the third Indian after Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal to become Asia's top-ranked player.

November 19, 2006