Liang scores a UBS Awards hat-tric

During a week which he became the first player from China to claim the prestigious Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit crown, the 29-year-old was also voted the Players’ Player of the Year for his sterling season which included one victory and eight other top-10s.

Liang also picked up the Lowest Stroke Average Award with 70.41, pipping Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee to the accolade as the most consistent player on the Asian Tour this season.

Bagging the top three awards completed a remarkable journey for the Zhongshan-based Liang, who burst onto the professional scene in 1999 before gradually completing his rise to the top of the Asian summit.

"This week puts a wonderful period to a wonderful season for me. I am honoured to become the UBS Order of Merit winner. This is one day that I will always remember," said Liang, who replaces India’s Jeev Milkha Singh as Asia’s number one.

Liang, whose Merit success earned him a place in next year’s British Open, claimed a maiden triumph in the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters in March before reeling in many other top finishes to pip Chapchai Nirat of Thailand in a thrilling fight for the Merit crown. Liang ended the season with a haul of US$532,590, beating his Thai rival by US$90,265.

Reflecting on his success, Liang thanked his home club Chungshan Hot Spring Golf Club, who put a golf club in his hand when he was 16, compatriot and mentor Zhang Lian-wei, who presented the Player of the Year award to him, and the Asian Tour.

"I like to share this moment with my family and everybody who are here. These past few years have seen the Asian Tour continuing to grow and expand where tournaments are becoming better and better," said Liang.

"The Asian Tour has not only provided Asian players with a platform to perform but also a venue for international players to play. This has helped us improve and also given us the opportunity to grow and become more experienced.

"I have always believed that to succeed in golf, we have to be hard working and to give it 100 per cent. This has helped me a lot. The Asian Tour has helped me to grow as a player and I’m sure the Tour will continue to grow and become stronger every day."

"I also want to thank Zhang Lian-wei who is also here, who has been my mentor and a good friend."

Filipino veteran Frankie Minoza picked up the other main award of the night when he was voted the winner for the UBS Special Achievement Award for an outstanding season in which he won once on the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

"I’m truly honoured. I hope I can win this again next year," said Minoza.

The Rookie of the Year award went to Australian Scott Hend, who finished fourth on the UBS Order of Merit following five top-10s which included two runner-up finishes at the Pakistan Open and Volvo China Open.

The former US PGA Tour regular, who delighted spectators with his power game, competed in Asia for the first time after recovering from a hand injury which curtailed his career in the United States.

Asia’s players picked Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course as the Host Venue of the Year for the second successive season. The highly touted Serapong course was revamped for the US$4 million Barclays Singapore Open, Asia’s richest national Open, in November.

Chapchai earned bragging rights as the Birdie Leader for the 2007 season when he amassed a total of 306 ‘birds’, five more than compatriot Thaworn Wiratchant, while Scotsman Simon Yates won the Greens in Regulation category with a 72 per cent hit rate.

Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, winner of the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia on Sunday, was the king of putting when he topped the Lowest Putting Average category with 1.737 putts per green in regulation.

Asian Tour UBS Award Winners

UBS Order of Merit: Liang Wen-chong (Chn)

Players’ Player of the Year: Liang Wen-chong (Chn)

Rookie of the Year: Scott Hend (Aus)

UBS Special Achievement Award: Frankie Minoza (Phi)

Host Venue of the Year: Sentosa Golf Club (Barclays Singapore Open)

Lowest Stroke Average: Liang Wen-chong (Chn) – 70.41

Birdie Leader: Chapchai Nirat (Tha) – 306 birdies

Greens in Regulation: Simon Yates (Sco) – 72%

Lowest Putting Average: Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 1.737

December 10, 2007