Liang, Chapchai and Lee Sung among Johnnie Walker Award nominees

China’s Liang Wen-chong, Irishman Rory McIlroy and Korea’s Lee Sung are amongst the nominations announced today by Johnnie Walker for its prestigious Johnnie Walker “Keep Walking” Golf Awards which, with the cooperation of the Asian, European and Australasian Tours, recognize the performances of golfers during the previous season.

Top performers Liang, Thai Chapchai Nirat and KJ Choi of Korea have been nominated for the Johnnie Walker Asian Player of the Year whilst McIlroy, German Martin Kaymer, America’s Tadd Fujikawa and Argentinian Andres Romero have been named as the three contenders for the Johnnie Walker Young Player of the Year Award.

The three contenders for the Johnnie Walker Asian Rising Star Award, presented to the young Asian professional who has shown the most promise, talent and commitment to the game of golf over the past 12 months, are Lee, Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Malaysia’s Airil Rizman.

The annual Awards, a highlight on the golfing calendar, were created over a decade ago by Johnnie Walker to recognize great progress achieved on the golf course and to inspire others to pursue their dreams and goals, in the spirit of Johnnie Walker’s “Keep Walking” message.

“We are delighted to announce the contenders in the running to win our 2007 Johnnie Walker “Keep Walking” Awards, 10 golfers who have all demonstrated tremendous talent and determination, and have inspired us all,” commented Cristina Diezhandino, Acting Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker, when the nominations were revealed.

The winners of the three Awards, as voted by a panel of judges from the European, Asian and Australasian Tours, will be announced on Saturday, March 1, at the 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic.

The US$2.5 million Johnnie Walker Classic, which takes place at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon, just outside New Delhi, from February 28 to March 2, boasts a star-studded field of international players, such as Vijay Singh, Australia’s Adam Scott, Englishman Ian Poulter, Scot Colin Montgomerie and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, and a host of Asia’s best golfers.

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal, Gaurav Ghei and recent Emaar-MGF Indian Masters winner SSP Chowrasia will spearhead the Asian challenge locally alongside Thais Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant, Korea’s Lee Sung, China’s Liang and Zhang Lian-wei and Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wen-teh.

Past winners of the Johnnie Walker Asian Golfer of the Year include Thailand’s Boonchu Ruangkit in 1995, Kyi Hla Han, the current Chairman of the Asian Tour, in 1998, Korea’s KJ Choi (2002) and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh in 2006

Spaniard Alvaro Quiros 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) whilst last year Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand was the inaugural winner of the Johnnie Walker Asian Rising Star Award.

February 18, 2008

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