Jeev nominated for prestigious golf award

Phuket, Feb 26 (UNI) Thanks to his fairytale season last year, Jeev Milkha Singh leads the race for the prestigious annual Johnnie Walker ''Keep Walking'' Golf Awards to be announced here on Saturday.

Apart from Jeev, Korean Yang Yong-eun and Prom Meesawat of Thailand have also been nominated in the Johnnie Walker Asian Player of the Year category, while Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano and Alvaro Quiros and Scotland's Marc Warren have been named as the three contenders in the Young Player of the Year section.

Besides Jeev, the only other Indian on contention is Kolkata pro Rahil Gangjee in the new Asian Rising Star Award category, which would honour the young Asian professional who has shown the most promise, talent and commitment to the game of golf over the last 12 months. Apart from Gangjee, nominations for this new Award are Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Thai Chinarat Phadungsil.

''We are thrilled to announce the finalists in the running to win our 2006 Johnnie Walker 'Keep Walking' Awards, nine golfers who have all demonstrated such talent and determination, and inspired us all.

I wish them good luck and I look forward to revealing the winners on Saturday during the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic,'' said Ben Anderson, Global Brand Director, Johnnie Walker.

The winners of the three coveted Awards will be announced at a gala evening on Saturday during the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic, which takes place at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand, from March 1 to 4.

Past winners of the Johnnie Walker Asian Golfer of the Year include Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit in 1995, Kyi Hla Han, the Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour, in 1998 and Korean KJ Choi in 2002.

England's Paul Casey, who is competing in this year's Johnnie Walker Classic, 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).

UNI