Home > Sports > News > PTI > Report
Jeev joins Atwal, Randhawa in Asian team
January 16, 2003 15:53 IST
Three of India's top golfers -- Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh -- will be part of the Asian team that will face Japan at this year's inaugural Dynasty Cup golf championship.
While Atwal and Randhawa gained automatic entry into the 12-member Asian team by virtue of their third and eighth place finish on the rankings last year, Jeev was named on Thursday as one of the four choices of team captain Hsieh Min-nan of Taiwan.
The other three players who formed part of the captain's picks were Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, Taiwan's Lin Keng-chi and rising Chinese star Liang Wen-chong.
Hsieh will lead the team into action at the Ryder Cup-style match at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China from March 14-16.
The majority of the team was confirmed at the Asian PGA Tour's season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia last December, where the top-eight players on the rankings gained automatic entry.
"The 12 players are undoubtedly Asia's finest, with a combined 44 Asian PGA tournament victories plus five Merit list titles," said veteran Hsieh, a winner of multiple titles in Asia and Japan during a glorious career in the 1960s and 1970s.
Thongchai won the 2001 money list after a spectacular year with one victory and 10 top-10s while Randhawa stormed to the top last year with 10 top-15 finishes.
"The top-eight players from the final rankings list are all playing well and played superbly to earn their places in the team. With regard to my picks, their records are also outstanding," said Hsieh.
"Jeev, Prayad and Lin have all won four times on the Asian PGA Tour while Lin has also won the Merit list title once and tasted victory twice in Japan. In Liang, who is only 24, we have a star of the future who I am sure will perform brilliantly on home soil, especially as he will be playing in the same side as his great mentor Zhang," said Hsieh.
"There were many potential candidates for selection as captain's picks. In particular, we worked hard to try and secure the playing services of Korean Choi Kyung-ju, but the great success he has achieved in the United States meant that his schedule was simply too busy this year," said Hsieh.
The Dynasty Cup promises to showcase the best of Asian golf to the world.
There will be six foursomes matches on the first day, six fourball matches on the second day and 12 singles matches on the final day
The Japan Golf Tour Organisation will announce their team soon. Japan's non-playing captain Isao Aoki is entitled to two captain's picks.
© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
|