December 3: Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat took the lion’s share of the trophies at the ASEAN PGA Tour Awards evening at the season ending Ancora Classic presented by PGN.
The talented golfer received the Order of Merit title and the Player of the Year Award and Most Inspiring Performance Award.
Wisut had wrapped up the Merit title after claiming the Sabah Masters, which was the penultimate event on Tour. That victory had followed on from his success in the Palembang Musi Championship.
Those victories saw him become the first player to win four times on the ASEAN PGA Tour and also the first to win back-to-back titles.
At the Ancora Classic he finished equal 12th to finish the year number one with winnings of US$24,001. Malaysian Nicholas Fung took second place with earnings of US$19,298.
The players vote for the Player of the Year and Most Inspiring Performance awards and looked no further than Wisut.
He received the Most Inspiring Performance Award for his back-to-back victories in Sabah and Palembang
“It has been a great season so far and I am so happy to win the Order of Merit but I am not going to relax and sit back. I want to keep my good form going and finish the year strong. If I do this I know I have a chance to keep it going in the new year on OneAsia,” said Wisut.
Wisut also claimed the Player of the Year award in 2008 when he tasted victory on two occasions.
“I played in the Emirates Australian Open after Sabah. I missed the cut despite a good first round. It was disappointing but I want to play in more big events like that and by playing on the ASEAN PGA Tour I get those opportunities,” added Wisut.
His compatriot Tanatchan Puaktes was voted the Rising Star of the Year after a strong season when he regularly featured on the leaderboards.
Great things are expected of Tanatchan in 2012 as bids to follow in the footsteps of Wisut and other Thai golfers like Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Namchok Tantipokhakul who all started out on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
Fung and Filipino Jay Bayron also took to the stage to receive awards.
Fung won the Best Stroke Average Award with an impressive score of 69.5 while Bayron received the Birdie Leader Award with 113 birdies.
Emeralda Golf and Country Club, which was the venue for the Ancora Classic presented by PGN, took the Host Venue of the Year Award.
The popular venue has been a regular stop on Tour, including the Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia in 2008 and 2010, with its 27 hole layout and luxurious clubhouse rated highly by all the players.
Asean PGA Tour backup site 