December 20th 2009, New Delhi: The Professional Golf Tour of India Annual Awards 2009 presented by Rolex honoured the top performers of the 2009 Aircel-PGTI season. The glittering awards ceremony was held with a view to recognize the achievements and efforts of PGTI members through the last one year.

Anirban Lahiri (right) receiving Player of the Year award

Anirban Lahiri received the award for the Rolex Player of the Year 2009, a Rolex custom engraved timepiece, from Mr. Yogesh Shah, Managing Director, Rolex India. Lahiri topped the Aircel-Professional Golf Tour of India’s Order of Merit for 2009 with total earnings of Rs. 36,57,853 in the 2009 season. The Bangalore-based professional won two titles and had seven other top-10s out of 11 starts in the current season.

The Rolex First Time Winners Awards were presented to Indian professionals Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri, Himmat Singh Rai, Amandeep Johl, Gurki Shergill, Vishal Singh, Gaurav Pratap Singh and Australia’s Kunal Bhasin. These eight professionals registered their maiden victories on the Aircel-PGTI during the 2009 season.

Anthony Choat from Adelaide, Australia received the Aircel Emerging Player of the Year Award. Anthony Choat won this award on the basis of accumulating the highest earnings (Rs. 5,75,553) among all those professionals who made their debut as full card holders on the Aircel-PGTI in the 2009 season. Choat took home a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh for his outstanding rookie season which included two top-10 finishes and four other top-20 results.

Jeev Milkha Singh - Rolex brand ambassador and flag bearer of Indian professional golf - was decorated with Honorary Life Membership to PGTI by Mr. Gautam Thapar, President, PGTI. Jeev, the 2006 and 2008 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, has emerged as a true ambassador of Indian professional golf with his stellar performances on the various international tours in recent years.