The week began on a fantastic note for me when I was informed that I am one of the five players nominated for the Asian Tour’s ‘Player of the Decade’ award.

It fills me with an immense sense of pride to be named alongside such stalwarts from the Tour as Korea’s K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang and the Thai duo of Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant.

I started playing in Asia before there even was an organised tour and then was a part of the Asian PGA Tour, which later evolved into the Asian Tour of today after the players took control of the day-to-day running way back in 2003.

Through all these years, I have no hesitation in saying that I have the most fun when I am playing on the Asian Tour. There is a unique sense of camaraderie among the players and officials, which you tend to miss on the PGA Tour and European Tour — I guess it has something to do with better competition and higher stakes on these Tours. Unlike the Asian Tour, you’d rarely see players going out for group dinners or talking to each other much unless you are extremely close friends.

Of course, I may also be biased in my opinion, because I have had such a long connection with the Tour and I have had such success there. Winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit twice will always remain one of my proudest achievements as a professional golfer.

It is hard to believe that it is already more than 10 years since the Asian Tour was established, and let me take this opportunity to thank the Asian Tour and all its very friendly officials, the fans, my fellow players, sponsors and the media for all these years of happiness.

The winner’s name will be revealed during the Asian Tour Awards Night in Jakarta on April 22. However, If I had to vote, I would give mine to Y.E. Yang. I know it is a tough decision when you have players like K.J., Thongchai and Thaworn, who have all been great players and great ambassadors for the Asian Tour, but Yang, having won a Major championship, is still a league apart.

A professional golfer’s career is always judged by how well he played in the Majors, or how many he has won. Of us five nominated players, only Yang can boast of achieving that. And he also gave us all a massive confidence boost when he held his own and beat Tiger Woods in the 2006 HSBC Champions.

Moving on, Asia will take on Europe in this week’s new team tournament — the EurAsia Cup. There has been a bit of controversy leading up to the event, but I hope it is a huge success. The Ryder Cup has shown what team events can do to generate interest and passion.

I am a member of the European Tour and I always back them against the USA in the Ryder Cup, but do excuse me this week — I am whole-heartedly supporting Asia. Go boys!

— Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time winner on the European Tour