David Park, who equalled Greg Norman’’s 22-year-old record of winning in only his second European Tour event when he captured the Compaq European Grand Prix, has won the Asprey & Garrard Golfer of the Month Award for June.
Park, aged 25, earns 1,400 euro (£1,000) as a charity donation from Asprey & Garrard for The Golf Foundation, and he becomes the sixth winner of a 1999 Award following Ernie Els (January), David Howell (February), Miguel Angel Jiménez (March), Jose Maria Olazábal (April) and Colin Montgomerie (May).
Park was unanimously voted the Asprey & Garrard Golfer of the Month for June by Members of the Association of Golf Writers at a meeting held at the Möet & Chandon Headquarters in London.
In successive events Park, leader of the European Challenge Tour Rankings, graduated to the European Tour in the most dramatic style. He tied for the Moroccan Open with a 12-under-par total, losing a play-off to Miguel Angel Martin at the sixth extra hole, then shot rounds of 67-65-70-72 for a 14-under par total of 224 to win the Compaq European Grand Prix at De Vere Slaley Hall.
Michael McDonnell, President of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “David not only brought a breath of fresh air to the Tour, but he also underlined the importance of the Challenge Tour in producing great new champions. I think that we are all agreed there has probably never been a more worthy winner of the Asprey & Garrard Golfer of the Month Award.”
Darren Clarke (Compass Group English Open), Jarmo Sandelin (German Open) and Miguel Angel Martin (Moroccan Open), all winners on the European Tour in June, provided competition to Park as did David Carter, who enjoyed three top ten finishes including being tied second in the Compaq European Grand Prix, and Retief Goosen, who was tied second in the Compaq European Grand Prix and second in the German Open. Clarke was also the leading European Tour Member in the 1999 US Open.
