The BMW PGA Championship was a very proud week for me. That feeling did not have much to do with how I played, but because of what my fellow Asian players managed to achieve at Wentworth.

I thought An Byeong-hun was just sensational in winning the tournament. The Korean youngster really is a bundle of talent, having already served notice during his amateur days when he became the youngest player ever to win the US Amateur Championship. But with what he managed to do at Wentworth, and the assuredness with which he went about his business, it is clear we have a superstar in the making.

BMW PGA is the flagship event of the European Tour, and the field comprised some of the finest names in the game. But An never blinked, and even though he shot a 64 in the second round, I thought his 67 and 65 over the weekend, given the pressures of trying to win his first tournament in his rookie season, was just out of this world.

So, An finished on top and my good friend Thongchai Jaidee was runner-up alongside the incredible Miguel Angel Jimenez. A one-two for Asian players in an event like the BMW PGA Championship is a brilliant advertisement for golf in our continent.

The move also takes Thongchai inside the top-10 of the Presidents Cup standings. With my fellow Indian Anirban Lahiri also in that list, and if these two can hold on to their positions and make it to captain Nick Price’s Rest of the World team, this could be an awesome season for Asian golf.

For me personally it was a bit frustrating, as I made 16 birdies and two eagles during the four rounds, and still managed to finish only even-par because I also made 16 bogeys and two doubles. As we head to Belfast for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, I will take a lot of heart from the first stat, and learning from the second.

I am happy that I am able to make so many birdies, it shows that I am progressing on the right path. The pain in my shoulder was almost negligible despite the cold conditions at Wentworth, and that is very encouraging. But I have to work a lot more on my driver and short game to avoid the mistakes I am making on the golf course.

I am very excited about the Irish Open. It is one tournament on our schedule that gets sold out almost every year, and this year has been no different. The involvement of Rory McIlroy as the host has added a new buzz and the first discernible change is the fact that it has got a new title sponsor in Dubai Duty Free for the first time in the last four years.

Rory has invested a lot of personal time and effort into the tournament. His touch clearly shows in all aspects of its organisation, but most distinctly in the field that the tournament has managed to attract. It’s world-class with so many European Tour stalwarts, and American Rickie Fowler is a welcome addition.

While the world No. 1 is undoubtedly the biggest attraction for the fans, we professionals are similarly star-struck with Royal County Down, the host venue this year. If you haven’t already visited the golf course, let me urge you to do yourself a favour — do watch the telecast this week. This is one of the finest links courses in the world and, once you see it, you’ll surely add it to your bucket list.

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