Pasuruan, East Java, July 3 - Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka will rely on his consistent short game to guide him to victory at the inaugural Taman Dayu Championship, starting Wednesday.
Perera averages 274 yards off the tees but what he lacks in distance, he will make up with an acute short game at the US$75,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event staged at the panoramic Taman Dayu Golf Club and Resort.
Perera, whose best finish was tied second on the Asian Tour earlier this year, will be among a strong cast of players gathered at the Taman Dayu Championship, which is the fifth of a record 12 ADT events this year.
An in-form Mardan Mamat of Singapore will headline the event alongside rising star Lam Zhiqun, current ADT Order of Merit leader Ryan Bulloch of Australia, who won last week, and Malaysian Kenneth De Silva.
Rory Hie, Andik Mauluddin, Indra Hermawan and Benny Kasiadi will lead the local charge this week.
“I kind of started my career playing on the ADT and in India. It has been a good experience for me and I believe I can win this week because I have a good and accurate short game” said Perera.
“I don’t like long golf courses but I somehow play well on it! I want to get more experience of playing on different courses. I’m not a long hitter so it is important for me to plan my game on various golf courses.”
He credited his short game prowess to regular practise in Sri Lanka and believes he has become a better player by playing on the ADT and on the Asian Tour.
“This is a good experience of playing with the top players. I’m a relatively new player in the professional ranks so you really need to be playing on the ADT with some of these top guys.”
Newcomer Lam, eyeing for a first career victory, was amazed by the layout of the Jack Nicklaus designed course, where the Mount Bromo volcano acts as a scenic backdrop on some holes.
“This course has a fantastic layout and the weather is perfect. It is nice to be playing on the ADT and try to boost your confidence. We have a strong field this week,” said Lam.
“This is a perfect platform for the younger guys to sharpen their game. There are so many ADT events this year and it is a good stepping stone for them to get on the Asian Tour,” added the Singaporean.
Rizal Amin of Malaysia, currently eighth on the ADT Order of Merit, knows it will be an important week for him to move up the rankings as the top three players on the money list at the end of the season will earn 2013 Asian Tour cards.
“There’s a lot to play for this week. This is a big week for me to move up the ladder a little bit and I’m looking forward to it. It is a great golf course but it is a bit hilly and tough. You got to have full concentration on your tee shots,” said the burly golfer, who played mostly in the United States as an amateur.
Ajeetesh Sandhu of India, a former David Leadbetter Golf Academy student, hopes to translate his recent form on the local circuit into a victory this week.
“I’ve been finishing in the top-10 in India which is good. I’m playing well so I’m looking forward to the week. It is going to be exciting,” said Ajeetesh.
“Winning is always the best thing because it solves a lot of issues straight away. Hopefully it will come this weekend. The field is pretty good. I’m seeing a lot of regular Asian Tour guys playing here so it is going to be a good week with the competition,” said the 23-year-old.
The Taman Dayu Golf Club and Resort is located in the resort area of Prigen, East Java, which is within a one-hour drive from Surabaya.
The course is part of an integrated resort that covers 600 hectares of prime land including exclusive residential homes and villas, spa, waterpark and clubhouse facilities, which include 38 hotel rooms and luxurious villa accommodation along the golf course.
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