Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Indonesia Golf Tourism In The News

This week two interesting articles on Indonesia Golf Tourism were published, related to the joint efforts of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry and the golf (travel) industry in the run up to the Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be held later this year in Jakarta.

The Jakarta Post: Indonesia wants to become major golf destination in Asia

The Diplomat: Can Indonesian Golf Sink a Hole in One?

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Roaring Rory Hie Finishes Second At PGM Terengganu Masters

Terengganu, Malaysia, August 24 - Malaysia’s Iain Steel secured a sensational back-to-back victory when he stormed to an eight-under-par 63 to win the PGM Terengganu Masters on Saturday.

Steel, who won his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title at the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship a fortnight ago, played his way into the record books by becoming the first player on the ADT to win two straight events.

The Malaysian compiled 13-under-par 271 for a one-shot victory over countryman Airil Rizman, who was leading before he incurred a two-stroke penalty on the 17th hole where he hit a loose impediment during his back swing.

Airil, the 2007 Pakistan Open winner on the Asian Tour, settled for a 68 and a share of second with Indonesia’s Rory Hie (65) and Malcolm Kokocinski (67) of Sweden at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) ADT event.

Filipino Mhark Fernando, Australian Scott Barr and Malaysian Shaaban Hussin totalled matching 275s to settle for tied fifth after posting rounds of 65, 66, 70 respectively at the Resorts World Kijal.

Australia’s Darren Tan, who was the co-leader in the first two rounds, Filipino Rufino Bayron and overnight leader Grant Jackson of England, finished a further shot back in tied eighth place.

George Gandranata (70) from Indonesia saw Rory overtake him on the ADT Order of Merit after finishing 9 shots from the lead in a 7-way tie for 19th.

Steel turned in five-under 31 before trading four birdies against one bogey to overturn a four-shot deficit and claim his second victory which was worth US$10,654. His win shot him up to the top of the Order of Merit and he also earned six Official World Golf Ranking points.

The Malaysian, who has been struggling with a back injury in the last three seasons, has rediscovered some of his best form after playing and winning on the ADT.

“I had a fantastic round today. This week was great fun although it felt very different from the week in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago. I’ve been trying to finish as low as I could and I’m glad I managed to find my momentum as I get more and more comfortable with the golf course,” said a humbled Steel.

“To me, age is just a number but it does feel good to beat the younger players out here. I’m taking a four to five hours drive back to Kuala Lumpur later and rewarding myself with a good dinner!” added the 42-year-old.

Meanwhile, Kokocinski is happy with a tied second place result which came as a timely confidence boost.

“I had a good week and I’m happy with how I played although there were a couple of ups and down. Finishing in tied second this week has definitely boosted my confidence,” said the 22-year-old Swede.

“I’m heading back home to Sweden for a break before coming back to compete again. Hopefully I can produce more great results before the season ends,” added Kokocinski.

The top three players to finish on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of this season will receive Asian Tour cards for 2014.

Leading final round scores:

271 – Iain STEEL (MAS) 70-68-70-63

272 – Rory HIE (INA) 69-67-71-65, Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 71-67-67-67, Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS) 65-67-72-68

275 – Mhark Fernando (PHI) 72-67-71-65, Scott Barr (AUS) 68-72-69-66, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 69-68-68-70

276 – Darren TAN (AUS) 65-67-76-68, Rufino BAYRON (PHI) 70-67-71-68, Grant JACKSON (ENG) 69-67-68-72

277 – Kenneth DE SILVA (MAS) 71-69-71-66, Carl SANTOS-OCAMPO (PHI) 70-69-71-67, Nabil ABDUL (AUS) 67-69-70-71

278 – Haziq HAMIZAN (MAS) 70-71-70-67, Nicholas PUA (MAS) 70-69-70-69, R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 69-73-66-70

Selected:

280 - George Gandranata (INA) 67-71-72-70

Friday, August 23, 2013

Rory Hie Still In Contention For Podium At PGM Terengganu Masters

Terengganu, Malaysia, August 23 - Airil Rizman of Malaysia stayed in the title hunt at the PGM Terengganu Masters when he posted a third round one-over-par 72 to share the lead with Grant Jackson of England on Friday.

Jackson battled to a 68 to tie with Airil, who has held a share of the lead since the opening day, on nine-under-par 204 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Malaysia’s Shaaban Hussin, Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski and Man O IM of the United States recorded rounds of 68, 67 and 68 respectively to share third place at the Awana Kijal Golf & Beach Resort.

Australia’s Nabil Abdul was a further shot back while Indonesia’s Rory Hie and Japanese duo Takuya Yamauchi and Mitsuhiko Hashizume tied in seventh position on 207.

Darren Tan of Australia, the co-leader for two rounds, slipped back to tied 10th place after shooting a 76.

George Gandranata slipped further back after a round of 72 and is now in a share for 18th place, 6 shots from the lead.

Airil is determined to rediscover the magic in his opening two rounds as he aims to win his first ADT title.

“I played badly. I struggled with the distances. Hopefully I can regain my good form tomorrow,” said the Malaysian, who has won once on the Asian Tour in 2007.

Jackson, who is currently fifth on the ADT Order of Merit, is hoping to secure his second victory this season.

“I hit pretty nicely today. I drive well for a solid round. Scoring was tough today as it was quite windy. It got a little tricky too,” said the 31-year-old Englishman.

“I am looking forward to the final round tomorrow as I’m in a good position right now,” added Jackson, who marked his card with four birdies against one bogey.

Shaaban of Malaysia posted two birdies in each half but wobbled on the last hole when he dropped his only bogey of the day at the event which is sanctioned by the ADT and Professional Golf of Malaysia.

“I had a good round apart from the bogey. In fact, I’ve been playing consistently for the past two rounds as well. Hopefully I can play well on the last day,’ said Shaaban.

The top three players to finish on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of this season will receive Asian Tour cards for 2014.

Leading third round scores:

204 – Grant JACKSON (ENG) 69 67 68, Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS) 65 67 72

205 – Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 71 67 67, Man O IM (USA) 69 68 68, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 69 68 68

206 – Nabil ABDUL (AUS) 67 69 70

207 – Takuya YAMAUCHI (JPN) 69 70 68, Rory HIE (INA) 69 67 71, Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 69 66 72

208 – R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 69 73 66, Adam MUDA (A) (MAS) 67 72 69, Iain STEEL (MAS) 70 68 70, Rufino BAYRON (PHI) 70 67 71, Darren TAN (AUS) 65 67 76

209 – Scott BARR (AUS) 68 72 69, Michael TRAN (VIE) 73 69 67, Nicholas PUA (MAS) 70 69 70

210 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 67 71 72, Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 69 72 69, Sukree OTHMAN (MAS) 72 68 70, Mhark FERNANDO (PHI) 72 67 71, Carl SANTOS-OCAMPO (PHI) 70 69 71

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Rory Hie Rises, George Gandranata Drops At PGM Terengganu Masters

Terengganu, Malaysia, August 22 - Malaysia’s Airil Rizman and Australia’s Darren Tan hogged the limelight for the second consecutive round of the PGM Terengganu Masters when they returned with matching four-under-par 67s on Thursday.

The overnight leaders totaled 10-under-par 132 to hold a three-shot lead over Japan’s Mitsuhiko Hashizume, who returned with the day’s lowest score of 66, at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Australia’s Nabil Abdul, England’s Grant Jackson and Rory Hie of Indonesia took a share of fourth place after signing for 69, 67 and 67 respectively at the Awana Kijal Golf & Beach Resort.

Indonesia's George Gandranata (71) and Malaysia's Iain Steel (68) tied for 11th place while ADT Order of Merit leader, James Bowen of the United States, added a 70 to his opening round 72 to make the cut at the PGM Terengganu Masters.

Airil is confident he can win again and is determined to fight his way back into the Asian Tour where he won the Pakistan Open in 2007.

“The win in Pakistan kind of changed my life. It boosted my confidence a lot and I’ve been longing to win again since,” said Airil, who mixed his card with six-birdies against two bogeys.

“I’m happy with how I played and I will stick to the same game plan for the next two rounds. I will try to stay focused and score as low as possible,” added the 35-year-old Malaysian.

Meanwhile Tan, who started playing on the Asian Tour and ADT last year, is hoping for a breakthrough win to make his stay in Asia more memorable and meaningful.

“I’m getting used to playing in Asia especially since I’m based in Kuala Lumpur now. It’s been almost two years and I really enjoy playing here despite the ups and downs in my golf game,” said the 29-year-old.

“I played very steady today. I hope to keep it the same throughout the next two rounds. The ADT is a good stepping stone for me and I’m sure I will be opened to more opportunities if I can clinch a win,” added Tan, who is targeting a top-three finish on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season as that would allow him to earn his Asian Tour card for 2014.

Hashizume credited his solid round to his caddy but played down on his chances of winning.

“I guess I was lucky today and my caddy really helped me a lot. I’m not really confident of winning as my form hasn’t been consistent lately. I will try my best and we will see how things go,” said the Japanese, who clinched his maiden ADT title at the PGM LADA Langkawi Masters in April.

The halfway cut was set at two-over-par 144 with 53 players advancing into the final two rounds. Indonesian amateur William Sjaichudin, despite a commendable score of 70 in his second round, missed the cut with a total of 147 over the two rounds.

Leading second round scores:

132 – Darren TAN (AUS) 65-67, Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS) 65-67

135 – Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 69-66

136 – Rory HIE (INA) 69-67, Nabil ABDUL (AUS) 67-69, Grant JACKSON (ENG) 69-67

137 – S. Siva CHANDHRAN (MAS) 68-69, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 69-68, Rufino BAYRON (PHI) 70-67, Man O IM (USA) 69-68

138 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 67-71, Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 71-67, Iain STEEL (MAS) 70-68

Selected:

147 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 77-70

Palembang MUSI Championship 2013 Cancelled

The ASEAN PGA Tour issued the following statement:

We regret to inform you that the Palembang MUSI Championship event due to be held at the end of October has been cancelled.

We were informed that currently there is a re-election of the South Sumatra local Government due to take place soon and there is no governor in charge to take directions for this year’s event.

Any inconvenience caused is much regretted, however, this event will be on next year’s schedule. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions.

Strong Start For George Gandranata At PGM Terengganu Masters

Terengganu, Malaysia, August 21 - Local hope Airil Rizman and Australia’s Darren Tan posted matching six-under-par 65s to share the first round lead at the PGM Terengganu Masters on Wednesday.

The leading duo fired eight birdies against two bogeys to hold a two-shot lead at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Indonesia’s George Gandranata, Nabil Abdul of Australia and local amateur Adam Muda shared third place on 67s at the Awana Kijal Golf & Beach Resort. Scott Barr of Australia and Malaysian duo Rizal Amin and S. Siva Chandhran signed for identical 68s to tie for sixth.

Airil, who clinched his maiden Asian Tour title in 2007, was delighted to reproduce some of his old magic in the 11th ADT event of the season.

“The golf course is a lot better than last year. I think it has improved a lot. My iron play was great today and I made a few putts,” said Airil.

“I’m happy with how I played today. I will try my best to score as low as possible in the next few rounds,” added the 35-year-old Malaysian.

Tan, on the other hand, is hopeful for a breakthrough win on the ADT after a stretch of good finishes. He finished tied eight and tied fifth at the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship and ICTSI Mount Malarayat Classic respectively earlier this month.

“I played really solid today. I’m happy with my current form. I finished well in the last few tournaments and that kind of boosted my confidence a bit. I hope to maintain my good form and play better tomorrow,” said the Australian.

Highly-rated Gandranata has shown vast improvements in his game since making his ADT debut in 2012. The Indonesian opened his Terengganu campaign with a flawless round highlighted by two birdies in each half.

“I hit about 15 to 16 greens and made a number of putts. I guess the conditions out there made it easy to score today,” said the 27-year-old Gandranata, who is searching for a first ADT victory this week.

The Indonesian’s best result this season was a tied eighth finish at the PGM Northport Glenmarie Master in March.

Rory Hie, Indonesia's top ranked player is 2 shots further back in a share of 9th place.

Malaysia’s top-ranked golfer Nicholas Fung and compatriot Iain Steel posted matching 70s while ADT Order of Merit leader, James Bowen of the United States shot a 71 for a share of 19th position.

The top three players on the Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn Asian Tour cards for the following year.

All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points, which will be used to determine the field for the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne in November and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Winners on the ADT will receive a minimum of six world ranking points while the top six players and ties will earn points based on a sliding scale.

Leading first round scores:

65 – Darren TAN (AUS), Airil Rizman ZAHARI (MAS)

67 – George GANDRANATA (INA), Nabil ABDUL (AUS), Adam MUDA (A) (MAS)

68 – Rizal AMIN (MAS), S. Siva Chandhran (MAS), Scott BARR (AUS)

69 – Man O IM (USA), Rory HIE (INA), Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN), R. Nachimuthu (MAS), Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS), Grant JACKSON (ENG), CHONG Lip-shien (NED), Arie FAUZI (MAS), Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN), Takuya YAMAUCHI (JPN)

Selected:

77 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA)

Monday, August 12, 2013

Halal Bihalal Tournament At PG Sukajadi Batam

Everyone is invited to the "HALAL BIHALAL GOLF TOURNAMENT" on Sunday, 25 August 2013 Shotgun at 08.00 am (Batam Time) at Padang Golf Sukajadi Batam.

Tournament fee : MEMBER Rp. 500.000, GUEST Rp. 900.000
Inclusive : Goodie Bag, Green Fee, Caddy & Buggy sharing, Snack Box, Lunch, Hole-In-One, LUCKY DRAW, GRAND LUCKY DRAW

Grand Lucky Draw : Term Membership (6 months), TV LCD 32 inch, Tab Samsung ,etc.

HOLE IN ONE : 1 UNIT CAR + 1 UNIT MOTORCYCLE + LIFE TIME MEMBERSHIP PADANG GOLF SUKAJADI

Format : System 36 handicapping stroke play
RSVP : PADANG GOLF SUKAJADI +62 778 8073008 - 13
email : sales@padanggolfsukajadi.com / receptionist@padanggolfsukajadi.com