Sunday, June 28, 2015

William Sjaichudin And George Gandranata Finish Top Ten At Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 28 - Matthew Giles of Australia sank a clutch birdie putt on the last hole to win the US$76,000 Bali National Golf Championship by one-shot on Sunday.

The 25-year-old was tied with Lindsay Renolds of Canada before holing a 30-feet birdie to win his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title with a closing three-under-par 69 at the Bali National Golf Club.

Renolds, who led by two shots early in the round, shot a 68 to settle for his fourth runner-up finish on the ADT while Sutijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand and current Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei finished third and fourth respectively.

There was local success with 2 Indonesian players finishing in the top 10. William Sjaichudin started with all pars on the front nine, then got momentum with an eagle on hole 10 followed by a birdie on hole 11 to go to 7 under, but bogeys on holes 12 and 16 saw him fall back to 5 under, good for a tie for 6th place.

Meanwhile George Gandranata had a flawless round with birdies on holes 2 and 13 to finish in a tie for 9th place at 2-under for the tournament.

“It is always nice to make a putt on the 18th hole to win an event. It feels fantastic. It has been a great week,” said Giles, who totaled 12-under-par 276 to win US$13,300 and earn six valuable Official World Golf Ranking points.

Giles got off to a slow start when he turned in one-over-par 36 but bounced back on his homeward nine with five birdies against one bogey.

“This is a demanding course. There are holes where you can make birdies or eagles but if you hit a bad shot then you will be punished. Every hole has its own little challenge. I just stayed in the moment and thankfully it worked out.

“The front nine is more challenging. I grinded out on the front and was lucky enough to birdie 10, 11, 13 and 15. I think I probably played 10 or nine-under on the back nine for the tournament,” he smiled.

It was a case of so close but yet so far for Renolds, who holed seven birdies against three bogeys to charge in contention before being defeated by Giles’ brilliant birdie finish.

“I had a lot of demons in the past with how I finished events but I didn’t give the tournament away because Matthew Giles made a really good putt on the last to win. It is not a good way of losing but it is the way a tournament should be won,” said Phuket-based Renolds.

After earning an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year, Renolds hopes to carry this momentum heading into the second half of the season on the region’s premier Tour.

“The more you give yourself opportunities, the closer you come to a win. This is a good confidence booster heading into the Asian Tour. There are a lot of positives this week. I didn’t really make any mistakes. I had a few bad shots but that happens in golf,” he explained.

Since it was inaugurated in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 22 tournaments in 2015.

The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.

Leading scores after the final round of the Bali National Golf Championship:

276 - Matthew GILES (AUS) 68-69-70-69

277 - Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 69-70-70-68

279 - Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 71-73-69-66

280 - HSIEH Chi-hsien (TWN) 67-70-71-72

281 - Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 69-72-69-71

283 - Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-71-74-71, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 69-73-70-71

285 - Arie Irawan (MAS) 71-71-69-74

286 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 75-70-71-70, Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 70-72-72-72, Jordan SHERRATT (AUS) 70-69-74-73, Himmat RAI (IND) 73-69-70-74, Sean RIORDAN (NZL) 67-74-70-75, Jake STIRLING (AUS) 68-67-73-78

Selected:

291 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA) 72-71-77-71

292 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA) 68-78-72-74

296 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 71-74-77-73

301 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 73-73-81-74

302 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA) 71-74-76-81

304 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 71-77-77-79

William Sjaichudin Back In Top Ten After Third Round Of The Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 27 - Matthew Giles of Australia shot a two-under-par 70 to seize the third round lead at The Bali National Golf Championship after Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei struggled in the closing three holes on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Giles produced three birdies and one eagle against three bogeys to lead by one shot on nine-under-par 207 at the challenging Bali National Golf Club.

Current Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader Hsieh was cruising on 11-under through 15 holes before making two disappointing double bogeys on holes 16 and 17.

He birdied 18 for a 71 to share second place with overnight leader Jake Stirling of Australia, who returned with a 73 at the US$76,000 ADT event.

Lindsay Renolds of Canada was a further shot back following a 70 while Micah Lauren Shin of the United States registered a 69 to trail the leader by three shots.

Local player William Sjaichudin got himself back in the top ten with a round of 70. He's now in a tie for 8th at 4-under-par. Meanwhile George Gandranata (71) moved up to a tie for 20th at even par.

“I missed the cut last week in Koh Samui on the Asian Tour but I’m hitting the ball well. This is a course that suits me. It is wide off the tees and you need to control your ball in the wind. It is a lot similar we play back home,” said Giles.

Playing in his first ADT event, the Australian will not take his slim lead for granted in the windy conditions at Bali National.

“Everyone here is trying to win and the level of play on the ADT is really good. I’ll just take one hole as it comes and focus on my own game. Tomorrow is a new day. The wind has been blowing in the same direction but you never know what will happen tomorrow,” he said.

Hsieh, a two-time ADT winner, was disappointed not to build on his performance through 15 holes after losing his ball on 16 and finding the water hazard on the par three island green 17th hole.

“I played awesome for 15 holes. It was a terrible last three holes but I still have a chance because I’m trailing by only one shot. I don’t want to think too much about my round today. Tomorrow is a new round,” said the 24-year-old.

Stirling, who is aiming for a second straight win on the ADT, saw his overnight two-shot lead erased after a wayward tee shot on the tricky first hole forced him to take an unplayable. He battled back with four birdies against two bogeys to stay in the hunt.

“I just tried to hang in there. I’m surprised that I’m still in contention. Hsieh had it going early. He made a couple of mistakes coming in. With three holes to go, I was out of it because he was running away with it but he dropped a few shots and that kind of helps everybody,” said Stirling.

Leading scores after the third round of the Bali National Golf Championship:

207 - Matthew GILES (AUS) 68-69-70

208 - HSIEH Chi-hsien (TWN) 67-70-71, Jake STIRLING (AUS) 68-67-73

209 - Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 69-70-70

210 - Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 69-72-69

211 - Arie Irawan (MAS) 71-71-69, Sean RIORDAN (NZL) 67-74-70

212 - Chiragh KUMAR (IND) 74-69-69, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 72-71-69, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 69-73-70, Himmat RAI (IND) 73-69-70, Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 65-75-72, Nirun SAE-UENG (THA) 67 72 73, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-71-74

Selected:

216 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 75-70-71

218 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA) 68-78-72

220 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA) 72-71-77

221 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA) 71-74-76

222 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 71-74-77

225 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 71-77-77

227 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 73-73-81

Saturday, June 27, 2015

8 Local Players Into The Weekend At The Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 26 - Jake Stirling of Australia stayed patient in the windy conditions to snatch the halfway stage lead with a five-under-par 67 at The Bali National Golf Championship on Friday.

The 26-year-old holed a 40 feet chip-in eagle on the 16th hole to lead by two shots on a nine-under-par 135 total at the US$76,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event staged at the scenic Bali National Golf Club.

Current Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei and Matthew Giles of Australia posted a 70 and 69 respectively to share second place while Khalin Joshi of India was a further shot back.

Overnight leader Gyeongjun Lee of Korea slipped down the leaderboard following a 75.

Despite none of the Indonesian players being in the top 10, with 5 top 30 players and another 3 making the cut, this shows that they're overall playing very well. William Sjaichudin (73) is best in class and is currently in 12th position at 2-under=par. One shot further back is Benita Yuniarto (71).

George Gandranata (70), Andrew Wirawan (74) and Rinaldi Adiyandono (74) are in a tie for 29th at 1-over-par 145. Asep Saefulloh (73), Ramadhan Alwie (78) and Ian Andrew (77) also made the cut that was set at 148.

Stirling, who won his first ADT title earlier in June, kept things simple and was rewarded with four birdies and one eagle.

“I can understand why the scores are a little bit high but I managed to keep the ball low and stay patient on the greens. I started to hit it a bit lower and that kind of game suits this golf course. That’s one of the reasons why I’m right up there,” said Stirling.

“If you are frustrated, you tend to swing harder. A lot of good golfers go the other way. I’m still trying to work it out. Stay patient, relaxed and keeping it really basic seem to help my game,” he added.

Hsieh endured a mix round highlighted by an eagle three on the 13th hole which kept him in the hunt for a third ADT title.

“I feel that my game wasn’t good today but I tried to slow my tempo down on every hole and focus on my shots. I saw that the afternoon scores are not good so I’m very happy with a two-under,” said Hsieh.

After struggling with a cold putter, the 22-year-old Joshi had something to smile about when he chipped in for birdie on the challenging 17th hole par three island green.

“I’m disappointed with my round. I didn’t putt or hit the ball good. Overall it was a bad day but I’m happy with my birdie on 17. That birdie sort of gave me some positives when I ended my round,” said Joshi.

Scores after the second round of the Bali National Golf Championship:

135 - Jake STIRLING (AUS) 68-67

137 - HSIEH Chi-hsien (TWN) 67-70, Matthew GILES (AUS) 68-69

138 - Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-71

139 - Jordan SHERRATT (AUS) 70-69, Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 69-70, Nirun SAE-UENG (THA) 67-72, Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 69-70

140 - Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 65-75

141 - Sean RIORDAN (NZL) 67-74, Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 69-72

Selected:

142 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 69-73

143 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA) 72-71

145 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 75-70, Andrew WIRAWAN (INA) 71-74, Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 71-74

146 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 73-73, Ramadhan ALWIE (INA) 68-78

148 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 71-77

Missed cut:

149 - Danny MASRIN (INA) 79-70, Suprapto (INA) 74-75, Rory HIE (INA) 73-76

150 - Clement KURNIAWAN (A) (INA) 75-75, Maan NASIM (INA) 77-73

151 - Suwarno (INA) 75-76, Naraajie RAMADHANPUTRA (A) (INA) 76-75, Andik MAULUDIN (INA)80-71

154 - Mahpudin M (INA) 78-76

156 - Komang DARMAWAN (INA) 75-81, Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 80-76, I Nengah DHARMA (INA) 79-77

157 - Sarmilih (INA) 80-77

158 - Bramantio ADI (INA) 78-80, Abhinawa (INA) 79-79, Iwan SUWANTONO (INA) 78-80, Fajar WINURYANTO (INA) 84-74, Dede IDRIS (INA) 82-76

159 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 80-79

160 - Andi SOEYATMO (INA) 82-78, Ketut SANDIARTA (INA) 82-78, Bonyamin ASHARI (INA) 81-79

161 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA) 80-81, Supriyatna (INA) 78-83

162 - Aria KAMSURI (INA) 77-85, Sujarwo S (INA) 79-83

163 - Hamzah RACHMADI (INA) 82-81, Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA) 84-79

164 - Nyoman SARJANA (INA) 77-87

167 - Zulharmen TABUSALLA (INA) 85-82

169 - Nyoman SUASTANA (INA) 89-80

172 - Zulkarnaen Tanjung (INA) 86-86

173 - Pudio (INA) 81-92

178 - Yohannes RUDIATO (INA) 85-93

179 - Rudi HARTONO (INA) 88-91

184 - Bambang MUSTARI (INA) 91-93

90 - Warno (INA) 90-RTD

Friday, June 26, 2015

Ramadhan Alwie And William Sjaichuddin In Top Ten After First Round Of The Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 25 - Gyeongjun Lee of Korea took advantage of his early preparation as he fired a seven-under-par 65 to lead by two shots at The Bali National Golf Championship on Thursday.

The 19-year-old teenager arrived a week earlier to prepare for the US$76,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event and his efforts was rewarded with a blemish free round at the Bali National Golf Club.

ADT winners Sean Riordan of New Zealand, Nirun Sae-Ueng of Thailand and Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, the currently ADT Order of Merit leader were bunched in second place alongside India’s Khalin Joshi.

Ramadhan Alwie was the best placed local player in tied sixth place with Australians Matthew Giles and Jake Stirling, who returned on matching 68s.

Aided by his father who was on his bag, Lee, who is searching for a first ADT win, enjoyed a solid round where he did not miss a single fairway.

“I’m very happy with how I played. I hit it so well off the tees. I also missed only three greens so I would call my round an almost ‘perfect’ round,” smiled Lee, who turned professional two years ago.

“I came here one week earlier so I had the opportunity to play three to four practice rounds. I usually stay back or go earlier for events. That’s my style. My father caddies for me and we are a good team. I pity my dad because he is old and he gets tired but whenever he doesn’t caddy for me, I don’t play well,” he laughed.

Gym-buff Hsieh, who is a two-time ADT winner, got off to a flying start as he was five-under at the turn. He picked up another birdie on hole four before dropping his only shot of the day on the seventh hole.

“I’m lucky to have a good score. This is my first time in Bali and I’m enjoying myself here. I finished badly on the last three holes. I played very well on the front nine where I was five-under. I hit it very nice there and my putts dropped,” said the 24-year-old.

The 22-year-old Joshi produced six birdies against one bogey after hitting a poor drive and seeing his par putt lip out on the fifth hole. The Indian is enjoying a good run of form as he missed only one cut in six appearances and finished tied second in Bangladesh on the Asian Tour last month.

“This is a good start to the tournament. I’m feeling good about my game and my scores prove it. I came here with a relaxed mind because I’ve heard a lot about Bali. It is beautiful around here. I’m happy and fortunate to be here,” said Joshi.

The 20-year-old Nirun, who won on the ADT in May, was disappointed not to return with a lower score when he three putted the last hole for bogey. “My approach and putting were very good but I’m slightly disappointed because I three putted on the last hole. It is only the first day so we have a long way more to go. This is a very nice golf course and it suits my game. I look forward to the challenge,” said Nirun.

The Bali National Golf Resort Championship will be the 15th leg of the 2015 ADT season and also the first of the three stops in Indonesia. Admission to The Bali National Golf Championship is free.

Leading scores after first round of the Bali National Golf Championship:

65 - Gyeongjun LEE (KOR)

67 - Khalin JOSHI (IND), HSIEH Chi-hsien (TWN), Sean RIORDAN (NZL), Nirun SAE-UENG

68 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA), Jake STIRLING (AUS) ,Matthew GILES (AUS)

69 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA), Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN), Micah Lauren SHIN (USA), Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA)

Selected:

71 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA), Ian ANDREW (INA), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA)

72 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA)

73 - Rory HIE (INA), Asep SAEFULLOH (INA)

74 - Suprapto (INA)

75 - Komang DARMAWAN (INA), Suwarno (INA), Clement KURNIAWAN (A) (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA)

76 - Naraajie RAMADHANPUTRA (A) (INA)

77 - Maan NASIM (INA), Aria KAMSURI (INA), Nyoman SARJANA (INA)

78 - Iwan SUWANTONO (INA), Elki KOW (A) (INA), Mahpudin M (INA), Bramantio ADI (INA), Supriyatna (INA)

79 - I Nengah DHARMA (INA), Danny MASRIN (INA), Abhinawa (INA), Sujarwo S (INA)

80 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA), Andik MAULUDIN (INA), Jordan IRAWAN (INA), Sarmilih (INA), Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA)

81 - Bonyamin ASHARI (INA), Pudio (INA)

82 - Hamzah RACHMADI (INA), Dede IDRIS (INA), Andi SOEYATMO (INA), Ketut SANDIARTA (INA)

84 - Fajar WINURYANTO (INA), Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA)

85 - Zulharmen TABUSALLA (INA), Yohannes RUDIATO (INA)

86 - Zulkarnaen TANJUNG (INA)

88 - Rudi HARTONO (INA)

89 - Nyoman SUASTANA (INA)

90 - Warno (INA)

91 - Bambang MUSTARI (INA)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Gandranata Leads Local Challenge At The Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 24 - George Gandranata hopes to become the first Indonesian to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) at The Bali National Golf Championship which starts on Thursday.

The talented Gandranata, who won four titles on the local circuit last year, will spearhead the local challenge at the US$76,000 ADT event staged at picturesque Bali National Golf Club.

The current top five on the Order of Merit including Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, Sean Riordan of New Zealand, Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei, Nirun Sae-Ung of Thailand and Malaysia’s Arie Irawan will headline the event.

Nicholas Fung of Malaysia, the 2013 ADT Order of Merit winner, teen titan Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, Masaru Takahashi of Japan and Niall Turner of Ireland will also challenge for honors in Bali.

The 29-year-old Gandranata predicts that the local golfers are inching closer towards a first win on the ADT after gaining confidence and experience of playing in more Asian Tour and ADT events on home soil and around the region.

“We’ve seen a lot more guys playing on the ADT and some of us have led on the ADT before. We just need to get four rounds to click and win. When we have more Indonesians playing on the ADT then we will stand a better change to have a local winner,” said Gandranata.

He will be among 45 Indonesian golfers including Rory Hie, Ian Andrew, Jordan Irawan and Andik Mauludin who will aim to etch a small slice of history in the ADT event which will be played on the holiday island of Bali.

“The golf course is beautiful. It is in good shape. It is scenic and the design is really good. The greens are really challenging so if you consider all these, in my opinion this is one of the best golf courses in Indonesia,” said Gandranata.

“It is good for golf for Indonesia and Bali to welcome the international players who will see a different outlook in Indonesia. There is no better spot than here. This week will be a good week for the players to enjoy golf and time outside the course,” he smiled.

Gandranata has not missed a single cut in five appearances on the ADT and he hopes to continue his form and challenge for the title this week.

“I’ve been working hard but the results have not come yet. I need to be more patient because I’ve just made some swing changes. My game is coming along nicely and hopefully it will come together this week,” he explained.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

ADT Champions Getting Ready For Bali National Golf Championship

Bali, Indonesia, June 19 - Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei will spearhead an immensely talented field at The Bali National Golf Championship next week.

Hsieh, a two-time ADT winner, will be among 16 ADT champions who will challenge for the title at the picturesque Bali National Golf Club from June 25 to 28.

Jake Stirling of Australia, who won his first ADT title last week, Nicholas Fung of Malaysia, the 2013 ADT Order of Merit winner, teen titan Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, Sean Riordan of New Zealand and Niall Turner of Ireland will also feature in the US$76,000 event.

George Gandranata, Rory Hie, Andik Mauludin, and Ian Andrew will lead the local charge with the aim of becoming the first Indonesian winner on the ADT.

The 2015 ADT season has welcomed numerous new champions this season including Stirling, who romped to a two-shot victory in Malaysia last week.

The win moved him to third place on the Order of Merit, a position which he will aim to hold on to until the end of the season to earn an Asian Tour card for 2016.

“I have been playing on the ADT for a couple of years now and I am very happy to win. Playing on the ADT hasn’t been easy but it’s been a great experience. It took me awhile to get used to the different greens out here in Asia,” said Stirling.

The Australian makes up a truly cosmopolitan field at The Bali National Golf Championship which has attracted players from over 20 countries.

Among those countries, Erwan Vieilledent is the sole representative from France and he hopes to make The Bali National Golf Championship a truly memorable event as he takes aim at a first professional win.

Vieilledent was persuaded by Asian Tour regular Lionel Weber to play at the Qualifying School earlier this year where he missed the grade. He hopes to fight his way onto the region’s premier Tour through the ADT.

“Lionel told me I should go over and try qualifying school because the Asian Tour is growing bigger and bigger. You get to travel to interesting places and my father told me it will be a good opportunity to play here because it is different than Europe,” said Vieilledent.

“This is my first year in Asia and I love it. The ambiance is very good and the players are helpful. It is a nice tour to be on. People help each other a lot,” added the former French national team player.

The Bali National Golf Resort Championship will be the 15th leg of the 2015 ADT season and also the first of the three stops in Indonesia. Admission to The Bali National Golf Championship is free.

Since it was inaugurated in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 22 tournaments in 2015.

The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Fadhli Soetarso Joins Golf Class At University Of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky's 2015-16 men's golf class is now complete with the addition of Fadhli Soetarso it was announced by head coach Brian Craig on Monday.

"Fadhli brings a wealth of talent and big time amateur experience to our team,” Craig said. “He is technically very sound and has already proven to be a very competitive player at the highest level of amateur golf, including being the low amateur in the Asian Tour's Indonesian Open. Fadhli is also a fine young man and a gentleman in every regard. He will make a tremendous addition to our Wildcat golf family and I can't wait to coach him."

Soetarso joins fall signees Lukas Euler and Jalen Ledger to complete the 2015-16 class.

Soetarso is one of the top amateur players from Indonesia and has a wealth of top-level tournament experience. He is set to compete this summer in the South East Asian Games in Singapore. Soetarso will represent his home country as well as compete as an individual in the event.

No stranger to success, Soetarso won his first major junior tournament in 2012. He claimed the title by eight strokes at the Indonesia's National Junior Championships. Soetarso carded rounds of 71-69-75 en route to his first victory.

Soetarso qualified for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final held in Mission Hills, China in both 2014 and 2015. During the 2015 competition, he fired scores of 69-72-73 and finished in a tie for eighth overall.

A fifth-place finish at the 80th Singha Thailand Amateur Open is another one of his career highlights. He earned the fifth-place showing with rounds of 73-69-72-70 in the four-round event. Furthermore, he finished as the low amateur at the 2014 Bank BRI Indonesia Open. He finished in a tie for 38th in the Asian Tour event with rounds of 69-73-73-68.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Pondok Indah To Host Indonesia Open 2015

Jakarta, June 11 - Organizers of the 2015 Indonesia Open today announced that this year’s edition will be played at Pondok Indah Golf Course, located in the heart of the country’s capital city, Jakarta.

The tournament, which offers a US$750,000 prize purse, is Indonesia’s oldest professional golf tournament and will take place from November 12-15.

Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta Po, President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizers of the Indonesia Open, commented, “As this is our national Open we feel that the tournament should move around and be ‘shared’ amongst the top courses in Jakarta. Entry to this year’s event will be free to all spectators which is our way of giving back to the game and further contribute to the overall development of the sport in our country.

Everyone is very excited about the new venue for this year’s tournament. Pondok Indah Golf Course is a magnificent course and I have no doubt they will put on a great show for players and spectators.”

The Pondok Indah Golf Course was established on August 17, 1976, and designed by the renowned course architect, Robert Trent Jones. The course has hosted several professional events, including the 1983 World Cup of Golf.

Kyi Hla Han, Chairman of the Asian Tour, said, “The Indonesia Open is highly regarded as one of the popular national Opens in Asia. With the Indonesia Open celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, we look forward to witnessing more defining moments from the tournament again. The tournament has been growing in stature each year and we are excited to welcome the return of the best players from the Asian Tour to the 2015 Indonesia Open”.

Pak Budi Kosasih, General Manager of Pondok Indah Golf Course, was understandably thrilled with the news. He said, “Everyone at the golf club is honored that we have been chosen to host Indonesia’s most prestigious golf tournament, our national open. We have a wonderful golf course; it is a real test of skill and judgement, and we are all looking forward to welcoming the professionals to our club.”

The 2014 Indonesia Open was won by three-time Major winner, Padraig Harrington. He defeated Thai rookie Thanyakon Khrongpha on the final hole of the tournament, to win by two strokes.

End To Luxury Tax On Golf Clubs

Golf clubs and horse saddles are set for tax breaks in Indonesia as the government revises the definition of luxury goods to boost consumer spending.

Other items previously classed as luxuries, including branded bags and fishing rods as well as more everyday items such as microwaves and washing machines, will also be exempt from a luxury sales tax starting next week, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.

The measures are aimed at boosting the household spending that makes up more than half of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. President Joko Widodo has pledged to spur growth from its slowest in five years and reduce inequality, with policy makers having announced plans to halve some micro lending rates, loosen loan rules for mortgages and cut corporate tax.

“The downgrade of still typically elitist items such as riding saddles and golf clubs might be deemed premature,” said Wellian Wiranto, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore. “Overall this move alone is not going to present the government with a hole in one in their quest to support consumption growth.”

The economy expanded 4.71 percent in the first quarter, the least since 2009. A government growth target of 5.7 percent for this year might be difficult to achieve, Brodjonegoro said this week.

The change in luxury tax could end up costing the government up to 900 billion rupiah in lost revenue, said Sigit Priadi Pramudito, the finance ministry’s tax director general. Luxury goods are taxed between 10 percent and 200 percent, with saddles at 40 percent and golf clubs at 50 percent.

The government wants to lift tax revenue by about 30 percent this year, yet as of May it had achieved 29 percent of its full-year target, according to the finance ministry.

The government will also expand tax allowances for companies in priority industries in some provinces, especially outside Java, and for companies making large investments, Brodjonegoro said.

Policy makers are over-emphasizing supply-side measures as domestic demand slows, and need to be more realistic about setting targets instead of making policies that are not well prepared and jeopardize credibility, said Eric Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered Plc. in Jakarta.

“If the government only provides tax incentives for the rich, this will only have limited impact on the aggregate demand,” said Sugandi. “The government should do a combo strategy: supply-side incentives and demand-side stimulus.”

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Asian Development Tour Returns To Bali For The Bali National Golf Championship

Jakarta, Indonesia, June 10 - The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will make a welcome return to the holiday isle of Bali for the staging of The Bali National Golf Championship this month.

The newest ADT event will offer a prize fund of US$76,000 and sees the return of the region’s most promising talents to Bali, which last hosted an ADT event in 2010.

Played at the highly-rated Bali National Golf Club, which offers spectacular views against the majestic backdrops of Gunung Agung and the Indian Ocean, the event is expected to unearth the next generation of stars from Indonesia and the region when it gets underway from June 25-28.

With the addition of The Bali National Golf Championship, the ADT schedule now boasts an unprecedented 22 tournaments in Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Philippines and Indonesia.

Pak Gita Wirjawan, owner of the Bali National Golf Club, believes players from the ADT will face a challenging test at their redesigned golf course and is confident The Bali National Golf Championship will provide players with the opportunities to excel in their game.

“We’re looking forward to the staging of The Bali National Golf Championship. The course undergone a complete redesign and was reconstructed to meet international standards recently. It will be a good test for all players,” said Gita.

Add Gita “Apart from promoting Bali as a world-class holiday destination, this event will also give everyone the chance to catch some very exciting golf action on the island.”

Asian Tour Associate Director Irfan Hamid also expressed his delight with the staging of The Bali National Golf Championship as it will provide players with another opportunity to advance their career.

“The ADT is always on the lookout for new opportunities to further strengthen the growth of the Tour.

“With The Bali National Golf Championship featuring on our ADT Schedule, players can take advantage of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points on offer and continue to fight their way into the premier Asian Tour through a top-five finish on the ADT Order of Merit,” said Irfan.

The Bali National Golf Resort Championship, which has already partnered with Hotel Mercure Bali Nusa Dua as its official hotel, will be the 15th leg of the 2015 ADT season and also the first of the three stops in Indonesia.

Admission to The Bali National Golf Championship is free

Since it was inaugurated in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 22 tournaments in 2015.

The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.