Jakarta, November 15 - Local talents George Gandranata and Danny Masrin hope to secure a home victory at the BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open which starts on Thursday, and raise the exposure of golf in the country.
Sis Apik Wijayanto, Director of BRI says: “Indonesia Open is one of the most prestigious national tournament in Asia and BRI is honoured to be the main sponsor for this tournament."
“We hope this national tournament will influence Indonesian golfers to play and show their best skill to win BRI-JCB Indonesia open next month. This will be a fantastic achievement in the area of golf development in our country.”
Gandranata, the leading golfer in Indonesia, the highly rated Masrin, Ian Andrew and Jordan Irawan are among 20 local hopefuls contending at the US$300,000 event which returns on the Asian Tour schedule after a one-year hiatus.
They will be joined by former Indonesia Open champion Gaganjeet Bhullar of India and new Asian Tour winners Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, Thitiphun Chuayprakong and Carlos Pigem of Spain at the Pondok Indah Golf Course.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, a two-time Asian Tour number one, Akinori Tani of Japan, Thai rising star Phachara Khongwatmai, Casey O’Toole of the United States and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh will also feature in the showpiece.
Gandranata, a winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) which is the secondary circuit of the Asian Tour, is determined to wear his heart on his sleeve as he aims to become the second Indonesian to win his National Open after Kasiadi’s triumph in 1989.
“I’m proud to play in the BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open. It is every golfers dream to play in their National Open and try to win it. It is different when you play in your country, there’s pressure but I like having the pressure. It motivates me to do better,” said Gandranata.
Gandranata, who won the silver and bronze medals in the team and individual category respectively at the 2011 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, has his eye on claiming the Golden Trophy which is awarded to the winner of the BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open.
“I play to win but it won’t be easy,” said the 30-year-old, who finished tied 15th in the 2014 edition. “I have high hopes in this event and like everybody, I want to win it for my country.
Golf is slowly growing but a local winner will increase the popularity of the sport by a few notches.
The 24-year-old Masrin hopes to use his experience of playing on the ADT to good use. He was among four local golfers to make the halfway cut at the Indonesian Masters in October which was a record in the event.
“The standard of golf in the country is growing. We have more local events now and the players are gaining experience by playing in Asian Tour events. The BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open will be another great addition for golfers to be exposed to an international golf tournament,” said Masrin.
“I’ve been playing well lately and I hope to continue the momentum. It gives me great pride to play in the Indonesia Open. It will be a challenging week with so many great Asian Tour players but I will focus on my own game and hopefully have a chance at the weekend,” he added.
Andrew, a regular on the ADT, believes the BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open is a great tournament for him to learn from the best golfers in Asia.
“I’ve learnt a lot playing on the ADT but it is an entirely different level when you play on the Asian Tour. It is challenging on the ADT so the experience will help me when I play in my National Open. I’m really looking forward to the experience this week,” said the 24-year-old.
The BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open is one of the finest golf championships in Asia where top stars such as Thaworn Wiratchant, Thongchai Jaidee and Padraig Harrington have won the tournament in the past.
Showing posts with label ADT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ADT. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Combiphar Golf Invitational Set For ADT Debut In November
Jakarta, October 18 - The Combiphar Golf Invitational will make its Asian Development Tour (ADT) debut at Royal Tulip Gunung Geulis Golf Resorts in Indonesia this November.
The US$60,000 ADT event, which will be the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season, is slated to take place from November 23 to 26 in Bogor - West Java, about 60 kilometers south from Jakarta.
A 144-man field, made up of 80 players from the ADT, 50 players from the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI) and 14 invitees, will feature in the inaugural tournament, which will be the 22nd leg of the ADT schedule this season.
Michael Wanandi, CEO of Combiphar, Indonesia’s leading consumer healthcare company and title sponsor of the event, said: “As part of our 45th year anniversary in celebrating health in Indonesia, we are very delighted to announce the inaugural Combiphar Golf Invitational and look forward to a successful tournament by working with the ADT.”
“One of the reasons why we are hosting this new tournament is to showcase emerging talents from our country as well as from across the region and provide them with the platform to escalate their careers onto the Asian Tour,” Michael added. "Another reason is too expand our name recognition in the ASEAN region, as Combiphar products are sold in neighboring countries as well."
The Combiphar Golf Invitational also provides opportunity to all participants and partners to take part in donating to four unique social organizations in Indonesia which support health, education, women empowerment and facility enhancement through: Pink Shimmer Inc, an organization dedicated to helping breast cancer patients and survivors. SabangMerauke, a local student exchange program focused on promoting education, tolerance and Indonesian pride nationwide. Circa HandMade, focusing on empowering and educating a community of women handcrafters in Bandung as well as Jaka Perkasa Citra Cemerlang, for its numerous water infrastructure projects in remote areas throughout Indonesia.
Michael Wanandi, CEO of Combiphar (center), addresses the media accompanied by (l-r) Agus Triyono (Secretary General of the PGA Tour of Indonesia), Irfan Hamid (Associate Director at the Asian Tour), Agung Budiman (President Director of Gunung Geulis Golf Resort) and Merry Kwan (OB Golf)
Agung Budiman, Presiden Director of Gunung Geulis Golf Resort, also expressed his excitement in hosting an ADT event for the very first time.
“We are pleased to support the Combiphar Golf Invitational as host venue. We can’t wait to welcome the region’s rising stars to the event,” said Agung.
Asian Tour Associate Director Irfan Hamid was thrilled to welcome the Combiphar Golf Invitational as the newest tournament on the ADT Schedule.
“On behalf of our talented players, we are honored and privileged to welcome the Combiphar Golf Tournament on the ADT Schedule.
“We have welcomed a host of new winners this year, including George Gandranata who became the first Indonesian to win on the ADT in April. We hope to see more young and exciting talents bursting onto the scene through these new events,” said Irfan.
When asked how many tournaments the ADT would ideally like to hold in Indonesia, Irfan responded "In light of the next Olympics being held in Japan in 4 years, a greater number of tournaments would increase opportunities for Indonesian players to receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points that are needed to qualify for the Olympic tournament. The ADT targets that up to 6 tournaments be held annually in Indonesia."
The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
Also the top-five finishers on the final Order of Merit will secure their Asian Tour cards for 2017.
The US$60,000 ADT event, which will be the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season, is slated to take place from November 23 to 26 in Bogor - West Java, about 60 kilometers south from Jakarta.
A 144-man field, made up of 80 players from the ADT, 50 players from the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI) and 14 invitees, will feature in the inaugural tournament, which will be the 22nd leg of the ADT schedule this season.
Michael Wanandi, CEO of Combiphar, Indonesia’s leading consumer healthcare company and title sponsor of the event, said: “As part of our 45th year anniversary in celebrating health in Indonesia, we are very delighted to announce the inaugural Combiphar Golf Invitational and look forward to a successful tournament by working with the ADT.”
“One of the reasons why we are hosting this new tournament is to showcase emerging talents from our country as well as from across the region and provide them with the platform to escalate their careers onto the Asian Tour,” Michael added. "Another reason is too expand our name recognition in the ASEAN region, as Combiphar products are sold in neighboring countries as well."
The Combiphar Golf Invitational also provides opportunity to all participants and partners to take part in donating to four unique social organizations in Indonesia which support health, education, women empowerment and facility enhancement through: Pink Shimmer Inc, an organization dedicated to helping breast cancer patients and survivors. SabangMerauke, a local student exchange program focused on promoting education, tolerance and Indonesian pride nationwide. Circa HandMade, focusing on empowering and educating a community of women handcrafters in Bandung as well as Jaka Perkasa Citra Cemerlang, for its numerous water infrastructure projects in remote areas throughout Indonesia.
Michael Wanandi, CEO of Combiphar (center), addresses the media accompanied by (l-r) Agus Triyono (Secretary General of the PGA Tour of Indonesia), Irfan Hamid (Associate Director at the Asian Tour), Agung Budiman (President Director of Gunung Geulis Golf Resort) and Merry Kwan (OB Golf)
Agung Budiman, Presiden Director of Gunung Geulis Golf Resort, also expressed his excitement in hosting an ADT event for the very first time.
“We are pleased to support the Combiphar Golf Invitational as host venue. We can’t wait to welcome the region’s rising stars to the event,” said Agung.
Asian Tour Associate Director Irfan Hamid was thrilled to welcome the Combiphar Golf Invitational as the newest tournament on the ADT Schedule.
“On behalf of our talented players, we are honored and privileged to welcome the Combiphar Golf Tournament on the ADT Schedule.
“We have welcomed a host of new winners this year, including George Gandranata who became the first Indonesian to win on the ADT in April. We hope to see more young and exciting talents bursting onto the scene through these new events,” said Irfan.
When asked how many tournaments the ADT would ideally like to hold in Indonesia, Irfan responded "In light of the next Olympics being held in Japan in 4 years, a greater number of tournaments would increase opportunities for Indonesian players to receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points that are needed to qualify for the Olympic tournament. The ADT targets that up to 6 tournaments be held annually in Indonesia."
The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.
Also the top-five finishers on the final Order of Merit will secure their Asian Tour cards for 2017.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Four Local Players In Final Rounds Of The BNI Indonesian Masters Presented By Zurich
Jakarta, October 8 - In a first in the history of the Indonesian Masters, four local players made the cut to challenge for the prize money at hand.
As the second round was suspended due to darkness Friday evening, several players had to finish their rounds Saturday morning. Among them were local hopefuls Rory Hie, Danny Masrin and Nasin Surachman. Closing their rounds in 70, 72 and 71 strokes respectively, all three were at even par 144 after 2 rounds, just enough to make the cut and join Kurnia Herisiandy, who had finished Friday with a total of 142, for weekend play.
Having four local players in the weekend marks a first for this tournament, who before this year had only seen a single local player making the cut, in its first edition.
Third round fortunes for the four were mixed, with Rory (70) slowly climbing the leaderboard, while Kurnia (75), Danny (75) and Nasin (77) were moving in opposite direction.
Rory Hie - photo: Asian Tour
Baby-faced Poom Saksansin of Thailand fired a flawless seven-under-par 65 to seize the third round lead at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Zurich on Saturday. The 23-year-old Poom made a surprise charge up the leaderboard to lead by two shots on 13-under-par 203 from Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura (68) and Kalem Richardson of Australia (69) at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, a three-time Asian Tour number one, birdied the closing two holes for a 69 to tie in fourth place on 206 alongside Marcus Fraser (70) of Australia, who needs a victory at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club to overtake Scott Hend on the Order of Merit.
Poom will enter the final round as the leader for only the second time in his career on the Asian Tour after leading in the 2014 Queen’s Cup in Thailand before finishing second. With numerous players breathing down his neck, Poom hopes to put his experience of playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) to good use as he chases for a first Asian Tour victory.
“I wanted to shoot under-par and not make any trouble. On the first hole I got into trouble but I saved par from 15 feet. I felt lucky after that. I only tried to make par but if I had a birdie chance, I would go for it and it worked,” said Poom, a one-time winner on the ADT. “After I was five-under, I felt like it would be my day so I started playing more aggressively. This is my second time in the last group on the Asian Tour. I will try not to be nervous on the final day. I just want to give myself a chance on the final day,” said the Thai.
After finishing third in the event last year, Richardson charged into contention again with two birdies and one eagle against one bogey. After almost quitting the game earlier this year, the Australian is now focused on winning his first Asian Tour title.
“Golf is the hardest game in the world really. It is a tough lifestyle but it is great to be playing golf for a living. I tried to remember that and I’m glad to be here playing golf. I feel like I’m playing good now."
“It will be massive if I do win. It will be a big day tomorrow. I’ll just focus on each shot and not get carried away,” said Richardson.
The 23-year-old Kawamura, who won his first Asian Tour title in 2013, traded six birdies against two bogeys as he heads into the final 18 holes, two shots back of Poom. “I am happy with where I stand right now. I am definitely aiming for a win tomorrow. I look forward to playing in the final group again. I will keep things the same tomorrow. Nothing changes,” said Kawamura.
Thongchai double bogeyed the fourth hole but steadied ship with one birdie and one eagle before the turn. He added another birdie on hole 10 and slipped back with a bogey on 15 before charging home with two closing birdies.
“I played really well on the last two holes. I hit two good irons there. I know the conditions are tough but finishing well on the last few holes is key here. I’m three shots behind so I have a chance tomorrow,” said Thongchai, who is aiming for a 14th Asian Tour title.
Scores after round 3 of the BNI Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course:
203 - Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 69-69-65
205 - Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 66-71-68, Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS) 68-68-69. 206 - Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 68-69-69, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 69-67-70
207 - Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 67-74-66, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 68-72-67, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 67-71-69
208 - Tom JOHNSON (USA) 72-68-68, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 70-69-69, LIU Yan-wei (CHN) 68-70-70, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-69-70
Indonesian players:
214 - Rory HIE 74-70-70
217 - Kurnia HERISIANDY 71-71-75
219 - Danny MASRIN 72-72-75
221 - Nasin SURACHMAN 73-71-77
As the second round was suspended due to darkness Friday evening, several players had to finish their rounds Saturday morning. Among them were local hopefuls Rory Hie, Danny Masrin and Nasin Surachman. Closing their rounds in 70, 72 and 71 strokes respectively, all three were at even par 144 after 2 rounds, just enough to make the cut and join Kurnia Herisiandy, who had finished Friday with a total of 142, for weekend play.
Having four local players in the weekend marks a first for this tournament, who before this year had only seen a single local player making the cut, in its first edition.
Third round fortunes for the four were mixed, with Rory (70) slowly climbing the leaderboard, while Kurnia (75), Danny (75) and Nasin (77) were moving in opposite direction.
Baby-faced Poom Saksansin of Thailand fired a flawless seven-under-par 65 to seize the third round lead at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Zurich on Saturday. The 23-year-old Poom made a surprise charge up the leaderboard to lead by two shots on 13-under-par 203 from Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura (68) and Kalem Richardson of Australia (69) at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, a three-time Asian Tour number one, birdied the closing two holes for a 69 to tie in fourth place on 206 alongside Marcus Fraser (70) of Australia, who needs a victory at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club to overtake Scott Hend on the Order of Merit.
Poom will enter the final round as the leader for only the second time in his career on the Asian Tour after leading in the 2014 Queen’s Cup in Thailand before finishing second. With numerous players breathing down his neck, Poom hopes to put his experience of playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) to good use as he chases for a first Asian Tour victory.
“I wanted to shoot under-par and not make any trouble. On the first hole I got into trouble but I saved par from 15 feet. I felt lucky after that. I only tried to make par but if I had a birdie chance, I would go for it and it worked,” said Poom, a one-time winner on the ADT. “After I was five-under, I felt like it would be my day so I started playing more aggressively. This is my second time in the last group on the Asian Tour. I will try not to be nervous on the final day. I just want to give myself a chance on the final day,” said the Thai.
After finishing third in the event last year, Richardson charged into contention again with two birdies and one eagle against one bogey. After almost quitting the game earlier this year, the Australian is now focused on winning his first Asian Tour title.
“Golf is the hardest game in the world really. It is a tough lifestyle but it is great to be playing golf for a living. I tried to remember that and I’m glad to be here playing golf. I feel like I’m playing good now."
“It will be massive if I do win. It will be a big day tomorrow. I’ll just focus on each shot and not get carried away,” said Richardson.
The 23-year-old Kawamura, who won his first Asian Tour title in 2013, traded six birdies against two bogeys as he heads into the final 18 holes, two shots back of Poom. “I am happy with where I stand right now. I am definitely aiming for a win tomorrow. I look forward to playing in the final group again. I will keep things the same tomorrow. Nothing changes,” said Kawamura.
Thongchai double bogeyed the fourth hole but steadied ship with one birdie and one eagle before the turn. He added another birdie on hole 10 and slipped back with a bogey on 15 before charging home with two closing birdies.
“I played really well on the last two holes. I hit two good irons there. I know the conditions are tough but finishing well on the last few holes is key here. I’m three shots behind so I have a chance tomorrow,” said Thongchai, who is aiming for a 14th Asian Tour title.
Scores after round 3 of the BNI Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course:
203 - Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 69-69-65
205 - Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 66-71-68, Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS) 68-68-69. 206 - Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 68-69-69, Marcus FRASER (AUS) 69-67-70
207 - Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 67-74-66, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 68-72-67, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 67-71-69
208 - Tom JOHNSON (USA) 72-68-68, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 70-69-69, LIU Yan-wei (CHN) 68-70-70, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-69-70
Indonesian players:
214 - Rory HIE 74-70-70
217 - Kurnia HERISIANDY 71-71-75
219 - Danny MASRIN 72-72-75
221 - Nasin SURACHMAN 73-71-77
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Jordan Irawan Just Misses Out On Top 10 In PGM Sabah Championship
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 9 - Thai youngster Nirun Sae-Ueng claimed his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the PGM Sabah Championship on Saturday after defeating reigning Order of Merit champion and countryman Pavit Tangkamolprasert on the first play-off hole.
The 20-year-old Thai, who closed with a stunning seven-under-par 65, edged out Pavit on the 18th hole sudden-death shoot-out with a par after the duo tied on eight-under-par 280 in regulation play at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Phachara Khongwatmai, the youngest winner on the ADT, ensured a strong Thai presence on the final leaderboard when he carded a 67 to share third place on 281 with overnight leader Danthai Boonma, who registered a 71, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event, which is the 10th leg of the ADT this season.
One-time Asian Tour winner Ben Leong, who hails from Sabah, fired a 66 to emerge as the top Malaysian in fifth place on 284 while two other Thais, Pasamet Pogamnerd (68) and Sutijet Kooratanapisan (72) were a further shot back in a share of sixth place.
In the final round all the Indonesians were able to significantly climb on the leaderboard. Jordan Irawan (69) just missed out on a place in the top 10 with a total of 287, while Rory Hie (68) and William Sjaichudin (70) both finished in the top 30 with total scores of 290 and 291 respectively.
Nirun needed only 25 putts in his round of eight birdies, nine pars and one bogey which would have matched the course record set by compatriot Thammanoon Sriroj in 1997 if not for the preferred lies ruling being in effect.
“I am very happy. I played solid. My putting was good and I hit my tee shots very well. Everything just seemed to be in place for me. The playing conditions were pretty similar to the last few rounds. The course was still playing tough but I just stuck to my game plan and didn’t think much out there,” said Nirun.
He stumbled with his only bogey on the first hole but recovered swiftly with a birdie on the second before charging ahead with four straight birdies from the fourth hole and adding three more birdies on his way home.
“Pavit is a good friend of mine and we played together during our practice rounds earlier this week. I know he is a good player and has won a lot of times on the ADT but I did not to put pressure on myself. No matter what happens, I am happy with how I played and I have enjoyed my game. With this win, I can now aim to finish in top-five on the Merit rankings,” added Nirun.
Nirun earned US$9,730 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his victory at the PGM Sabah Championship, which was his second professional win since joining the play-for-pay ranks in 2014. He won on his domestic circuit earlier this year.
Pavit, who shot a bogey-free 66, was delighted to cap a ‘perfect’ round despite being denied a record fifth victory. “I can’t complain. I played really good and I would say it was a perfect game for me. I managed to keep the bogeys off the card. I am happy to give myself a chance by forcing my way into the play-off,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.
“I knew I had to make the birdie on the last to get into the play-off. I told myself I have to make it and I managed to putt in from 10-feet for birdie. I had earlier saved par from 10-feet on the 17th hole so I was pretty confident that I can do it,” added Pavit.
Since it was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 21 tournaments in both 2014 and 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 final round scores:
280 – Nirun SAE-UENG (THA) 73-69-73-65, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75-66
281 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69-71
284 – Ben LEONG (MAS) 75-71-72-66
285 – Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 74-71-72-68, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73-72
286 – Charles HONG (PHI) 73-73-70-70, Brett MUNSON (USA) 74-71-70-71, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74-72
287 – Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73-69, Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 72-69-75-71, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 74-71-73-69, Rizal AMIN (MAS) 74-72-70-71, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72-74, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66-75, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72-76
Selected:
290 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74-68
291 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81-70
The 20-year-old Thai, who closed with a stunning seven-under-par 65, edged out Pavit on the 18th hole sudden-death shoot-out with a par after the duo tied on eight-under-par 280 in regulation play at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Phachara Khongwatmai, the youngest winner on the ADT, ensured a strong Thai presence on the final leaderboard when he carded a 67 to share third place on 281 with overnight leader Danthai Boonma, who registered a 71, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event, which is the 10th leg of the ADT this season.
One-time Asian Tour winner Ben Leong, who hails from Sabah, fired a 66 to emerge as the top Malaysian in fifth place on 284 while two other Thais, Pasamet Pogamnerd (68) and Sutijet Kooratanapisan (72) were a further shot back in a share of sixth place.
In the final round all the Indonesians were able to significantly climb on the leaderboard. Jordan Irawan (69) just missed out on a place in the top 10 with a total of 287, while Rory Hie (68) and William Sjaichudin (70) both finished in the top 30 with total scores of 290 and 291 respectively.
Nirun needed only 25 putts in his round of eight birdies, nine pars and one bogey which would have matched the course record set by compatriot Thammanoon Sriroj in 1997 if not for the preferred lies ruling being in effect.
“I am very happy. I played solid. My putting was good and I hit my tee shots very well. Everything just seemed to be in place for me. The playing conditions were pretty similar to the last few rounds. The course was still playing tough but I just stuck to my game plan and didn’t think much out there,” said Nirun.
He stumbled with his only bogey on the first hole but recovered swiftly with a birdie on the second before charging ahead with four straight birdies from the fourth hole and adding three more birdies on his way home.
“Pavit is a good friend of mine and we played together during our practice rounds earlier this week. I know he is a good player and has won a lot of times on the ADT but I did not to put pressure on myself. No matter what happens, I am happy with how I played and I have enjoyed my game. With this win, I can now aim to finish in top-five on the Merit rankings,” added Nirun.
Nirun earned US$9,730 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his victory at the PGM Sabah Championship, which was his second professional win since joining the play-for-pay ranks in 2014. He won on his domestic circuit earlier this year.
Pavit, who shot a bogey-free 66, was delighted to cap a ‘perfect’ round despite being denied a record fifth victory. “I can’t complain. I played really good and I would say it was a perfect game for me. I managed to keep the bogeys off the card. I am happy to give myself a chance by forcing my way into the play-off,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.
“I knew I had to make the birdie on the last to get into the play-off. I told myself I have to make it and I managed to putt in from 10-feet for birdie. I had earlier saved par from 10-feet on the 17th hole so I was pretty confident that I can do it,” added Pavit.
Since it was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 21 tournaments in both 2014 and 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 final round scores:
280 – Nirun SAE-UENG (THA) 73-69-73-65, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75-66
281 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69-71
284 – Ben LEONG (MAS) 75-71-72-66
285 – Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 74-71-72-68, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73-72
286 – Charles HONG (PHI) 73-73-70-70, Brett MUNSON (USA) 74-71-70-71, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74-72
287 – Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73-69, Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 72-69-75-71, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 74-71-73-69, Rizal AMIN (MAS) 74-72-70-71, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72-74, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66-75, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72-76
Selected:
290 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74-68
291 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81-70
Heavy Setback For William Sjaichudin At PGA Sabah Championship
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 8 - Thai teenager Danthai Boonma continued his imperious form by carding a second straight three-under-par 69 to take over the lead in the penultimate round of the PGM Sabah Championship on Friday.
The 19-year-old Thai mixed his card with six birdies against three bogeys for a three-day total of six-under-par 210 to stay one shot ahead of Malaysia’s Danny Chia, who signed for a second consecutive 72, at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj returned with a flawless 66 to surge into third place on 212 in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.
Singapore’s Koh Deng Shan, Thailand’s Sutijet Kooratanapisan and 2013 Order of Merit champion Nicholas Fung of Malaysia stayed a further shot back in fourth place following rounds of 72, 73 and 73 respectively.
Indonesian William Sjaichudin, who started the day in a tie for 4th, dropped back dramatically after carding a lowly 81 in a round with 2 double bogeys and a triple bogey on hole 6, while compatriots Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (74) lost ground as wellPGM .
Danthai, who started the day with a three-shot deficit, credited his driver for playing a pivotal role in securing the pole position heading into the final round.
“I hit the ball good. My tee shots were good and I hit a lot of fairways today. I have been working on my swing prior to this week. I’m glad the efforts are starting to pay off,” said Danthai, who earned his 2015 Asian Tour card after finishing inside top-40 at the Qualifying School in January.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t putt as well. I missed a few short putts today but overall, I am happy with how I’ve played so far. Hopefully I can hang in there to win tomorrow,” added Danthai, a double South East Asia (SEA) Games gold medalist in 2012.
The 42-year-old Chia, who held the first round lead, conceded that he would need to rediscover some magic in his putter should he wish to take home the winner’s trophy tomorrow.
“My putting hasn’t been good these two days but I’m still hitting the ball well. I’ll stick to the same game plan and hopefully get some putts to drop tomorrow,” said the two-time ADT winner, who traded three birdies against three bogeys.
Leading third round scores:
210 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69
211 – Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72
212 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66
213 – KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67-73
214 – Nils FLOREN (SWE) 72-71-71, Tyler EKENBERG (USA) 78-69-67, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75, Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68-76
Selected:
218 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73
221 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81
222 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74
The 19-year-old Thai mixed his card with six birdies against three bogeys for a three-day total of six-under-par 210 to stay one shot ahead of Malaysia’s Danny Chia, who signed for a second consecutive 72, at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj returned with a flawless 66 to surge into third place on 212 in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.
Singapore’s Koh Deng Shan, Thailand’s Sutijet Kooratanapisan and 2013 Order of Merit champion Nicholas Fung of Malaysia stayed a further shot back in fourth place following rounds of 72, 73 and 73 respectively.
Indonesian William Sjaichudin, who started the day in a tie for 4th, dropped back dramatically after carding a lowly 81 in a round with 2 double bogeys and a triple bogey on hole 6, while compatriots Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (74) lost ground as wellPGM .
Danthai, who started the day with a three-shot deficit, credited his driver for playing a pivotal role in securing the pole position heading into the final round.
“I hit the ball good. My tee shots were good and I hit a lot of fairways today. I have been working on my swing prior to this week. I’m glad the efforts are starting to pay off,” said Danthai, who earned his 2015 Asian Tour card after finishing inside top-40 at the Qualifying School in January.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t putt as well. I missed a few short putts today but overall, I am happy with how I’ve played so far. Hopefully I can hang in there to win tomorrow,” added Danthai, a double South East Asia (SEA) Games gold medalist in 2012.
The 42-year-old Chia, who held the first round lead, conceded that he would need to rediscover some magic in his putter should he wish to take home the winner’s trophy tomorrow.
“My putting hasn’t been good these two days but I’m still hitting the ball well. I’ll stick to the same game plan and hopefully get some putts to drop tomorrow,” said the two-time ADT winner, who traded three birdies against three bogeys.
Leading third round scores:
210 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69
211 – Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72
212 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66
213 – KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67-73
214 – Nils FLOREN (SWE) 72-71-71, Tyler EKENBERG (USA) 78-69-67, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75, Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68-76
Selected:
218 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73
221 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81
222 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74
Friday, May 8, 2015
Top 5 For William Sjaichudin At Midpoint Of PGM Sabah Championship
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 7 - Local prospect Zen Dharmaratne took over the reins from compatriot and overnight leader Danny Chia after carding a four-under-par 68 to lead at the halfway stage of the PGM Sabah Championship on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Malaysian, who opened his campaign with a 70, fired five birdies against a lone bogey to grab a slender one-shot lead over Chia on six-under-par 138 total at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Chia battled to a 72 to settle for second place with reigning Order of Merit champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, who returned with a 69, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.
A total of six players including Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung (67), Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai (72) and William Syaichudin (66) of Indonesia - who played lowest round of the day -, shared fourth place on 140s while Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei signed for a disappointing 77 to slipped from tied-third to tied-38th position.
Dharmaratne, who is chasing for a first professional win, got off to a strong start, sinking three consecutive birdies from the first hole before dropping a shot on the seventh. He recovered strongly by picking up two more birdies on the 12th and 13th holes on his way home.
“I had a great start to the round. I kept to my routine and hung in there. I was just focused on hitting the greens and fairways out there and I am glad I was able to keep myself in it,” said Dharmaratne, who joined the play-for-pay ranks in 2013.
“I played with no expectations and I didn’t think about the scores. I just played shot by shot. I like this golf course. I always feel good coming here. It’s a golf course that suits my game a lot,” added the young Malaysian, who has not missed a single cut in all three attempts at the PGM Sabah Championship held at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert of ThailandPavit, who enjoyed a third-place finish last year, is relishing his prospects of securing a record fifth ADT title as he heads into the weekend rounds in a favorable position on the leaderboard.
The four-time ADT winner currently shares the record of having the most number of victories on the region’s burgeoning Tour with Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang.
“I managed to get up and down in a couple of holes today which gave me a bit of confidence in my game. The greens are very firm and it’s difficult to control the ball. I’ve played well here last year but the conditions are really different now. It was rainy last year but this week, it’s dry and windy,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.
“This is only my third ADT event this year and I feel like it’s getting a lot tougher out here compared to how it was last year. It’s so much more competitive now. I’ve been playing good so far this season so hopefully I can stay consistent in game and get my first win of the season soon,” added Pavit, who mixed his card with four birdies against one bogey.
A total of 50 players, including Indonesians Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (75), made the halfway cut at the PGM Sabah Championship which was set at four-over-par 148.
Leading second round scores
138 – Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68
139 – Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72
140 – Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66, YE Jian-feng (CHN) 71-69, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70
Selected:
145 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71
148 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75
The 24-year-old Malaysian, who opened his campaign with a 70, fired five birdies against a lone bogey to grab a slender one-shot lead over Chia on six-under-par 138 total at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Chia battled to a 72 to settle for second place with reigning Order of Merit champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, who returned with a 69, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.
A total of six players including Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung (67), Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai (72) and William Syaichudin (66) of Indonesia - who played lowest round of the day -, shared fourth place on 140s while Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei signed for a disappointing 77 to slipped from tied-third to tied-38th position.
Dharmaratne, who is chasing for a first professional win, got off to a strong start, sinking three consecutive birdies from the first hole before dropping a shot on the seventh. He recovered strongly by picking up two more birdies on the 12th and 13th holes on his way home.
“I had a great start to the round. I kept to my routine and hung in there. I was just focused on hitting the greens and fairways out there and I am glad I was able to keep myself in it,” said Dharmaratne, who joined the play-for-pay ranks in 2013.
“I played with no expectations and I didn’t think about the scores. I just played shot by shot. I like this golf course. I always feel good coming here. It’s a golf course that suits my game a lot,” added the young Malaysian, who has not missed a single cut in all three attempts at the PGM Sabah Championship held at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert of ThailandPavit, who enjoyed a third-place finish last year, is relishing his prospects of securing a record fifth ADT title as he heads into the weekend rounds in a favorable position on the leaderboard.
The four-time ADT winner currently shares the record of having the most number of victories on the region’s burgeoning Tour with Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang.
“I managed to get up and down in a couple of holes today which gave me a bit of confidence in my game. The greens are very firm and it’s difficult to control the ball. I’ve played well here last year but the conditions are really different now. It was rainy last year but this week, it’s dry and windy,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.
“This is only my third ADT event this year and I feel like it’s getting a lot tougher out here compared to how it was last year. It’s so much more competitive now. I’ve been playing good so far this season so hopefully I can stay consistent in game and get my first win of the season soon,” added Pavit, who mixed his card with four birdies against one bogey.
A total of 50 players, including Indonesians Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (75), made the halfway cut at the PGM Sabah Championship which was set at four-over-par 148.
Leading second round scores
138 – Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68
139 – Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72
140 – Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66, YE Jian-feng (CHN) 71-69, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70
Selected:
145 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71
148 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Team Indonesia Fails To Impress At CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented By Enjoy Jakarta Golf
Jakarta, April 23 - Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang showed his mettle as he opened his account with a six-under-par 66 to share the first round lead with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn at the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf on Thursday.
Bjorn, who is seeking his first win in Asia, overcame the hot and humid conditions at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club by trading seven birdies against one bogey to tie for the lead in his debut appearance in the Asian Tour event.
Singapore-based Australian Unho Park rediscovered his putting touch by posting a 67 to share third place with India’s Abhijit Chadha, who had the honor of holing the first hole-in-one at the par-three 15 this week.
Former world number one Lee Westwood of England returned with a 69 to share seventh place with six other players that also featured Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, India’s Rashid Khan and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena.
One of the most successful players on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) with four wins, Chan showed his class and composure in his first start on the Asian Tour this year.
Chan came off the blocks quickly by reaching the turn in 32 after four birdies in the morning.
The 28-year-old continued his birdie sprint on 12 and 14 before dropping his only shot of the day on 16. However, he redeemed himself quickly with a closing birdie.
“I’ve won four times on the ADT and I’m really serious about winning on the Asian Tour now,” said Chan.
“I hope to bring my wealth of experience, playing and winning on the ADT to the Asian Tour. It’s definitely a big step up for me and I’m looking forward to my breakthrough,” he added.
Bjorn, who boasts 21 professional victories worldwide including 15 on the European Tour, is also upbeat of landing his first win in Asia after overcoming the early morning humidity.
“I played pretty solid and I got onto a nice run in my back-nine which kind of brought the round to a really good score.
“It was humid but nice in the morning especially the first 10 to 11 holes. You’ve got to focus really hard and not let your guard down here,” said the big Dane.
Having missed the cut in all of his previous three starts on the Asian Tour this season, Park’s superb round brought back that vital self-belief required to jump start his season.
“I always surprise myself when I play this well. It was really tough out there in the afternoon as it was extremely windy. But I managed to hit my irons well and hole the putts when I needed to for a change.
“I actually played well in my first two events where I just missed the cut by one as my putting was really bad. But I worked on it and the big difference today came down to my putting,” said Park, who is chasing his first win on the Asian Tour this week.
Chadha, who secured his Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year in Thailand, also received a timely confidence boost when he aced the 15th hole with his six-iron.
The hole-in-one set the Indian on his way to a promising start when he would go on to mark his card with four birdies and one bogey.
“It was good today. I started off well by getting a hole-in-one on the 15th and that really kept myself in it. I hit a six-iron, aimed straight at the flag and it went right into the hole.
“I’ve made a hole-in-one in my career but this is really special as I’ve made it on the Asian Tour. That gave me lots of confidence not only for the rest of the round but the entire week ahead,” said Chadha.
Meanwhile the Indonesian team failed to impress, with only one player in the top 70 after round 1. Ian Andrew leads the squad in a tie for 24th after scoring a par 72, three shots ahead of the trio of Asep Saefulloh, Denny A. Wijaya and Kurnia Herisiandy Santoso who are in a 19-way tie for 74th. Leading amateur is Tirto Tamardi who is one shot further back together with among others Rory Hie.
George Gandranata (79), who finished highest of the local players in last years edition, has to work extremely hard tomorrow to make the cut. Currently only in 129th position, he has to make up some 5 shots to get to the top 50, a difficult task indeed.
Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour of Indonesia, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf will feature 24 Indonesian golfers, 20 professionals from the PGA Tour of Indonesia and four of Indonesia’s top amateurs who will compete in the 150 player field over 72 holes of individual stroke play.
Leading scores after round 1 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (A - denotes amateur):
66 - CHAN Shih-chang (TPE), Thomas BJORN (DEN)
67 - Abhijit CHADHA (IND), Unho PARK (AUS)
68 - Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG), Chapchai NIRAT (THA)
69 - Rashid KHAN (IND), Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA), Shaun NORRIS (RSA), Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN), Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA), Lee WESTWOOD (ENG), Miguel TABUENA (PHI)
Selected:
72 - Ian ANDREW (INA)
75 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA), Denny A. WIJAYA (INA), Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA)
76 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA), Rory HIE (INA), Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA)
77 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Bramantio ADI (INA), Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A), Kevin C. AKBAR (A) (INA)
78 - I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA), Almay RAYHAN (A) (INA)
79 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA), William SJAICHUDIN (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA), Daniel WIRAWAN (A) (INA)
80 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
81 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA)
82 - Rizchy SUBEKTI (A) (INA)
83 - Sarmilih (INA)
84 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA)
87 - Fajar WINURYANTO (INA)
Bjorn, who is seeking his first win in Asia, overcame the hot and humid conditions at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club by trading seven birdies against one bogey to tie for the lead in his debut appearance in the Asian Tour event.
Singapore-based Australian Unho Park rediscovered his putting touch by posting a 67 to share third place with India’s Abhijit Chadha, who had the honor of holing the first hole-in-one at the par-three 15 this week.
Former world number one Lee Westwood of England returned with a 69 to share seventh place with six other players that also featured Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, India’s Rashid Khan and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena.
One of the most successful players on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) with four wins, Chan showed his class and composure in his first start on the Asian Tour this year.
Chan came off the blocks quickly by reaching the turn in 32 after four birdies in the morning.
The 28-year-old continued his birdie sprint on 12 and 14 before dropping his only shot of the day on 16. However, he redeemed himself quickly with a closing birdie.
“I’ve won four times on the ADT and I’m really serious about winning on the Asian Tour now,” said Chan.
“I hope to bring my wealth of experience, playing and winning on the ADT to the Asian Tour. It’s definitely a big step up for me and I’m looking forward to my breakthrough,” he added.
Bjorn, who boasts 21 professional victories worldwide including 15 on the European Tour, is also upbeat of landing his first win in Asia after overcoming the early morning humidity.
“I played pretty solid and I got onto a nice run in my back-nine which kind of brought the round to a really good score.
“It was humid but nice in the morning especially the first 10 to 11 holes. You’ve got to focus really hard and not let your guard down here,” said the big Dane.
Having missed the cut in all of his previous three starts on the Asian Tour this season, Park’s superb round brought back that vital self-belief required to jump start his season.
“I always surprise myself when I play this well. It was really tough out there in the afternoon as it was extremely windy. But I managed to hit my irons well and hole the putts when I needed to for a change.
“I actually played well in my first two events where I just missed the cut by one as my putting was really bad. But I worked on it and the big difference today came down to my putting,” said Park, who is chasing his first win on the Asian Tour this week.
Chadha, who secured his Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year in Thailand, also received a timely confidence boost when he aced the 15th hole with his six-iron.
The hole-in-one set the Indian on his way to a promising start when he would go on to mark his card with four birdies and one bogey.
“It was good today. I started off well by getting a hole-in-one on the 15th and that really kept myself in it. I hit a six-iron, aimed straight at the flag and it went right into the hole.
“I’ve made a hole-in-one in my career but this is really special as I’ve made it on the Asian Tour. That gave me lots of confidence not only for the rest of the round but the entire week ahead,” said Chadha.
Meanwhile the Indonesian team failed to impress, with only one player in the top 70 after round 1. Ian Andrew leads the squad in a tie for 24th after scoring a par 72, three shots ahead of the trio of Asep Saefulloh, Denny A. Wijaya and Kurnia Herisiandy Santoso who are in a 19-way tie for 74th. Leading amateur is Tirto Tamardi who is one shot further back together with among others Rory Hie.
George Gandranata (79), who finished highest of the local players in last years edition, has to work extremely hard tomorrow to make the cut. Currently only in 129th position, he has to make up some 5 shots to get to the top 50, a difficult task indeed.
Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour of Indonesia, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf will feature 24 Indonesian golfers, 20 professionals from the PGA Tour of Indonesia and four of Indonesia’s top amateurs who will compete in the 150 player field over 72 holes of individual stroke play.
Leading scores after round 1 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (A - denotes amateur):
66 - CHAN Shih-chang (TPE), Thomas BJORN (DEN)
67 - Abhijit CHADHA (IND), Unho PARK (AUS)
68 - Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG), Chapchai NIRAT (THA)
69 - Rashid KHAN (IND), Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA), Shaun NORRIS (RSA), Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN), Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA), Lee WESTWOOD (ENG), Miguel TABUENA (PHI)
Selected:
72 - Ian ANDREW (INA)
75 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA), Denny A. WIJAYA (INA), Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA)
76 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA), Rory HIE (INA), Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA)
77 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Bramantio ADI (INA), Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A), Kevin C. AKBAR (A) (INA)
78 - I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA), Almay RAYHAN (A) (INA)
79 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA), William SJAICHUDIN (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA), Daniel WIRAWAN (A) (INA)
80 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
81 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA)
82 - Rizchy SUBEKTI (A) (INA)
83 - Sarmilih (INA)
84 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA)
87 - Fajar WINURYANTO (INA)
Sunday, March 22, 2015
15-Year-Old Phachara Wins PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship
Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, March 21 - Phachara Khongwatmai secured a convincing four-shot win at the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship to become the youngest champion on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) on Saturday.
The immensely talented Thai, who turns 16 in May, showed little signs of pressure when he fired two eagles for a brilliant six-under-par 66 and a 20-under-par 268 total at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
He defeated local hope Danny Chia and Shane Smith of the United States, who closed with a 70 and 64 respectively, to settle for tied second at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event.
Sutijet Kooratanapisan (69) of Thailand finished a further shot back on 273 while Quincy Quek of Singapore, the halfway stage leader, finished fifth following a 69 for a 274 total.
Indonesia's Jordan Irawan finished in 40th place after a final round of 73, what must be somewhat disappointing for him after his excellent start of the tournament. But the experience for sure will help him in the next tournaments.
Phachara, who held the share of the overnight lead with Chia, got off to a flying start when he eagled the third hole from 10-feet before making the turn in 34.
He pulled clear from the chasing pack with a huge 25-footer eagle on hole 10 before ending his round on a flourish with birdies on holes 15 and 18.
The victory is a huge boost in his fledgling career. He made headlines when he won the 2013 Hua Hin Open on home soil at the age of 14 before turning professional in August last year.
He also earned an Asian Tour card at Qualifying earlier this year after winning his first professional title in Thailand.
“I’m very happy with this win,” smiled Phachara. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to win a tournament because my game was very good. I was a bit nervous but it helps when you have two eagles in your round! My short game really helped me this week.”
Phachara’s win earned him US$9,436 and six valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Leading fourth round scores:
268 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71 66 65 66
272 – Shane SMITH (USA) 68 69 71 64, Danny CHIA (MAS) 68 68 66 70
273 – Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68 69 67 69
274 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67 67 71 69
276 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 68 69 66 73
277 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 68 73 68 68
279 – Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 70 69 72 68
280 – Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 71 69 72 68, Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 69 73 69 69, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70 67 72 71, Abel TAM (MAS) 72 67 69 72
Selected:
290 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67 73 77 73
The immensely talented Thai, who turns 16 in May, showed little signs of pressure when he fired two eagles for a brilliant six-under-par 66 and a 20-under-par 268 total at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
He defeated local hope Danny Chia and Shane Smith of the United States, who closed with a 70 and 64 respectively, to settle for tied second at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event.
Sutijet Kooratanapisan (69) of Thailand finished a further shot back on 273 while Quincy Quek of Singapore, the halfway stage leader, finished fifth following a 69 for a 274 total.
Indonesia's Jordan Irawan finished in 40th place after a final round of 73, what must be somewhat disappointing for him after his excellent start of the tournament. But the experience for sure will help him in the next tournaments.
Phachara, who held the share of the overnight lead with Chia, got off to a flying start when he eagled the third hole from 10-feet before making the turn in 34.
He pulled clear from the chasing pack with a huge 25-footer eagle on hole 10 before ending his round on a flourish with birdies on holes 15 and 18.
The victory is a huge boost in his fledgling career. He made headlines when he won the 2013 Hua Hin Open on home soil at the age of 14 before turning professional in August last year.
He also earned an Asian Tour card at Qualifying earlier this year after winning his first professional title in Thailand.
“I’m very happy with this win,” smiled Phachara. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to win a tournament because my game was very good. I was a bit nervous but it helps when you have two eagles in your round! My short game really helped me this week.”
Phachara’s win earned him US$9,436 and six valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
Leading fourth round scores:
268 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71 66 65 66
272 – Shane SMITH (USA) 68 69 71 64, Danny CHIA (MAS) 68 68 66 70
273 – Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68 69 67 69
274 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67 67 71 69
276 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 68 69 66 73
277 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 68 73 68 68
279 – Ervin CHANG (A) (MAS) 70 69 72 68
280 – Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 71 69 72 68, Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 69 73 69 69, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70 67 72 71, Abel TAM (MAS) 72 67 69 72
Selected:
290 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67 73 77 73
Friday, March 20, 2015
Jordan Irawan Slides Further Back At PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship
Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, March 20 - Thai wonder kid Phachara Khongwatmai fired a superb seven-under-par 65 to share the third round lead with Malaysia’s Danny Chia at the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship on Friday.
Phachara, who turns 16 in May, shot nine birdies for a 14-under-par 202 total at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia to stay on track in his chase to become the youngest winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Local hope Chia was bogey-free in his round of 66 while Brett Munson of the United States also carded a 66 to trail by one-shot as he seeks a successful title defense at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event.
Overnight leader Quincy Quek of Singapore was a further three shots back from the leaders after struggling to a 71.
Jordan Irawan, the only Indonesian who survived the cut, had a very disappointing round, making double bogey on both hole 15 and 16 to finish the round in 77. He is now at 1-over after 3 rounds in 44th place.
Phachara holds the record of being the youngest ever player to win a professional tournament when he triumphed at the 2013 Hua Hin Open on home soil as an amateur at the age of 14.
After joining the play-for-pay ranks in August last year, the Thai secured his first win as a professional in Thailand before going on to finish inside the top-40 at the Asian Tour Qualifying School to earn a Tour card.
Phachara showed maturity beyond his young age when he recovered from an opening 71 by shooting 13-under-par in the last two days as he sets his sights on writing a small slice of history on the ADT.
“I was a little bit nervous in the first round but now I’m feeling more confident. My game is improving and I like playing on this course. It won’t be easy on the last day but I will try my best. It will be very exciting for me,” said Phachara.
Chia, Malaysia’s first Asian Tour winner, produced his best round of the week courtesy of his solid ball striking which resulted in six birdies.
“It was the best I hit the ball in the last three days. I made some good par save and that kept the momentum going. It has been a good tournament for me so far but I’ll have to stay focus on the last day,” said the 42-year-old Chia.
Playing in his second year on the ADT, Munson relied on his short game to stay in contention as he was rewarded with five birdies and one eagle against one bogey.
“I’m managing my game well and I’m putting well. I wish my ball striking was a little bit better,” said Munson.
“This is my second year in Asia and I’m more comfortable playing on this type of grass after asking some Malaysian players for some short game tips. I can’t name them all because I’ve asked a few of them!” he laughed.
Leading third round scores:
202 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71 66 65, Danny CHIA (MAS) 68 68 66
203 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 68 69 66
204 – Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68 69 67
205 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67 67 71
208 – Abel TAM (MAS) 72 67 69, Shane SMITH (USA) 68 69 71
209 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 68 73 68, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70 67 72
Selected:
217 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67 73 77
Phachara, who turns 16 in May, shot nine birdies for a 14-under-par 202 total at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia to stay on track in his chase to become the youngest winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Local hope Chia was bogey-free in his round of 66 while Brett Munson of the United States also carded a 66 to trail by one-shot as he seeks a successful title defense at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event.
Overnight leader Quincy Quek of Singapore was a further three shots back from the leaders after struggling to a 71.
Jordan Irawan, the only Indonesian who survived the cut, had a very disappointing round, making double bogey on both hole 15 and 16 to finish the round in 77. He is now at 1-over after 3 rounds in 44th place.
Phachara holds the record of being the youngest ever player to win a professional tournament when he triumphed at the 2013 Hua Hin Open on home soil as an amateur at the age of 14.
After joining the play-for-pay ranks in August last year, the Thai secured his first win as a professional in Thailand before going on to finish inside the top-40 at the Asian Tour Qualifying School to earn a Tour card.
Phachara showed maturity beyond his young age when he recovered from an opening 71 by shooting 13-under-par in the last two days as he sets his sights on writing a small slice of history on the ADT.
“I was a little bit nervous in the first round but now I’m feeling more confident. My game is improving and I like playing on this course. It won’t be easy on the last day but I will try my best. It will be very exciting for me,” said Phachara.
Chia, Malaysia’s first Asian Tour winner, produced his best round of the week courtesy of his solid ball striking which resulted in six birdies.
“It was the best I hit the ball in the last three days. I made some good par save and that kept the momentum going. It has been a good tournament for me so far but I’ll have to stay focus on the last day,” said the 42-year-old Chia.
Playing in his second year on the ADT, Munson relied on his short game to stay in contention as he was rewarded with five birdies and one eagle against one bogey.
“I’m managing my game well and I’m putting well. I wish my ball striking was a little bit better,” said Munson.
“This is my second year in Asia and I’m more comfortable playing on this type of grass after asking some Malaysian players for some short game tips. I can’t name them all because I’ve asked a few of them!” he laughed.
Leading third round scores:
202 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71 66 65, Danny CHIA (MAS) 68 68 66
203 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 68 69 66
204 – Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68 69 67
205 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67 67 71
208 – Abel TAM (MAS) 72 67 69, Shane SMITH (USA) 68 69 71
209 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 68 73 68, KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70 67 72
Selected:
217 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67 73 77
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Jordan Irawan Falls Back At PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship
Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, March 19 - Quincy Quek of Singapore fired two eagles for a five-under-par 67 to pull two shots clear at the halfway stage of the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship on Thursday.
The 28-year-old, who married long-time girlfriend Celine in December, leads on 10-under-par 134 while local ace Danny Chia trails in second place following a 68 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Title holder Brett Munson, Shane Smith of the United States, Khor Kheng Hwai of Malaysia, James Byrne of Scotland - winner here in 2013 - and Dominic Foos of Germany, were a further two shots back alongside Thai trio Wisut Artjanawat, Phachara Khongwatmai and Phachara Khongwatmai.
Indonesia's Jordan Irawan was unable to repeat his first round, and with a second round of one over par he saw himself tumble on the leaderboard to a tie for 16th. Meanwhile George Gandranata scored a second consecutive round of even par, but this wasn't enough to advance to the third round, missing the cut by a single stroke.
Quek produced his first eagle when he curved his hybrid-second shot on the third hole before holding his nerve to sink a 25-footer eagle putt at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
He landed his second eagle of the day on hole 10 when his seven-iron approach shot landed six-feet from the hole.
“The first eagle was good. I didn’t have a view of the green because of the overhanging trees and I had to hit it around the trees and hole a good putt. It was a good way to start my round,” Quek smiled.
The tall Singaporean was pleased with his round of two eagles and two birdies against a single dropped shot but he admits that the par saves were equally satisfying.
“There were a lot of times when I was faced with little five footers which were quite stressful but I managed to sink most of them so that was quite satisfying.
“I left quite a lot of birdie chances at the mouth of the hole. Judging the speed can be a little bit tricky here but overall happy with the way I’m approaching each shot. I’m fairly fortunate that the eagles dropped and gave myself a lot of birdie chances. It is always a good day when you do that,” he explained.
A total of 52 players including amateurs Low Khai Jei and Ervin Chang of Malaysia qualified for the last two rounds as the halfway cut was set at one-under-par 143. Current ADT Order of Merit leader Arie Irawan made an early exit following a disappointing 79.
Leading second round scores:
134 - Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67-67
136 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 68-68
137 - KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70-67, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 73-64, James BYRNE (SCO) 67-70, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71-66, Dominic FOOS (GER) 69-68, Brett MUNSON (USA) 68-69, Shane SMITH (USA) 68-69, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68-69
Selected:
140 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67-73
144 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 72-72
The 28-year-old, who married long-time girlfriend Celine in December, leads on 10-under-par 134 while local ace Danny Chia trails in second place following a 68 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Title holder Brett Munson, Shane Smith of the United States, Khor Kheng Hwai of Malaysia, James Byrne of Scotland - winner here in 2013 - and Dominic Foos of Germany, were a further two shots back alongside Thai trio Wisut Artjanawat, Phachara Khongwatmai and Phachara Khongwatmai.
Indonesia's Jordan Irawan was unable to repeat his first round, and with a second round of one over par he saw himself tumble on the leaderboard to a tie for 16th. Meanwhile George Gandranata scored a second consecutive round of even par, but this wasn't enough to advance to the third round, missing the cut by a single stroke.
Quek produced his first eagle when he curved his hybrid-second shot on the third hole before holding his nerve to sink a 25-footer eagle putt at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
He landed his second eagle of the day on hole 10 when his seven-iron approach shot landed six-feet from the hole.
“The first eagle was good. I didn’t have a view of the green because of the overhanging trees and I had to hit it around the trees and hole a good putt. It was a good way to start my round,” Quek smiled.
The tall Singaporean was pleased with his round of two eagles and two birdies against a single dropped shot but he admits that the par saves were equally satisfying.
“There were a lot of times when I was faced with little five footers which were quite stressful but I managed to sink most of them so that was quite satisfying.
“I left quite a lot of birdie chances at the mouth of the hole. Judging the speed can be a little bit tricky here but overall happy with the way I’m approaching each shot. I’m fairly fortunate that the eagles dropped and gave myself a lot of birdie chances. It is always a good day when you do that,” he explained.
A total of 52 players including amateurs Low Khai Jei and Ervin Chang of Malaysia qualified for the last two rounds as the halfway cut was set at one-under-par 143. Current ADT Order of Merit leader Arie Irawan made an early exit following a disappointing 79.
Leading second round scores:
134 - Quincy QUEK (SIN) 67-67
136 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 68-68
137 - KHOR Kheng Hwai (MAS) 70-67, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 73-64, James BYRNE (SCO) 67-70, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 71-66, Dominic FOOS (GER) 69-68, Brett MUNSON (USA) 68-69, Shane SMITH (USA) 68-69, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 68-69
Selected:
140 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 67-73
144 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 72-72
Jordan Irawan In Chase Of Lead At PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship
Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, March 18 - Thailand’s Natthapong Niyomchon fired an opening six-under-par 66 to hold a slim one-shot lead at the PGM CCM Rahman Putra Championship on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old, who is without a win since turning professional in 2005, carded seven birdies to lead the chasing pack at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
ADT champions Quincy Quek of Singapore and James Byrne of Scotland tied for second place alongside Jordan Irawan of Indonesia and Jordan Sherratt of Australia at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
Local ace Danny Chia, defending champion Brett Munson of the United States and Englishman Christopher Canon were among those bunched in sixth place after returning on matching 68s.
Indonesia's top ranked player George Gandranata finished his round at even par and is currently tied for 41st place.
Natthapong took advantage of a hot putter where he made 27 putts including two important birdies putts from inside 15-feet on holes 12 and 13. The Thai was delighted to be in position to battle for a first career title.
“My putting was good and the two big birdie putts helped,” said Natthapong. “I like this course because I can hit long drives and I feel comfortable reading the lines on the greens. It is going to be exciting because I haven’t won before.”
Newly-wed Quek, who won his first ADT title in the Philippines in 2012, put in a solid performance highlighted by a chip-in birdie from the edge of the 11th green.
“Gave myself birdie chances and I was quite consistent. I was rolling the putts well too and made long birdies putts on 10, 16 and five. I guess having a more stable personal life helps on the golf course too,” said Quek, who married his long-time girlfriend Celine in December.
The 19-year-old Irawan was pleased to see his hard work pay off during the off-season where he worked diligently on his course management.
“My game is better this year compared to last year. I practiced harder and smarter. Starting in the middle of last year, I looked at my statistics and tried to work on my course management,” said Irawan.
“In the past, I would always attach the pin but I learned from my mistake and now I play much better golf. I put what I practiced on the course today and only attacked the pin on certain holes,” explained the Indonesia, who opened with an eight-foot eagle putt.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
Leading first round scores:
66 – Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA)
67 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) , Jordan IRAWAN (INA) , James BYRNE (SCO) , Jordan SHERRATT (AUS)
68 – Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) , Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) , Christopher CANNON (ENG) , Brett MUNSON (USA) , Danny CHIA (MAS) , Shane SMITH (USA) , Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) , Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA)
Selected:
72 - George GANDRANATA (INA)
The 26-year-old, who is without a win since turning professional in 2005, carded seven birdies to lead the chasing pack at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
ADT champions Quincy Quek of Singapore and James Byrne of Scotland tied for second place alongside Jordan Irawan of Indonesia and Jordan Sherratt of Australia at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia.
Local ace Danny Chia, defending champion Brett Munson of the United States and Englishman Christopher Canon were among those bunched in sixth place after returning on matching 68s.
Indonesia's top ranked player George Gandranata finished his round at even par and is currently tied for 41st place.
Natthapong took advantage of a hot putter where he made 27 putts including two important birdies putts from inside 15-feet on holes 12 and 13. The Thai was delighted to be in position to battle for a first career title.
“My putting was good and the two big birdie putts helped,” said Natthapong. “I like this course because I can hit long drives and I feel comfortable reading the lines on the greens. It is going to be exciting because I haven’t won before.”
Newly-wed Quek, who won his first ADT title in the Philippines in 2012, put in a solid performance highlighted by a chip-in birdie from the edge of the 11th green.
“Gave myself birdie chances and I was quite consistent. I was rolling the putts well too and made long birdies putts on 10, 16 and five. I guess having a more stable personal life helps on the golf course too,” said Quek, who married his long-time girlfriend Celine in December.
The 19-year-old Irawan was pleased to see his hard work pay off during the off-season where he worked diligently on his course management.
“My game is better this year compared to last year. I practiced harder and smarter. Starting in the middle of last year, I looked at my statistics and tried to work on my course management,” said Irawan.
“In the past, I would always attach the pin but I learned from my mistake and now I play much better golf. I put what I practiced on the course today and only attacked the pin on certain holes,” explained the Indonesia, who opened with an eight-foot eagle putt.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
Leading first round scores:
66 – Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA)
67 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) , Jordan IRAWAN (INA) , James BYRNE (SCO) , Jordan SHERRATT (AUS)
68 – Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) , Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) , Christopher CANNON (ENG) , Brett MUNSON (USA) , Danny CHIA (MAS) , Shane SMITH (USA) , Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) , Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA)
Selected:
72 - George GANDRANATA (INA)
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Rory Hie Fails To Capitalize On Stellar First Round At PGM Terangganu Championship
Terengganu, Malaysia, March 14 - Thailand’s Panuwat Muenlek secured his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory after closing with a three-under-par 68 to win by three shots at the PGM Terengganu Championship on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Thai, who held a share of the overnight lead, fired six birdies against three bogeys to claim his first professional victory outside of Thailand on 11-under-par 273 total at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event.
Overnight co-leader Atthaphon Sriboonkaew, also of Thailand, battled to a 71 to share second place with countryman Itthipat Buranatanyarat, who carded a 68, at the Resorts World Kijal.
Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing (67) and Finland’s Janne Kaske (68) shared fourth place on 277 while American Shane Smith and Masaru Takahashi of Japan took sixth and seventh place respectively after returning with matching 71s at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event.
Defending champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand settled for a share of 31st place on 289 after closing with a 71.
Indonesia's Rory Hie, who lead the field after the first round with a stunning 66, slipped back after not breaking par in the subsequent rounds. He finished at 2-over-par in a tie for 20th place, which must be a disappointment after starting so well.
Panuwat endured a slow start to the round but bounced back with a sensational back nine where he picked up a birdie on the 12th and nailed four more birdies in his last five holes.
“I’m thrilled. I didn’t play well on my front nine. I had a few misses and I felt uncomfortable but I told myself to move on and not think too much out there. My putting got better on the back nine and I was able to score,” said the slightly-built Thai, who pocketed US$9,459 and received six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his win.
“I only started to feel nervous heading into the last few holes. Atthaphon is like a brother to me and we practise a lot together. I was very happy to be playing in the last group with him. I am sure this win will give me more confidence in my game. I will try and aim for a few more wins this season to finish top-five on the Merit rankings,” added Panuwat.
Despite being left to rue a missed chance for a maiden ADT victory, Athaphon tipped his hat to Panuwat for being a deserving winner.
“I didn’t putt as well today, compared to the first three rounds but overall, I’m still happy with how I played this week. This is my best finish on the ADT so far. I’m sure I will take home a lot of positives from this week. Panuwat played very well and I’m happy that he won,” said the 36-year-old Atthaphon, who mixed his card with three birdies and three bogeys.
Panuwat moved to third place on the ADT Order of Merit led by local talent Arie Irawan, who won the season-opening event on the burgeoning Tour this season.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
Leading final round scores:
273 – Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 70-68-67-68
276 – Itthipat BURANATANYARAT (THA) 68-72-68-68, Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) 68-71-66-71
277 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 72-69-69-67, Janne KASKE (FIN) 72-67-69-69
278 – Shane SMITH (USA) 68-70-69-71
280 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 71-67-71-71
281 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 76-69-68-68, Akhmal TARMIZEE (MAS) 74-69-70-68, Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 67-73-72-69, Jordan SHERRATT (AUS) 72-68-70-71
Selected:
286 - Rory HIE (INA) 66-75-72-73
The 29-year-old Thai, who held a share of the overnight lead, fired six birdies against three bogeys to claim his first professional victory outside of Thailand on 11-under-par 273 total at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event.
Overnight co-leader Atthaphon Sriboonkaew, also of Thailand, battled to a 71 to share second place with countryman Itthipat Buranatanyarat, who carded a 68, at the Resorts World Kijal.
Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing (67) and Finland’s Janne Kaske (68) shared fourth place on 277 while American Shane Smith and Masaru Takahashi of Japan took sixth and seventh place respectively after returning with matching 71s at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event.
Defending champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand settled for a share of 31st place on 289 after closing with a 71.
Indonesia's Rory Hie, who lead the field after the first round with a stunning 66, slipped back after not breaking par in the subsequent rounds. He finished at 2-over-par in a tie for 20th place, which must be a disappointment after starting so well.
Panuwat endured a slow start to the round but bounced back with a sensational back nine where he picked up a birdie on the 12th and nailed four more birdies in his last five holes.
“I’m thrilled. I didn’t play well on my front nine. I had a few misses and I felt uncomfortable but I told myself to move on and not think too much out there. My putting got better on the back nine and I was able to score,” said the slightly-built Thai, who pocketed US$9,459 and received six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his win.
“I only started to feel nervous heading into the last few holes. Atthaphon is like a brother to me and we practise a lot together. I was very happy to be playing in the last group with him. I am sure this win will give me more confidence in my game. I will try and aim for a few more wins this season to finish top-five on the Merit rankings,” added Panuwat.
Despite being left to rue a missed chance for a maiden ADT victory, Athaphon tipped his hat to Panuwat for being a deserving winner.
“I didn’t putt as well today, compared to the first three rounds but overall, I’m still happy with how I played this week. This is my best finish on the ADT so far. I’m sure I will take home a lot of positives from this week. Panuwat played very well and I’m happy that he won,” said the 36-year-old Atthaphon, who mixed his card with three birdies and three bogeys.
Panuwat moved to third place on the ADT Order of Merit led by local talent Arie Irawan, who won the season-opening event on the burgeoning Tour this season.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
Leading final round scores:
273 – Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 70-68-67-68
276 – Itthipat BURANATANYARAT (THA) 68-72-68-68, Atthaphon SRIBOONKAEW (THA) 68-71-66-71
277 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 72-69-69-67, Janne KASKE (FIN) 72-67-69-69
278 – Shane SMITH (USA) 68-70-69-71
280 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 71-67-71-71
281 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 76-69-68-68, Akhmal TARMIZEE (MAS) 74-69-70-68, Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 67-73-72-69, Jordan SHERRATT (AUS) 72-68-70-71
Selected:
286 - Rory HIE (INA) 66-75-72-73
Saturday, February 14, 2015
George Gandranata And Jordan Irawan Let Top Placement Slip At PGM LADA Langkawi Championship
Langkawi, Malaysia, February 14 - Malaysia’s Wilson Choo earned his breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) when he claimed a one-stroke victory at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship on Saturday.
Choo, who led the first two rounds, fired a closing six-under-par 66 for a winning total of 18-under-par 270 at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts, becoming the second Malaysian after Arie Irawan to win on the ADT this season.
Overnight leader Micah Lauren Shin of the United States marked his best performance on the ADT by signing for a 69 for a runner-finish while Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing took third place on 272 following a 68 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) ADT event.
Thailand’s Nakarintra Ratanakul settled for fourth place while Arie (69) and Australian Jack Munro (66) took fifth and sixth positions respectively at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship, which is the second leg of the ADT schedule this season.
The Indonesians duo of George Gandranata and Jordan Irawan both failed to capitalize their good position after round 3, when George shot a 73 to finish at tie for 19th and Jordan shot a 75 to finish in a tie for 29th, shared with Rory Hie who finished his tournament with a round of 69. Meanwhile Ian Andrew finished with a 73 to tie for 38th. All in all with 4 players in the top 40 this has not been to bad a week for Indonesian golf.
Choo was a very relieved man after battling tooth and nail with his spirited rivals who piled the pressure on him all day.
“I can finally calm down now. My heart was really beating fast out there. I kind of adjusted my game plan as it was a little windy and playing condition was slightly different today. I made some changes with my club approaches and my putting was much better as well,” said the 25-year-old Malaysian, who had previously won once on his local circuit in 2013.
“Micah and Lam were really close as we headed into the last few holes but I told myself to stay calm and not rush through things. I learnt a lot from this week. I played with Anthony Kang at the National Open last week and today, I played with his good friend, Lam. Lam gave me a very good spike out there and I really enjoyed myself,” added Choo.
Choo, who fired three straight birdies starting from the second hole, stumbled with a double bogey on the fifth but recovered swiftly with a birdie on the next before punching a five-iron to three feet for eagle on the eighth. He added three more birdies but dropped a shot on the 16th on his way home.
Lam Chih Bing (SIN)“It has always been my target to win on the ADT and now that I’ve achieved it, I will try and win a couple more to play my way onto the Asian Tour. That’s my ultimate goal,” added Choo, who took home US$9,829 and receive six Official World Golf Ranking points courtesy of his victory.
Leading final round scores:
270 – Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67-73-66
271 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67-67-69
272 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67-67-68
274 – Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67-70-67
275 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66-70-69
276 – Jack MUNRO (AUS) 70-68-72-66
277 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68-72-66
278 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 73-71-68-66, Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 67-71-72-68
Selected:
282 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71-69-73
284 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70-73-69, Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69-68-75
286 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70-69-73
Choo, who led the first two rounds, fired a closing six-under-par 66 for a winning total of 18-under-par 270 at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts, becoming the second Malaysian after Arie Irawan to win on the ADT this season.
Overnight leader Micah Lauren Shin of the United States marked his best performance on the ADT by signing for a 69 for a runner-finish while Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing took third place on 272 following a 68 at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) ADT event.
Thailand’s Nakarintra Ratanakul settled for fourth place while Arie (69) and Australian Jack Munro (66) took fifth and sixth positions respectively at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship, which is the second leg of the ADT schedule this season.
The Indonesians duo of George Gandranata and Jordan Irawan both failed to capitalize their good position after round 3, when George shot a 73 to finish at tie for 19th and Jordan shot a 75 to finish in a tie for 29th, shared with Rory Hie who finished his tournament with a round of 69. Meanwhile Ian Andrew finished with a 73 to tie for 38th. All in all with 4 players in the top 40 this has not been to bad a week for Indonesian golf.
Choo was a very relieved man after battling tooth and nail with his spirited rivals who piled the pressure on him all day.
“I can finally calm down now. My heart was really beating fast out there. I kind of adjusted my game plan as it was a little windy and playing condition was slightly different today. I made some changes with my club approaches and my putting was much better as well,” said the 25-year-old Malaysian, who had previously won once on his local circuit in 2013.
“Micah and Lam were really close as we headed into the last few holes but I told myself to stay calm and not rush through things. I learnt a lot from this week. I played with Anthony Kang at the National Open last week and today, I played with his good friend, Lam. Lam gave me a very good spike out there and I really enjoyed myself,” added Choo.
Choo, who fired three straight birdies starting from the second hole, stumbled with a double bogey on the fifth but recovered swiftly with a birdie on the next before punching a five-iron to three feet for eagle on the eighth. He added three more birdies but dropped a shot on the 16th on his way home.
Lam Chih Bing (SIN)“It has always been my target to win on the ADT and now that I’ve achieved it, I will try and win a couple more to play my way onto the Asian Tour. That’s my ultimate goal,” added Choo, who took home US$9,829 and receive six Official World Golf Ranking points courtesy of his victory.
Leading final round scores:
270 – Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67-73-66
271 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67-67-69
272 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67-67-68
274 – Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67-70-67
275 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66-70-69
276 – Jack MUNRO (AUS) 70-68-72-66
277 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68-72-66
278 – Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 73-71-68-66, Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 67-71-72-68
Selected:
282 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71-69-73
284 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70-73-69, Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69-68-75
286 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70-69-73
Friday, February 13, 2015
Jordan Irawan and George Gandranata Enter Top Ten At PGM LADA Langkawi Championship
Langkawi, Malaysia, February 13 - Teenage professional Micah Shin of the United States put on a brilliant display when he carded a second consecutive five-under-par 67 to take over the lead at the penultimate round of the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship on Friday.
Starting the round four shots back, Shin fired six birdies against a lone bogey for a two-shot lead on 14-under-par 202 at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts.
Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing also returned with a second straight 67 to share second place with overnight leader Wilson Choo of Malaysia, who battled to a 73, at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Janne Kaske of Finland, playing in only his second event on the ADT, stayed one shot back in fourth following a 68 while Arie Irawan, highest ranked Malaysian in the world, matched his opening efforts of a 70 to sit in fifth place on 206 at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship.
Three Indonesians finished their rounds in the 60's, propelling Jordan Irawan (68) and George Gandranata (69) into the top ten, while Ian Andrew (69) climbed 23 places to a tie for 28th. Meanwhile Rory Hie had to settle for a round of 73 and slipped to a tie for 41st.
Shin credited his composure for another solid round which put him right on track for a maiden victory on the ADT.
“My game’s feeling good. I didn’t miss a single fairway today. My putting was good too. It’s always nice to be playing well,” said the lanky 18-year-old.
Shin had launched his bid for an Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School in Thailand last month where he fought bravely through the first stage, only to miss the mark after finishing outside top-40 at the final stage the following week.
“I will focus on playing well on the ADT this year. I will keep it the same for tomorrow and continue to do what I have been doing. Hopefully I can claim my first victory but we will see how it goes,” added Shin.
Despite falling off the lead, Choo held his head high and is determined to revive his challenge for a maiden ADT victory when he heads into the all-important final round.
“I just didn’t give myself enough chances to make birdies and I didn’t putt as well today but I have no complaints. I’m still happy to keep myself into contention heading into the final round. I will try and stay as calm as possible tomorrow and we will see how it goes,” said the 25-year-old Malaysian.
“Arie and Nicholas (Fung) have done really well on the ADT and it’s good to see that. My aim is to play my way onto the Asian Tour. That will be my motivation to play well,” added Choo, who mixed his card with three birdies against four bogeys.
Leading third round scores:
202 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67-67
204 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67-67, Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67-73
205 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 67-70-68
206 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66-70
207 – Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67-70
208 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68-70, Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 68-66-74
209 – CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 71-70-68, Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69-68, George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71-69, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 71-67-71, LOW Khai Jei (A) (MAS) 67-70-72
Selected:
213 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70-69
215 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70-73
Starting the round four shots back, Shin fired six birdies against a lone bogey for a two-shot lead on 14-under-par 202 at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts.
Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing also returned with a second straight 67 to share second place with overnight leader Wilson Choo of Malaysia, who battled to a 73, at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Janne Kaske of Finland, playing in only his second event on the ADT, stayed one shot back in fourth following a 68 while Arie Irawan, highest ranked Malaysian in the world, matched his opening efforts of a 70 to sit in fifth place on 206 at the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship.
Three Indonesians finished their rounds in the 60's, propelling Jordan Irawan (68) and George Gandranata (69) into the top ten, while Ian Andrew (69) climbed 23 places to a tie for 28th. Meanwhile Rory Hie had to settle for a round of 73 and slipped to a tie for 41st.
Shin credited his composure for another solid round which put him right on track for a maiden victory on the ADT.
“My game’s feeling good. I didn’t miss a single fairway today. My putting was good too. It’s always nice to be playing well,” said the lanky 18-year-old.
Shin had launched his bid for an Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School in Thailand last month where he fought bravely through the first stage, only to miss the mark after finishing outside top-40 at the final stage the following week.
“I will focus on playing well on the ADT this year. I will keep it the same for tomorrow and continue to do what I have been doing. Hopefully I can claim my first victory but we will see how it goes,” added Shin.
Despite falling off the lead, Choo held his head high and is determined to revive his challenge for a maiden ADT victory when he heads into the all-important final round.
“I just didn’t give myself enough chances to make birdies and I didn’t putt as well today but I have no complaints. I’m still happy to keep myself into contention heading into the final round. I will try and stay as calm as possible tomorrow and we will see how it goes,” said the 25-year-old Malaysian.
“Arie and Nicholas (Fung) have done really well on the ADT and it’s good to see that. My aim is to play my way onto the Asian Tour. That will be my motivation to play well,” added Choo, who mixed his card with three birdies against four bogeys.
Leading third round scores:
202 – Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67-67
204 – LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67-67, Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67-73
205 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 67-70-68
206 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66-70
207 – Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67-70
208 – Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68-70, Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 68-66-74
209 – CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 71-70-68, Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69-68, George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71-69, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 71-67-71, LOW Khai Jei (A) (MAS) 67-70-72
Selected:
213 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70-69
215 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70-73
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Indonesians Keeping Up The Fight At PGM LADA Langkawi Championship
Langkawi, Malaysia, February 12 - Wilson Choo of Malaysia continued his good form by shooting a five-under-par 67 to seize the lead at the halfway stage of the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship on Thursday.
Choo, the joint overnight leader, compiled a two-day total of 13-under-par 131 to open up a three-shot lead over Thailand’s Natthapong Niyomchon, who carded a 66, at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Thailand’s Nattapong Putta, who also held a share of the overnight lead, signed for a 71 to sit in third place with American Micah Lauren Shin, who posted a 67, at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts.
Arie Irawan, the highest ranked Malaysian in the world, returned with a 66 to stay five shots off the pace in fifth place while four other players, including Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing and local amateur Low Khai Jei, shared sixth on 137.
Indonesia is represented with 5 players, with George Gandranata (140, T-19), Jordan Irawan (141, T-22)), Rory hie (142, T-34) and Ian Andrew (144, T-51 all making the cut. Only Bramantio Adi (161, 103) will have to return home early.
Choo double bogeyed the 11th hole after losing focus but regained momentum when he holed a 30-footer eagle on the 15th hole before closing with a birdie to keep up his chase for a first ADT win.
“I scrambled a little bit but it was still a good round. I had a good start but I struggled on the 11th and 14th holes. I got a bit nervous and lost my focus but I was glad I managed to recover from it,” said the 25-year-old Choo.
“I’m happy to be in the lead. I will stick to the same game plan for the next two rounds. Everything will be the same for me. Hopefully I can continue to play well and get my first win on the ADT,” added Choo.
A total of 59 players made the halfway cut which was set at even-par 144.
The winner of the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship will take home US$9,678 and receive six Official World Golf Ranking points.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
Leading second round scores:
131 – Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67
134 – Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 68-66
135 – Nattapong PUTTA (THA) 64-71, Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67
136 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66
137 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 67-70, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67, Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67, LOW Khai Jei (A) (MAS) 67-70
138 – Torben BAUMANN (GER) 65-73, Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68, Jack MUNRO (AUS) 70-68, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 71-67, Brett MUNSON (USA) 70-68, Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 67-71
Selected:
140 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71
141 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69
142 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70
144 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70
161 - Bramantio ADI (INA) 78-83
Choo, the joint overnight leader, compiled a two-day total of 13-under-par 131 to open up a three-shot lead over Thailand’s Natthapong Niyomchon, who carded a 66, at the RM200,000 (approximately US$60,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.
Thailand’s Nattapong Putta, who also held a share of the overnight lead, signed for a 71 to sit in third place with American Micah Lauren Shin, who posted a 67, at the Gunung Raya Golf Resorts.
Arie Irawan, the highest ranked Malaysian in the world, returned with a 66 to stay five shots off the pace in fifth place while four other players, including Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing and local amateur Low Khai Jei, shared sixth on 137.
Indonesia is represented with 5 players, with George Gandranata (140, T-19), Jordan Irawan (141, T-22)), Rory hie (142, T-34) and Ian Andrew (144, T-51 all making the cut. Only Bramantio Adi (161, 103) will have to return home early.
Choo double bogeyed the 11th hole after losing focus but regained momentum when he holed a 30-footer eagle on the 15th hole before closing with a birdie to keep up his chase for a first ADT win.
“I scrambled a little bit but it was still a good round. I had a good start but I struggled on the 11th and 14th holes. I got a bit nervous and lost my focus but I was glad I managed to recover from it,” said the 25-year-old Choo.
“I’m happy to be in the lead. I will stick to the same game plan for the next two rounds. Everything will be the same for me. Hopefully I can continue to play well and get my first win on the ADT,” added Choo.
A total of 59 players made the halfway cut which was set at even-par 144.
The winner of the PGM LADA Langkawi Championship will take home US$9,678 and receive six Official World Golf Ranking points.
The ADT will reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
Leading second round scores:
131 – Wilson CHOO (MAS) 64-67
134 – Natthapong NIYOMCHON (THA) 68-66
135 – Nattapong PUTTA (THA) 64-71, Micah Lauren SHIN (USA) 68-67
136 – Arie IRAWAN (MAS) 70-66
137 – Janne KASKE (FIN) 67-70, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 70-67, Nakarintra RATANAKUL (THA) 70-67, LOW Khai Jei (A) (MAS) 67-70
138 – Torben BAUMANN (GER) 65-73, Masaru TAKAHASHI (JPN) 70-68, Jack MUNRO (AUS) 70-68, Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 71-67, Brett MUNSON (USA) 70-68, Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 67-71
Selected:
140 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-71
141 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 72-69
142 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-70
144 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-70
161 - Bramantio ADI (INA) 78-83
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Tamardi Set For Faldo Series Indonesia Championship Defence
Jakarta, January 8 - Highly-rated teenager Tirto Tamardi will be the player to beat when the eighth edition of the Faldo Series Indonesia Championship tees-off this weekend.
Following a succession of outstanding performances alongside the region’s leading professionals in recent months, the 15-year-old from Surabaya is already being touted as a star of the future.
But Tamardi’s immediate focus is simply to retain the Faldo Series Indonesia Championship title he won at a canter last year.
Since his seven-stroke success over Damai Indah Golf’s BSD Course in West Java exactly 12 months ago, Tamardi has enjoyed a memorable sequence.
Among the many highlights were a top-10 finish in September’s PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship, an Asian Development Tour event featuring a host of seasoned Asian professionals.
Tamardi also had the distinction of being one of only two amateurs to make the half-way cut in last month’s Bank BRI Indonesia Open, a fully-fledged Asian Tour event won by Irishman Padraig Harrington over Damai Indah’s PIK Course.
Those experiences are sure to stand Tamardi in good stead as he attempts to secure a return trip to Mission Hills China for the ninth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in March.
Tamardi will certainly be drawing on the memory of his brilliant performance last year when an opening nine-under-par 63 set him on course for a runaway victory.
He said: “Winning tournaments will always be the best experience. The one that I won’t forget was when I won the Faldo Series Indonesia last year. I had the lowest scores and that was one of the greatest experiences for me.”
Speaking ahead of the 18th leg of the record-breaking 2014-2015 Faldo Series Asia season, six-time Major championship winner Sir Nick, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “Tirto is clearly a talented player who has already proved that he has both the game and the temperament to succeed.
“I will be following closely his progress at Damai Indah in what promises to be another exciting tournament.”
Supported by The R&A and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2014-15 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months and is made up of 19 championships.
Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006.
Today, 40 Faldo Series tournaments take place in 30-plus countries worldwide, touching more than 7,000 golfers each year. Past winners include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, who took his tally of professional Major titles to four with his wins at last year’s Open Championship and US PGA Championship.
Following a succession of outstanding performances alongside the region’s leading professionals in recent months, the 15-year-old from Surabaya is already being touted as a star of the future.
But Tamardi’s immediate focus is simply to retain the Faldo Series Indonesia Championship title he won at a canter last year.
Since his seven-stroke success over Damai Indah Golf’s BSD Course in West Java exactly 12 months ago, Tamardi has enjoyed a memorable sequence.
Among the many highlights were a top-10 finish in September’s PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship, an Asian Development Tour event featuring a host of seasoned Asian professionals.
Tamardi also had the distinction of being one of only two amateurs to make the half-way cut in last month’s Bank BRI Indonesia Open, a fully-fledged Asian Tour event won by Irishman Padraig Harrington over Damai Indah’s PIK Course.
Those experiences are sure to stand Tamardi in good stead as he attempts to secure a return trip to Mission Hills China for the ninth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in March.
Tamardi will certainly be drawing on the memory of his brilliant performance last year when an opening nine-under-par 63 set him on course for a runaway victory.
He said: “Winning tournaments will always be the best experience. The one that I won’t forget was when I won the Faldo Series Indonesia last year. I had the lowest scores and that was one of the greatest experiences for me.”
Speaking ahead of the 18th leg of the record-breaking 2014-2015 Faldo Series Asia season, six-time Major championship winner Sir Nick, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “Tirto is clearly a talented player who has already proved that he has both the game and the temperament to succeed.
“I will be following closely his progress at Damai Indah in what promises to be another exciting tournament.”
Supported by The R&A and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2014-15 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months and is made up of 19 championships.
Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006.
Today, 40 Faldo Series tournaments take place in 30-plus countries worldwide, touching more than 7,000 golfers each year. Past winners include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, who took his tally of professional Major titles to four with his wins at last year’s Open Championship and US PGA Championship.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Gandranta Blog: No Pressure!
I will take this as a great opportunity to gain more experience and take my game to the next level. Hopefully one day I can be a good role model to the younger generation of Indonesian golfers.
The game of golf in Indonesia is growing and a lot of kids are playing golf at a higher level. Hopefully I can show and be a good example to them this week. I will attack the course according to my plan and skills.
It was a learning experience when I first turned professional. I used to play in a lot of Asian Development Tour and a few Asian Tour events. Having that opportunity to play for money and under pressure helped my career.
I feel like I’m playing better and that things are coming together. I’m still learning every day so we’ll see how it goes this week.
I’m planning on practicing harder and become a better player in South East Asia. Pressure is perspective, I still see this as a golf tournament. I will treat it one shot at a time. If you can control that and execute it then everything will fall into place.
I don’t have any pressure this week. It is actually an honor to be playing in this week’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open. It will be a good week and I will try and take advantage of that. I need to be sharper with my putting. That’s the key.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Padraig Harrington To Play At Indonesia Open
Jakarta, November 18 - Three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland will join the BANK BRI Indonesia Open at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk course from December 4 to 7.
Thanks to BANK BRI’s title sponsorship and the continued support of event organizer IMPL, the tournament prize fund has been confirmed at US$750,000, reinforcing the Open’s position as one of the leading tournaments in the country.
Harrington became the first player in 102 years to defend The Open Championship title when he won at Royal Birkdale in 2008, the same year he won the PGA Championship and reached a career high of number three in the world ranking.
Having bagged 28 professional titles, the 43-year-old Dublin native is playing the Bank BRI Indonesia Open for the first time.
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world playing golf but I’ve never played the Indonesia Open so I’m really looking forward to a new challenge, on a new course in a new country,” said the 2006 European Order of Merit Champion.
“There are some great names on the tournament’s roll of honor including Payne Stewart and Frank Nobilo and I’m very keen to add mine to that list. However, I know the field is going to be strong. Gaganjeet is defending and Scott Hend is in great form having won the Hong Kong Open and finished runner up in Macau so I’m going to have to be on my game to get into contention,” commented Harrington.
As well as the Asian Tour duo of Scott Hend and Gaganjeet Bhullar, Harrington will also have to contend with rising Indonesian star George Gandranata. Gandranata is Indonesia’s highest ranked professional golfer and has been playing his trade on the Asian Development Tour since 2012. The 28-year-old who has won four local tours this season, consistently making every cut in Asian Tour so far, is looking forward to playing at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open and testing himself against the best.
“As a young professional golfer, it’s invaluable to play alongside more experienced pros and learn from them,” commented Gandranata.
“Padraig has been on tour for nearly 20 years and I can learn so much from someone with his experience. Same for the senior Asian Tour guys. It’s fantastic to play with guys like Gaganjeet and Scott – proven winners on tour. The best way for me to improve is to play with and against the top guys on the tour and it’s extremely exciting to be doing that in my national Open,” concluded Gandranata.
Defending champion Bhullar has endured an enforced break from the game after tearing a wrist ligament whilst practicing at home in India. Last year’s wire-to-wire winner is looking forward to getting back into action at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open: “Injury is always a hard time for a sportsman but I’ve been making good progress and I’m really looking forward to making my comeback in Indonesia, a special place for me after last year’s winner,” said Bhullar. “I’ve been walking around with a bright blue cast on my arm for weeks now so it will be good to get that off and a golf glove on!”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, epitomized the excitement around Harrington’s confirmation. “Padraig Harrington is one of the finest golfers of the modern era and it is a true honor to have him at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open. It’s a reflection of the growing stature of our tournament that a three-time Major Champion is playing in the 37th edition of our national open. As we continue to grow and evolve our tournament into a leading Asian Tour event, we hope to welcome more golfers of Padraig’s standing to Indonesia.”
Thanks to BANK BRI’s title sponsorship and the continued support of event organizer IMPL, the tournament prize fund has been confirmed at US$750,000, reinforcing the Open’s position as one of the leading tournaments in the country.
Harrington became the first player in 102 years to defend The Open Championship title when he won at Royal Birkdale in 2008, the same year he won the PGA Championship and reached a career high of number three in the world ranking.
Having bagged 28 professional titles, the 43-year-old Dublin native is playing the Bank BRI Indonesia Open for the first time.
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world playing golf but I’ve never played the Indonesia Open so I’m really looking forward to a new challenge, on a new course in a new country,” said the 2006 European Order of Merit Champion.
“There are some great names on the tournament’s roll of honor including Payne Stewart and Frank Nobilo and I’m very keen to add mine to that list. However, I know the field is going to be strong. Gaganjeet is defending and Scott Hend is in great form having won the Hong Kong Open and finished runner up in Macau so I’m going to have to be on my game to get into contention,” commented Harrington.
As well as the Asian Tour duo of Scott Hend and Gaganjeet Bhullar, Harrington will also have to contend with rising Indonesian star George Gandranata. Gandranata is Indonesia’s highest ranked professional golfer and has been playing his trade on the Asian Development Tour since 2012. The 28-year-old who has won four local tours this season, consistently making every cut in Asian Tour so far, is looking forward to playing at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open and testing himself against the best.
“As a young professional golfer, it’s invaluable to play alongside more experienced pros and learn from them,” commented Gandranata.
“Padraig has been on tour for nearly 20 years and I can learn so much from someone with his experience. Same for the senior Asian Tour guys. It’s fantastic to play with guys like Gaganjeet and Scott – proven winners on tour. The best way for me to improve is to play with and against the top guys on the tour and it’s extremely exciting to be doing that in my national Open,” concluded Gandranata.
Defending champion Bhullar has endured an enforced break from the game after tearing a wrist ligament whilst practicing at home in India. Last year’s wire-to-wire winner is looking forward to getting back into action at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open: “Injury is always a hard time for a sportsman but I’ve been making good progress and I’m really looking forward to making my comeback in Indonesia, a special place for me after last year’s winner,” said Bhullar. “I’ve been walking around with a bright blue cast on my arm for weeks now so it will be good to get that off and a golf glove on!”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, epitomized the excitement around Harrington’s confirmation. “Padraig Harrington is one of the finest golfers of the modern era and it is a true honor to have him at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open. It’s a reflection of the growing stature of our tournament that a three-time Major Champion is playing in the 37th edition of our national open. As we continue to grow and evolve our tournament into a leading Asian Tour event, we hope to welcome more golfers of Padraig’s standing to Indonesia.”
Saturday, November 15, 2014
George Gandranata Aims For Glory At Bank BRI Indonesia Open
Jakarta, November 14 - Indonesia’s rising star George Gandranata hopes to shine at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open against the Asian Tour’s best in December.
As the highest ranked player in Indonesia, finishing strongly at this year’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open, scheduled for December 4 to 7 at Jakarta’s Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, will be a great way to wrap up a successful season.
After sharpening his game on the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the 28-year-old, who won four titles on the local circuit, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up in his National Open.
“I am ready to take on our national championship which is the biggest event for local players,” said Gandranata. “As Indonesian golfers, we all hope to give our best performance on home soil. There is been only one Indonesian champion, Benny Kasiadi in 1989. It would be a huge honor to win, adding my name to the list as the second Indonesian to claim victory.”
The talented Indonesian takes a humble view of his recent wins but credits his huge improvement after contesting regularly against Asia’s best and talented golfers on the Asian Tour and ADT.
“The experience I have gained from getting into contention in both ADT events and Asian Tour tournaments has been invaluable”, Gandranata added. “I have learned something different from every player I played with making me to a better player.”
Gandranata has been working with his coach Philippe De Busschere of the LeadBetter Golf Academy in Indonesia since October last year. De Busschere encouraged Gandranata to make adjustments in his body movement and weight transfer, delivering instant improvement in his game.
“It’s still a work in progress, but I have seen improvements in hitting the ball more solidly and driving further in distance,” Gandranata commented.
In addition, Gandranata also experimented with changing tactics from his usual aggressive approach to more conservative play. This paid immediate dividends as he emerged as the sole Indonesian to make the cut at the Indonesian Masters in April, the first time he played during the weekend in three attempts.
When asked his view on the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, host venue of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, Gandranata responded with confidence: “It’s a challenging course, especially when it’s windy which can be often. But I like it because it plays tough for everyone. I will also have a caddy who knows the course well giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the green.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, welcomed the confirmation of Gandranata, “George is not only a rising star on the golf course, he is also fast becoming a role model for Indonesian golfers of all ages. We are very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in competing in a whole new level as he has grown in experience and skill in the past year.”
As the highest ranked player in Indonesia, finishing strongly at this year’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open, scheduled for December 4 to 7 at Jakarta’s Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, will be a great way to wrap up a successful season.
After sharpening his game on the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the 28-year-old, who won four titles on the local circuit, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up in his National Open.
“I am ready to take on our national championship which is the biggest event for local players,” said Gandranata. “As Indonesian golfers, we all hope to give our best performance on home soil. There is been only one Indonesian champion, Benny Kasiadi in 1989. It would be a huge honor to win, adding my name to the list as the second Indonesian to claim victory.”
The talented Indonesian takes a humble view of his recent wins but credits his huge improvement after contesting regularly against Asia’s best and talented golfers on the Asian Tour and ADT.
“The experience I have gained from getting into contention in both ADT events and Asian Tour tournaments has been invaluable”, Gandranata added. “I have learned something different from every player I played with making me to a better player.”
Gandranata has been working with his coach Philippe De Busschere of the LeadBetter Golf Academy in Indonesia since October last year. De Busschere encouraged Gandranata to make adjustments in his body movement and weight transfer, delivering instant improvement in his game.
“It’s still a work in progress, but I have seen improvements in hitting the ball more solidly and driving further in distance,” Gandranata commented.
In addition, Gandranata also experimented with changing tactics from his usual aggressive approach to more conservative play. This paid immediate dividends as he emerged as the sole Indonesian to make the cut at the Indonesian Masters in April, the first time he played during the weekend in three attempts.
When asked his view on the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, host venue of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, Gandranata responded with confidence: “It’s a challenging course, especially when it’s windy which can be often. But I like it because it plays tough for everyone. I will also have a caddy who knows the course well giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the green.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, welcomed the confirmation of Gandranata, “George is not only a rising star on the golf course, he is also fast becoming a role model for Indonesian golfers of all ages. We are very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in competing in a whole new level as he has grown in experience and skill in the past year.”
Friday, November 14, 2014
George Gandranata Keeps Podium In Sight At Chiangmai Golf Classic
Chiangmai, Thailand, November 14 - Jyoti Randhawa of India charged into contention with a flawless seven-under-par 65 to seize a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US$750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT on Friday.
The 2002 Asian Tour number one birdied the last two holes from close range for an 11-under-par 133 total, which was one shot ahead of local talent Thanyakon Khrongpha, who matched Randhawa’s 65 after rolling in a 15-foot eagle on the last hole.
Scott Barr of Australia and Rashid Khan of India signed for matching 69s to share third place on 137 while Major champion Jason Dufner fired a 69 to trail the leader by five shots at the picturesque Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai.
He's tied with Korean Mo Joong-kyung (69) and first round leader George Gandranata of Indonesia, who had to concede a few places after carding an even par.
Meanwhile Rory Hie was able to climb a few places on the leaderboard with a second round 70, which puts him at 7 shots from the lead.
“I played too good. This is the best I’ve played in a long, long time. I fired on all cylinders today. My driving, second shots and putting were good. I only had one missed putt and the rest were a great round of golf,” said the 42-year-old Randhawa.
A well-rested Randhawa, an eight-time Asian Tour winner but not since winning the 2009 Thailand Open, was excited to be in contention after taking a two-week break to recover from a ‘tennis elbow’.
“I’m more focused now and what I’ve been training in the year and a half is now falling into place. I got a tennis elbow and I rested it for two weeks. The rest has helped. Golf is a funny game and anything can happen. I’m just happy that I’m there for the fight,” said Randhawa.
The lanky 24-year-old Thanyakon, who is aiming for a first Asian Tour win, said his round of six birdies and one eagle ‘exceeded his expectations’.
“I used to feel discouraged when I don’t play well but now my mental game is much stronger. My round exceeded my expectations. I had expected to hit about 10 fairways but I hit 14 instead which really helps because of the thick rough this week,” said Thanyakon.
Australia’s Barr made a small change in his swing earlier in the week to accommodate a minor hip injury to give himself a fighting to win a first Asian Tour title.
“My hip gets a bit tired. It gets very stiff and the way I was swinging put a lot of pressure on my right hip. The pain comes and goes so I made a change earlier in the week and it is starting to help. This is how I want to swing in the future,” said Barr.
Playing in his fourth straight week after recovering from a neck injury, Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship winner, was one-over after four holes but bounced back brilliantly with two birdies in each half.
“I struggled with my putter a little bit because of a combination of bad speed. When you can’t judge the speed, you kind of second guess on the greens. A low score is out there if you can keep the ball on the fairways,” said Dufner, who is making his debut in Thailand this week.
The halfway cut was set at one-over-par 145 with a total of 71 players qualifying for the weekend rounds. Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, the 2011 Masters Tournament winner, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prom Meesawat survived the cut right on the bubble.
Scores after round 2 of the Chiangmai Golf Classic 2014 (Par 72):
133 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 68-65
134 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 69-65
137 – Scott BARR (AUS) 68-69, Rashid KHAN (IND) 68-69
138 – Jason DUFNER (USA) 69-69, MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 69-69, George GANDRANATA (INA) 66-72
139 – Bryce EASTON (RSA) 68-71, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 69-70, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 73-66, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 67-72, HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 71-68, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-69.
Selected:
140 – Rory HIE (INA) 70-70.
The 2002 Asian Tour number one birdied the last two holes from close range for an 11-under-par 133 total, which was one shot ahead of local talent Thanyakon Khrongpha, who matched Randhawa’s 65 after rolling in a 15-foot eagle on the last hole.
Scott Barr of Australia and Rashid Khan of India signed for matching 69s to share third place on 137 while Major champion Jason Dufner fired a 69 to trail the leader by five shots at the picturesque Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai.
He's tied with Korean Mo Joong-kyung (69) and first round leader George Gandranata of Indonesia, who had to concede a few places after carding an even par.
Meanwhile Rory Hie was able to climb a few places on the leaderboard with a second round 70, which puts him at 7 shots from the lead.
“I played too good. This is the best I’ve played in a long, long time. I fired on all cylinders today. My driving, second shots and putting were good. I only had one missed putt and the rest were a great round of golf,” said the 42-year-old Randhawa.
A well-rested Randhawa, an eight-time Asian Tour winner but not since winning the 2009 Thailand Open, was excited to be in contention after taking a two-week break to recover from a ‘tennis elbow’.
“I’m more focused now and what I’ve been training in the year and a half is now falling into place. I got a tennis elbow and I rested it for two weeks. The rest has helped. Golf is a funny game and anything can happen. I’m just happy that I’m there for the fight,” said Randhawa.
The lanky 24-year-old Thanyakon, who is aiming for a first Asian Tour win, said his round of six birdies and one eagle ‘exceeded his expectations’.
“I used to feel discouraged when I don’t play well but now my mental game is much stronger. My round exceeded my expectations. I had expected to hit about 10 fairways but I hit 14 instead which really helps because of the thick rough this week,” said Thanyakon.
Australia’s Barr made a small change in his swing earlier in the week to accommodate a minor hip injury to give himself a fighting to win a first Asian Tour title.
“My hip gets a bit tired. It gets very stiff and the way I was swinging put a lot of pressure on my right hip. The pain comes and goes so I made a change earlier in the week and it is starting to help. This is how I want to swing in the future,” said Barr.
Playing in his fourth straight week after recovering from a neck injury, Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship winner, was one-over after four holes but bounced back brilliantly with two birdies in each half.
“I struggled with my putter a little bit because of a combination of bad speed. When you can’t judge the speed, you kind of second guess on the greens. A low score is out there if you can keep the ball on the fairways,” said Dufner, who is making his debut in Thailand this week.
The halfway cut was set at one-over-par 145 with a total of 71 players qualifying for the weekend rounds. Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, the 2011 Masters Tournament winner, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prom Meesawat survived the cut right on the bubble.
Scores after round 2 of the Chiangmai Golf Classic 2014 (Par 72):
133 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 68-65
134 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 69-65
137 – Scott BARR (AUS) 68-69, Rashid KHAN (IND) 68-69
138 – Jason DUFNER (USA) 69-69, MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 69-69, George GANDRANATA (INA) 66-72
139 – Bryce EASTON (RSA) 68-71, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 69-70, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 73-66, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 67-72, HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 71-68, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-69.
Selected:
140 – Rory HIE (INA) 70-70.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
