Third IGT Win Solidifies Benita Kasiadi's Order Of Merit Lead

Cikarang, August 6 - There were no surprises in the results of the Indonesia Golf Tour Series V at Jababeka Golf & Country Club. As predicted, Benita Yuniarto Kasiadi successfully established himself as champion at the most recent leg of the national professional golf circuit with a total of 200 million in prize money. The total score of seven-under par (206) for Benita was difficult to follow any golfer, including I Ketut Sugiarta who finished second with a score of 217 (four-over par).

Although closing the game with a score of even par in the final round, this did not change the position at the top of the Order of Merit of the Indonesia PGA 2015 Tour. "My game plan did not meet my target, making 3 under or 4 under today. i made no change in how I played. Everything was the same as yesterday", said Benita, who took home the Rp 32 million first prize.

With this result Benita nestled himself more firmly at the top of the 2015 Order of Merit. His success this time was also a record in the history of the IGT, with the largest winning margin of 11 strokes.

This IGT V Series title is Benita third title this season. He is eying another title again this season to meet his target. "Based on the management target, especially for this year, I should be able to win as much as 4 times on the IGT. Then the next target is to play an ADT tournament. Hopefully I can qualify for next year's Asian Tour", added Benita.

Series V IGT presented indeed a venue that was difficult enough for the participants. The heat became a separate obstacle for most players. They also had to face fairways that were "unfriendly". The ball seemed to stop and it seemed difficult to roll in the fairway. Plus, the slippery green conditions made it difficult for participants to make low scores.

Benita also recognized the challenges posed at this 18-hole course. "The condition of the pitch is quite hot and windy and very draining," said Benita. I Ketut Sugiarta agreed regarding the state of the pitch. He also found it difficult to develop his game. "The weather was windy which impacted my second shot, that often was caught by the wind and swirled to the left," said Ketut.

Ketut praised Benita's game that was not affected by his playing partners. Despite failing to win, Ketut was satisfied because he was beaten by a young golfer. He is also pleased that the IGT can produce young golfers with potential. "Looking at the current competition in the IGT, there are many young professionals that have extraordinary abilities. I am very proud to see new seeds that will carry the name of Indonesia to the international level", he added. For him, the IGT became a very good tournament for Indonesian professionals to compete at the local level in preparation for the international level.

After chasing one another, Kadek Adi Putra Saksama and Adrian Halimi ended up sharing the title of Low Amateur. Both had a total score of 227 (14-over par). This is the first time in the history that IGT's best amateur champion was won by two golfers.

Leading scores after the final round of IGT Series V (Par 71):

206 - Benita Y. KASIADI 67-68-71

217 - I Ketut SUGIARTA 74-71-72

220 - Johannes DERMAWAN 71-77-72, Indra HERMAWAN 70-76-74

221 - Danny MASRIN 78-74-69, Jordan Surya IRAWAN 77-74-70, Ramadhan ALWIE 75-73-73

222 - Hendry NASIM 75-74-73, Kurnia HERISIANDY 74-74-74

223 - Junaidi IBRAHIM 75-74-74, Fajar Win NURYANTO 73-75-75

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

135 - Jake STIRLING (AUS) 68-67

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

138 - Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-71

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

140 - Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 65-75

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

Selected:

142 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 69-73

143 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA) 72-71

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

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

148 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 71-77

Missed cut:

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

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

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

154 - Mahpudin M (INA) 78-76

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

157 - Sarmilih (INA) 80-77

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

159 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 80-79

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

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

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

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

164 - Nyoman SARJANA (INA) 77-87

167 - Zulharmen TABUSALLA (INA) 85-82

169 - Nyoman SUASTANA (INA) 89-80

172 - Zulkarnaen Tanjung (INA) 86-86

173 - Pudio (INA) 81-92

178 - Yohannes RUDIATO (INA) 85-93

179 - Rudi HARTONO (INA) 88-91

184 - Bambang MUSTARI (INA) 91-93

90 - Warno (INA) 90-RTD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

65 - Gyeongjun LEE (KOR)

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

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

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

Selected:

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

72 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA)

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

74 - Suprapto (INA)

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

76 - Naraajie RAMADHANPUTRA (A) (INA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

86 - Zulkarnaen TANJUNG (INA)

88 - Rudi HARTONO (INA)

89 - Nyoman SUASTANA (INA)

90 - Warno (INA)

91 - Bambang MUSTARI (INA)

Ian Andrew Only Indonesian Making Cut At CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf

Jakarta, April 24 - Singapore-based Australian Unho Park battled the gusty conditions before signing for a second round one-over-par 73 to stake his place atop the leaderboard at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf on Friday.

On a windy day where only four players broke par at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, Park continued to put himself in contention for his maiden Asian Tour win at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event with his two-day total of four-under-par 140.

Overnight co-leader Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei eagled his closing ninth hole to haul himself back into contention, taking the outright second place with a 75 after struggling for most part of the day.

Thailand’s Namchok Tantipokhakul and Chapchai Nirat signed for matching 142 total to share third place with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Japan’s Yosuke Tsukada while birthday boy Lee Westwood of England returned with a 74 to stay in touch with the leaders in seventh place.

Starting the day tied for second, Park stumbled early with a bogey on the first hole.

He recovered briefly with two birdies on 14 and 16 but dropped three more shots in his inward-nine.

“It was a tough day in the office today. I actually felt the winds were blowing harder today. I didn’t hit it as good as yesterday but I still managed to hit some decent shots,” said Park.

The 41-year-old, who has surprised even himself by holding the lead, is upbeat of his chances this week.

“I always surprise myself when I play well. Today, I just hung in there as it was really a grind today. But overall, it’s still a good position heading into the weekends,” said Park.

Chan meanwhile produced a spectacular masterclass on his last hole by chipping in from the edge of the green for an eagle-three.

That brought out the cheers for the 28-year-old who was staring at a five-over-par score before his last hole heroics changed the equation.

“I needed that eagle on the last hole to get me back into the game. It was definitely a big relief as I was four-over at the turn and needed something special like that to bring me back into contention.

“I’m used to such windy conditions as that’s what it’s like back home too but I struggle with the distance as this is a fairly long course and I’ve to hit it really long,” said Chan.

Westwood also conceded the gusty winds made play tough but remained confident of securing a hat-trick of titles at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters.

“It was tough and one of the toughest I’ve ever seen in Asia. Conditions were really extreme. We didn’t get a break with the weather. Normally it’s quite calm in the morning but it was blowing from the get-go this morning.

“I feel like under-par will still get you into contention and I’m still in there. I think it’s going to be bunched up and a scramble on the Sunday. So it’s just the case of being within a few shots of the leaders,” said Westwood, winner of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters in 2011 and 2012.

Ian Andrew was the only Indonesian golfer who managed to make the cut. In the first edition of the Indonesian Masters it was only Rory Hie who went through. Similarly, two years later it was Andik Mauludin left to play the weekend. This year it was Ian going through after posting a total of 151 strokes after two days of play.

"Today there was exceptional wind. I lost it at the par 3 hole 4. The ball landed in the water and I made seven shots (quadruple bogey). I immediately started to play safe, go for par, but made bogey instead. On the eighth hole I saved par and hole 9 I made birdie, so it motivated me again. Until hole 15 I made pars and was still 7 over and I just maintained the game", he said.

Ian claimed that not only the wind became an obstacle for him on this day, but also a slick green. Especially when he reached the 18th hole and it was already getting dark, he was just trying to land the ball closer to the pin. He also successfully recorded a par to keep the score for the day.

For all the other Indonesian players the wind was too much of a challenge and they all failed to make the cut. Best of the rest was amateur Kevin C Akbar, who missed playing the cut by only 1 shot.

Leading scores after round 2 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters (A – denotes amateur):

140 – Unho PARK (AUS) 67-73

141 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 66-75

142 – Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 69-73, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 68-74, Thomas BJORN (DEN) 66-76, Yosuke TSUKADA (JPN) 71-71

143 – Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) 69-74

144 – Paul PETERSON (USA) 71-73, Y.E. YANG (KOR) 73-71, Shaun NORRIS (RSA) 69-75, Paul SPARGO (AUS) 70-74

Selected:

151 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 72-79

CUT

152 - Kevin C. AKBAR (A) (INA) 77 75

156 - Denny A. WIJAYA (INA) 75 81, Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 76 80

157 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA) 76 81, Rory HIE (INA) 76 81, Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 76-81

158 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 80 78

159 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 81-78, George GANDRANATA (INA) 79 80, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 79-80

160 - Benita YUNIARTO (INA) 79-81

161 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) (INA) 77-84, Almay RAYHAN (A) (INA) 81-80

162 - I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA) 78-84

164 - Rizchy SUBEKTI (A) (INA) 82-82

165 - Bramantio ADI (INA) 77-88

166 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 75-91

167 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 81-86

170 - Andrew WIRAWAN (INA) 84-86

171 - Daniel WIRAWAN (A) (INA) 79-92

173 - Fajar WINURYANTO (INA) 87-86

83 - Sarmilih (INA) 83-WDN

77 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA) 77-RTD

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)

Ian Andrew Wins Second Series Of The Indonesian Golf Tour At Modern

Tangerang, 26 September 2015 - It's without doubt that the competition in Indonesian golf is getting tougher. After sharing first place alongside Kurnia Herisiandy, Johannes Dermawan, and Rory Hie after the second day, Ian Andrew scored his first victory in the Indonesian Golf Tour series at Padang Golf Modern.

With 3 holes remaining, Ian Andrew, Kelly Herisiandy and George Gandranata were equal with a score of seven-under-par. George almost holed a birdie on hole 18, but failed and finished his game with a total score of 209 to tie with Kurnia Herisiandy.

"I played well today. My iron play today was better than the first 2 days, and my short game was quite supportive, as I also did three chip-ins and had 6 birdies", said George Gandranata.

"The competition is very tight. You have to really score a lot of birdies to win", added the Order of Merit champion of the Indonesian Golf Tour 2014.

Ian Andrew sealed his victory on the last two holes. On hole 17 Ian scored a birdie and followed up with a birdie on hole 18 as well. He finished the tournament with a spectacular total score of nine-under-par 207 (72-68-67).

Who would have thought that training on his putting after the first round would bring Ian the championship.

"I'd been trying to find improvement on putting on youtube till night. The next day I arrived early and tried out the different putting technique that I found and it turned out fantastic! I used it on the second day and the results are good."

"Today was tense. On the 18th hole I aimed the ball to the middle of the fairway. Only when Heri (Kurnia Herisiandy) shot his ball slightly outside the fairway I began to feel calm. And all went smoothly after that", said Ian Andrew.

Naraaji finished as Lowest Amateur in this edition of the Indonesian Golf Tour. With a total score of two-over-par 218 (74-71-71), Naraajie overtook Faraby Ali, who had been the leading amateur on the first and second day. Finishing in second position in the amateur class was Rizky, with a total score of three-over-par, 72-74-73 (219).

The tight competition proves that the presence of Indonesian Golf Tour tournament series pushes the ability of the Indonesian professional and amateur golfers to a new level. The consistent support from sponsors and the PGA Tour of Indonesia (PGTI) in the organization of the Indonesian Golf Tour becomes evidence of a strong commitment to the advancement of golf in Indonesia.

Thanks goes to Padang Golf Modern, Nuanza, OB Golf & Lifestyle magazine, as well as the PGA Tour of Indonesia. Once more, the tournament was executed fantastically and ended in a great success.

Leading scores after the final round of the Indonesian Golf Tour at PG Modern:

(Indonesian unless stated)

207 - Ian ANDREW 72-68-67

209 - George GANDRANATA 71-72-66, Kurnia HERISIANDY 70-70-69

212 - Junaidi IBRAHIM 72-71-69, Rory HIE 68-72-72

213 - Johannes DERMAWAN 68-72-73

214 - Benita Y. KASIADI 74-70-70

215 - I Ketut SUGIARTA 69-73-73

216 - James BOWEN (USA) 72-73-71

217 - HARJITO 71-74-72, ILYASSAK 71-72-74

Four Players Vie For Honor After Second Round Of Indonesia Golf Tour At Modern

Tangerang, 25 February 2015 - Kurnia Herisiandy, Ian Andrew, and first round leaders Johannes Dermawan and Rory Hie are in a battle for the lead, when all are in a tie for first with a total score of 140 (-4) after the second round of the second leg of the Indonesian Golf Tour 2015. Both Johannes and Rory failed to repeat the results of yesterday because some shots failed.

"My approach shots were very bad, but I was still able to get par," said Johannes Dermawan.

Johannes Dermawan hopes his game from the first can be repeated on the third and final day, especially his approach shot.

After completing his round on the first day, Ian Andrew took time to improve his game at Padang Golf Modern. This was not in vain, as Ian Andrew played the second round well and he made most of his putts.

"All my putts from a distance of two to three meters went in," said Ian Andrew.

"The opportunity to become champion is still wide open, I will play my best," added the golfer from Bali.

Seven amateur players survived the cut on the second day of the second series of the Indonesian Golf Tour at Modern. Faraby Ali is still the lead amateur with a total of 145 shots (+1), one shot ahead of Rizky who recorded a total of 146.

Johannes Dermawan And Rory Hie Take Early Lead In Indonesia Golf Tour At Modern

Tangerang, 24 February 2015 - The Indonesian Golf Tour saw two of its best golfers sitting in first place after the first round of the Indonesian Golf Tour series held at Padang Golf Modern.

Johannes Dermawan and Rory Hie both recorded a score of four-under-par (68). The increasingly fierce competition among professional golfers turns the Indonesian Golf Tour into a proving ground for golf champions in Indonesia.

I Ketut Sugiarta came home in third position with a score of three-under-par, with Kurnia Herisiandy one shot further back with a round of 70.

Faraby Ali became the new name to watch in the amateur class of the Indonesian Golf Tour, scoring a one-under-par 71. He shares fifth place with Harjito, George Gandranata and Ilyassak.

Rinaldi Adiyandono Takes Lead In Second Round Of The Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final

Tangerang, December 10, 2014 - Panasonic Open Indonesia 2014 Champion, Rinaldi Adiyandono, managed to make three birdies and an eagle on hole 18 to complete the second round with a score of two-under-par for a total of 142, overtaking Kurnia Heri Siandy who led after the first round of the Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final, presented by Linc Group, at Imperial Klub Golf Karawaci.

"GIR (Green In Regulations) is pretty good today, yesterday I made only 7, but today I managed to increase this to 11. My driver shots where more on the fairway, as well as I was putting better than yesterday. The area where I still have to concentrate on tomorrow is my wedge shots that I should do better and not miss, because it is one of the factors to better my score" Rinaldi smiled with confidence.

Asep Saefulloh produced three birdie to climb today to 2nd in the second round, with a total score of one-under-par, for a total 143. He is followed by Benita Y Kasiadi who managed to make a jump to third after scoring 3-under today, two shots from the lead.

Scores after the first round of the Grand Final of the Indonesian Golf Tour (Par 72):

(A denotes amateur)

142 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO 71-71

143 - Asep SAEFULLOH 72-71

144 - Benita Y. KASIADI 75-69

146 - Jordan IRAWAN 76-70, I Ketut SUGIARTA 73-73, Ramadhan ALWIE 73-73

147 - William SJAICHUDIN 73-74, Hendry NASIM 73-74, Kurnia Heri SIANDY 70-77

148 - Jamel ONDO 75-73, Aditya NOVIANTO (A) 72-76, SARMILIH 71-77, Indra HERMAWAN 71-77

149 - Maan MASIM 73-76, Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN 73-76

150 - Rudi ANTO 74-76, Denny A. WIJAYA 71-79

151 - Junaidi IBRAHIM 79-72, HARJITO 78-73, Fahmi REZA 77-74, Ian ANDREW 76-75, Joeh SEIK (A) 75-76

152 - Fajar WINURYANTO 78-74

153 - Bramantio ADI 76-77, ILYASSYAK 74-79

155 - Johannes DERMAWAN 73-82

158 - SIM Min Sub (A) 81-77, Andik MAULUDIN 79-79, SANUSI 76-82

Kurnia Heri Siandy Takes Lead In First Round Of Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final

Tangerang, December 9, 2014 - Kurnia Heri Siandy recorded a score of two-under-par 70 in the first round of the Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final, presented by Linc Group at Imperial Klub Golf, Karawaci. By making five birdies, Kurnia managed to overtake Sarmilih, who at one point was leading with three-under-par, but dropped down a tie for 2nd with a total score of one-under-par, 71, due to two bogeys on holes 13 and 16.

"I'm not really satisfied with my performance today, because a lot of birdie opportunities were wasted as I was a little impatient. The course conditions are pretty good. As for my game plan for tomorrow it looks like I will keep on attacking the pin", Kurnia said.

Rinaldi Adiyandono managed to take second position with a score of one-under-par 71. Being the Panasonic Open Indonesia 2014 champion, Rinaldi seemed optimistic to become a champion in the Grand Final of the Indonesian Golf Tour 2014.

"Today my GIR (Green In Regulations) is not good, only 7. But fortunately, my putting was good, with a total putting today at 23, with 10 in the first nine and 13 on the second nine". Rinaldi added, "Field conditions are still pretty good, but the weather was quite more windy today compared to the practice rounds".

Of the top 30 professional golfers with the most points after 8 series of the Indonesian Golf Tour, three players can not attend the Grand Final tournament of the Indonesian Golf Tour, namely George Gandranata, Rory Hie and Suprapto.

Imperial Klub Golf Karawaci is proud to host the Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final presented by Linc Group. The support from the golf course is a great boost to the development of professional golf in Indonesia. This tournament circuit is expected to improve the quality of Pro and Amateur players in Indonesia.

Scores after the first round of the Grand Final of the Indonesian Golf Tour (Par 72):

(A denotes amateur)

70 - Kurnia Heri SIANDY

71 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO, Denny A. WIJAYA, Indra HERMAWAN, SARMILIH

72 - Aditya NOVIANTO (A), Asep SAEFULLOH

73 - Ramadhan ALWIE, Hendry NASIM, Johannes DERMAWAN, I Ketut SUGIARTA, Maan MASIM, William SJAICHUDIN, Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN

74 - ILYASSYAK, Rudi ANTO

75 - Joeh SEIK (A), Benita Y. KASIADI, Jamel ONDO

76 - Jordan IRAWAN, Bramantio ADI, Ian ANDREW, SANUSI

77 - Fahmi REZA

78 - HARJITO, Fajar WINURYANTO

79 - Junaidi IBRAHIM, Andik MAULUDIN

81 - SIM Min Sub (A)

DNS - Abhi SAHARI

George Gandranata Enters Top 5 At Bank BRI Indonesia Open

Jakarta, December 6 - Padraig Harrington of Ireland held a commanding five-shot lead at the weather interrupted Bank BRI Indonesia Open before the third round was abandoned on Saturday.

The three-time Major winner was 16-under through 13 holes before play was called off at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk course. He will return on Sunday at 6.40am alongside 44 other players to complete the round.

Playing in the same group as Harrington, Australia’s Nathan Holman was a distant five shots back while co-overnight leader Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand struggled with his driver and was 10-under through 13 holes.

Local hope George Gandranata continued his fine run at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event where he sits on eight-under after playing 16 holes.

His countryman Jordan Irawan is currently at 3-under after 16 holes, while amateurs Tirto Tamardi (74) is at 1-over and Fadhli Rahman Soetarso is at 2-over with one hole to go. Johannes Dermawan retired from the tournament.

Harrington, who is aiming to win his first title since 2012, hopes to stay positive as he prepares for a 23-hole marathon finale on Sunday.

“I was doing nicely. I got a good start and holed a couple of putts at the right time. I didn’t do too many mistakes but it is always difficult when you have the lead. You are a little bit cautious and it is something which I have to deal with.

“The last thing I want to do is go out there and be negative because that gives the rest of the field a chance. It is an awkward position to be in. It is never easy to lead. It is always easy to chase,” said Harrington, who marked his card with four birdies.

Holman struggled to repeat his second round heroics where he posted a brilliant 63. The Australian needs a huge result this week to have a chance of retaining his Asian Tour card for the 2015 season.

“I didn’t have real momentum going. The suspension didn’t really affect anything. Obviously you can learn quite a bit from Padraig Harrington and it has been really nice playing with him. Hope to get a good night’s sleep and see what happens tomorrow,” said Holman, ranked 95th on the Merit list.

Thanyakon, who is chasing for a first Asian Tour win, rued poor tee shots as he stumbled to four bogeys against two birdies. He gave himself a lifeline when he birdied the 13th hole before play was called off for the day.

“I was hitting my driver to the left today. It was very disappointing and I couldn’t recover from that. It really hurt my score. I was also struggling to judge the speed of the greens. Hopefully I can bounce back,” said the 24-year-old Thai.

The third round will resume at 06.40am tomorrow morning.

2 Local Amateurs Make The Cut At Bank BRI Indonesia Open

Jakarta, December 6 - Padraig Harrington of Ireland struggled to take advantage of the calm morning conditions on Saturday as he tied for the second round lead with Thanyakon Khrongpha at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open.

The three-time Major winner was five-under through 12-holes on Friday which included an opening eagle before the halfway stage of the US$750,000 Asian Tour event was suspended due to inclement weather.

With a 4.50am morning call, Harrington returned to the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course to finish with six straight pars for a 12-under-par 130 total which matched Thanyakon’s efforts yesterday.

“It was nice conditions and obviously I would like to make a few birdies this morning. But that happens and thankfully it was only six holes. Hopefully I will hit it a bit closer and make a few putts in the afternoon,” said Harrington.

Nathan Holman of Australia was a further two shots back following an impressive 63 while Jarin Todd after matching Thanyakon’s efforts of 63, while Scott Hend and Jarin Todd of the United States shot identical 64s for a 133 total.

The Indonesian squad was able to fight back when Johannes Dermawan (71) as well as amateurs tirto Tamardi (70) and Fadhli Rahman Soetarso (73) where able to score enough birdies to make it into the weekend, together with George Gandranata (68) and Jordan Irawan (67) who already finished their round on Friday.

The halfway cut was set at one-over-par 143 with a total of 72 players qualifying for the weekend rounds. Title holder Gaganjeet Bhullar crashed out from the event after finishing two shots over the mark.

Scores after round 2 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):

(Indonesian unless stated, A denotes amateur)

130 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63, Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-66

132 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63

133 – Jarin TODD (USA) 69-64, Scott HEND (AUS) 69-64

134 – Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS) 63-71

135 – Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 69-66

136 – WANG Jeung-hun (KOR) 70-66, Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-68, Bryce EASTON (RSA) 67-69, Scott BARR (AUS) 69-67

Selected:

137 – George GANDRANATA 69-68

138 - Jordan IRAWAN 71-67

140 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) 70-70

142 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) 69-73

143 - Johannes DERMAWAN 72-71

Missing the cut:

144 - Jamel ONDO 75-69

146 - William SJAICHUDIN 77-69, Andik MAULUDIN 72-74

147 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO 77-70

149 - Ian ANDREW 76-73, Junaidi IBRAHIM 74-75

150 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO 76-74, Fahmi REZA 76-74

151 - Calvin ALAN (A) 79-72

152 - Indra HERMAWAN 74-78, I Ketut SUGIARTA 78-74

153 - Zaki AULIYAN (A) 73-80

154 - Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN 79-75, Dominikus GLENN (A) 78-76

155 - Bramantio ADI 79-76

156 - Cahyo ADHITOMO (A) 76-80, Kevin C. AKBAR (A) 80-76

157 - Anugerah BAGINDA (A) 79-78, Rizchy SUBEKTI (A) 77-80, Asep CAPRIE 74-83

158 - Fajar WINURYANTO 80-78

161 - Asep SAEFULLOH 81-80

162 - Ramadhan ALWIE 83-79

168 - Jon CAHYADI (A) 83-85, Rafa SALMUN (A) 85-83

George Gandranata Enters Top Ten At Bank BRI Indonesia Open

Jakarta, December 5 - In-form Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand fired a superb eight-under-par 63 to seize the clubhouse lead as Padraig Harrington’s charge was stopped by bad weather at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open on Friday.

The slightly-built Thai produced a near perfect card in the calm morning conditions which included nine birdies before stumbling to a lone bogey on his last hole to settle for a 12-under-par 130 total at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.

Multiple Major winner Harrington negotiated his way in 12-under through 12 holes before the US$750,000 halfway stage was called off for the day due to inclement weather. The Irishman and 66 other players will resume play at 6.30am on Saturday.

Among the players who finished their rounds include Asian Tour rookie Nathan Holman of Australia, who was two shots back after matching Thanyakon’s efforts of 63, while Scott Hend and Jarin Todd of the United States shot identical 64s for a 133 total.

George Gandranata (68) continued his good form and provisionally entered the top ten, and is being challenged for top Indonesian player by Jordan Irawan, who fired a 67 and is now one shot behind George. However the rest of the home field will likely not make the cut that currently is projected at +1 (143).

The slightly built Thanyakon continued his rich vein of form after securing two top-five results in Japan and Chiangmai in the last three weeks. He is beginning to reap the rewards of working with his coach Andrew Knott since 2013.

“Everything in my game was good especially my ball striking. I hit a lot of shots for close range birdies. The longest birdie of the day was on the seventh hole from 30 feet,” said the 24-year-old Thanyakon.

“I enjoyed a good run after turning professional in 2010 but after that I didn’t do too well because I had no confidence in my swing. Mentally I was not strong enough. Then last year, I worked with Andrew and I’ve really improved since then,” he explained.

Harrington, a three-time Major winner, was five-under at the turn courtesy of an opening eagle which he holed from 15 feet. He marked his card with another bogey and birdie before play was abandoned.

“I had a nice start. I hit a nice drive and a five iron to about 15 feet for eagle. I birdied the next two as well. It was nice to be four-under after three holes. I didn’t play quite solid after that but we’ll have to see if I can finish strongly tomorrow,” said Harrington.

“The course is playing nicely. There was a bit of wind in the afternoon which made it trickier. As I play more rounds I get to know the course a little better. I have an early wake-up call tomorrow so hopefully I can continue to do well,” he explained.

Tour rookie Holman took advantage of the ideal scoring conditions without shooting a single bogey. Currently ranked 95th on the Order of Merit, the Australian is spurred on by the thought of saving his card for next year.

“I’m looking to play on the Asian Tour until the end of the year and try to keep my card. Keeping my card is definitely on my mind and it is spurring me on a little bit. Anytime you shoot in the low 60s when you got something on the line is always good,” said Holman.

Big-hitting Hend, who won his first Asian Tour title on this course in 2008, eagled the 13th hole from eight feet to charge into contention.

“I had some loose shots coming in and I’m a bit lucky to make some par putts and saves. I hit it good on the first nine and not so good on the back so it even out. Now I’m in a nice position,” said Hend, a six-time Asian Tour winner.

Scores after round 2 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):

(Indonesian unless stated, A denotes amateur)

130 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63

132 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63

133 – Jarin TODD (USA) 69-64, Scott HEND (AUS) 69-64

137 – Poosit SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 70-67, Chris RODGERS (ENG) 69-68, George GANDRANATA 69-68, Blair WILSON (AUS) 68-69

138 – Jordan IRAWAN 71-67, Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-67

Selected:

144 - Jamel ONDO 75-69

146 - William SJAICHUDIN 77-69, Andik MAULUDIN 72-74

147 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO 77-70

149 - Ian ANDREW 76-73

150 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO 76-74

152 - Indra HERMAWAN 74-78, I Ketut SUGIARTA 78-74

154 - Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN 79-75, Dominikus GLENN (A) 78-76

155 - Bramantio ADI 79-76

156 - Cahyo ADHITOMO (A) 76-80, Kevin C. AKBAR (A) 80-76

157 - Anugerah BAGINDA (A) 79-78

158 - Fajar WINURYANTO 80-78

161 - Asep SAEFULLOH 81-80

162 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA)

Still to complete the second round:

-12 - Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64 -5 (12)

-7 - Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68 -4 (12), Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS) 63 +1 (11)

-6 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 68 -3 (13)

-5 - Bryce EASTON (RSA) 67 -1 (10)

+2 - Johannes DERMAWAN 72 +1 (15)

+3 - Junaidi IBRAHIM 74 Par (9)

+5 - Benny KASIADI 75 +1(16)

+7 - Fahmi REZA 76 +2(8)

+8 - Calvin ALAN (A) 79 Par (9)

+10 - Rizchy SUBEKTI (A) 77 +4 (16), Zaki AULIYAN (A) 73 +8 (16)

+11 - Asep CAPRIE 74 +8 (12), Ilyasyak 82 Par (9)

+16 - Jon CAHYADI (A) 83 +4 (8)

+20 - Rafa SALMUN (A) 85 +6 (8)

George Gandranata Leads Local Field In First Round Of Bank BRI Indonesia Open

Jakarta, December 4 - Kalem Richardson of Australia fired a superb eight-under-par 63 to lead by one shot over Padraig Harrington of Ireland after the first round of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open on Thursday.

Richardson, who has two top-five results in his last three events, rolled in eight birdies, including a 20-footer on the last hole to steal the limelight from Harrington, who is making his debut at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.

The three-time Major champion, produced his best score in 2014 with a 64 after birdieing his first two holes from close range at the Damai Indah Golf – Pantai Indah Kapuk course.

Australia’s Adam Groom battled through a leg infection to return with a 67 to tie for third place alongside India’s Arjun Atwal, Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand and Bryce Easton of South Africa.

The local field was led by it's current number 1 player, George Gandranata, and amateur Fadhli Soetarso. Both players played 2-under par and are in a 15-way tie for 14th place. Another amateur, Tirto Tamardi, is one shot further back, with Jordan Irawan (71) as well as Johannes Dermawan and Andik Mauludin (both 72) all still in the top 54.

Starting from the 10th tee, Richardson stayed sharp on his first nine holes, as he did not play the stretch during the practice round, and was rewarded with four straight birdies before turning in 31.

“I guess when you haven’t played the back nine, you concentrate more because you don’t know where you are going. You really need to rely on the yardage book and good advice from your caddy,” said the 26-year-old Richardson.

He is playing without any pressure this week after securing his full Asian Tour card for the 2015 season after finishing tied fourth in Thailand last week.

“I secured my Asian Tour card last week so I’m going to try and enjoy the week and see what happens. I got no pressure on me now so I’ll just try and finish as high as I can on the Order of Merit. Obviously I want to try to get a win before the season ends,” said the Australian, who is ranked 47th on the Merit list.

Harrington took advantage of his early morning start and birdied his opening two holes before going on to add six more birdies which included a 15-footer birdie on the par three seventh hole.

“I could have picked a few spots to make more birdies. I made a nice 15-footer on the seventh hole and it is always nice to hole a nice putt when you are already six-under for the day,” said the Irishman.

“Overall I’m happy with the round. Obviously it is still a long way to go. It was very nice early on and the greens are a little bit softer. When the wind came up after nine holes, it wasn’t really a problem for me because I had a few birdies in the bank at that stage,” smiled Harrington.

Atwal, the 2003 Asian Tour number one and first Indian to win on the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start when he turned in 35 but bounced back with three birdies on his way home.

“I didn’t take advantage of the early start. I didn’t make a birdie after six holes but I stayed patient and tried to hole some putts which happened on my back nine. My game is getting better every week and I’m happy with today’s efforts,” said Atwal.

Thailand’s Thanyakon holed his greenside bunker shot on the first hole for eagle and chipped-in from 125 yards on the par four fifth hole for his second eagle of the day.

The slightly built Thai hopes to continue his hot form after finishing tied third in Japan last week and securing a share of second place in Chiangmai on the Asian Tour two weeks ago.

“It was a good day even though I bogeyed the last. I’m playing with a lot of confidence. I missed the cut here last year but now I’m playing much better,” said the 24-year-old Thanyakon.

Scores after round 1 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71:

(Indonesian unless stated, A denotes amateur):

63 – Kalem RICHARDSON (AUS)

64 – Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL)

67 – Adam GROOM (AUS), Bryce EASTON (RSA), Arjun ATWAL (IND), Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA)

68 – Danny CHIA (MAS), Rahil GANGJEE (IND), Sam BRAZEL (AUS), S.S.P CHOWRASIA (IND), Daniel CHOPRA (SWE), Carlos PIGEM (ESP), Blair WILSON (AUS)

Selected:

69 – Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A), George GANDRANATA

70 – Tirto TAMARDI (A)

71 - Jordan IRAWAN

72 - Johannes DERMAWAN, Andik MAULUDIN

73 - Zaki AULIYAN (A)

74 - Asep CAPRIE, Junaidi IBRAHIM, Indra HERMAWAN

75 - Benny KASIADI, Jamel ONDO

76 - Fahmi REZA, Ian ANDREW, Cahyo ADHITOMO (A), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO

77 - Rizchy SUBEKTI (A), William SJAICHUDIN, Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO

78 - I Ketut SUGIARTA, Dominikus GLENN (A)

79 - Calvin ALAN (A), Anugerah BAGINDA (A), Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN, Bramantio ADI

80 - Fajar WINURYANTO, Kevin C. AKBAR (A)

81 - Sarmilih, Asep SAEFULLOH

82 - Ilyasyak

83 - Jon CAHYADI (A), Ramadhan ALWIE

85 - Rafa SALMUN (A)

ADT Hopefuls Line Up For Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament

Jakarta, August 11 - Talented ADT stars from over 22 countries will battle for honors at the US$100,000 Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament which makes its debut on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) from August 21 to 24.

The inaugural event, which will be played at the BSD course by Damai Indah Golf, will raise this season’s events to a record total of 20 on the burgeoning Tour. The Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament will be the 13th stop on the ADT schedule and the second tournament to be held in Jakarta this season.

Local talents George Gandranata, who won three titles on the domestic circuit this year, Rory Hie and Andik Mauludin will spearhead the home charge against a strong international field which includes ADT winners Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, England’s Grant Jackson, American James Bowen and 2012 Order of Merit champion Jay Bayron of the Philippines.

Gandranata, who claimed his first top-10 result on the ADT in Chinese Taipei last week, is excited with the new event, where he hopes to challenge for his first ADT victory.

“Having a new ADT tournament in Indonesia is definitely good for local players like me because we get more exposure from playing in international events. It was a great experience playing with established golfers in Chinese Taipei two weeks ago. Hopefully I can bring forward the good momentum to the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament,” said the 28-year-old.

Ir. Ciputra, founder and chairman of Ciputra Business Group as well as sponsor of the inaugural Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, said: “We are excited with the launch of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament and we are honoured to be involved with the ADT for the first time.

“The ADT is the gateway to the Asian Tour and we hope this tournament will provide the opportunity for Indonesian players to fast-track their careers. We look forward to a very successful tournament,” added Ir. Ciputra.

Irfan Hamid, Asian Tour’s Associate Director of Business Development, was thrilled to welcome the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament as the newest tournament on the ADT Schedule.

“On behalf of our talented players, I would like to express our fullest appreciation to Mr. Ciputra and the PGTI for their support of professional golf in Asia. We are privileged to welcome the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on the ADT Schedule and we hope to unearth many more rising stars of the game through this new and exciting event,” said Irfan.

Johannes Irwan Dermawan, President of the newly established Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI), also hailed the establishment of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament on the ADT.

“We’re very delighted to partner with Ir. Ciputra as well as the ADT for this inaugural Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament which I am sure will play a key role in shaping the growth of the sport in the country,” said Dermawan.

Apart from the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament and Jakarta Classic on the ADT, there are two other events staged in Indonesia on the Asian Tour schedule, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters which was held in April and the Indonesia Open which is scheduled to be played from December 4 to 7.

Starting this season, the ADT will reward the top five players on the final Order of Merit with playing rights on the 2015 Asian Tour season.

This is a significant boost for aspiring professionals on the ADT as it is the highest number of Asian Tour cards up for grabs since the burgeoning Tour was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010. Only the top three players on the final ADT Order of Merit for each season obtained their Asian Tour cards in the past.

George “The Horse” Gandranata Seals Second Victory And Hails PGTI

Tangerang, 12 June 2014 - Order of Merit leader, George Gandranata secured his second victory on the Indonesian Golf Tour after completing the 5th event in the series at Padang Golf Modern with a total of 10 under par.

28-year-old Gandranata fired three birdies and one bogey on the front nine and started his back nine with a birdie on the 10th finishing his final round with 10-under-par and a total score of 206. Maan Nasim came in second with a total score of 8-under-par, 208.

“Like I said yesterday, I stuck to the plan. My irons were great and my driver was even better than yesterday. That’s why I managed to hit it close to the pin and make birdies. I played one-under-par yesterday and was happy to keep up the momentum today.”, said George.

George continued: “I’m so grateful for this circuit (Indonesian Golf Tour) thanks to the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI). PGTI is a player’s tour. It was formed and is owned by and for the professional golf players of Indonesia. Thanks to Mr. Irwan (Johanes Dermawan) and PGTI, who helped establish and conceptualize this tour series. We can already see the improvements made by Indonesian Golf Tour. Look to the leaderboard today, scores are increasing and game quality is improving. I know I speak on behalf of all the Touring Professionals of Indonesia when I say that we have been waiting for a regular series of events for us to compete in and the Indonesian Golf Tour is providing us with this platform.”

“It is so sad to the hard work and success of PGTI in creating and convincing investors to fund and establish the Indonesian Golf Tour for us being tarnished by unfounded claims by other organizations that the Indonesian Golf Tour belongs to them. This is wrong and is also not fair. They had nothing to do with establishing the Indonesian Golf Tour and they know this. You cannot claim something that is not yours to claim. Simple as that. We professionals are not happy with this. If their true intention is to improve golf in Indonesia, why don’t they just create their own tournament series instead of trying to claim and disrupt the Indonesian Golf Tour. That way we would have more tournaments to compete in and more chances for us to improve our skill.

Best Male Amateur went to 15-year old Daniel Wirawan from Surabaya who posted a total score of seven-over-par (223). With an eagle on the 13th, 3 birdies and four bogies, Rivani Adelia Sihotang come up as the Best Female Amateur with a total score of 10-under-par (206). Fully supported by her parents, 14-year-old Rivani wants to pave her way to professional level and is certainly ensuring she gets there.

“Thank God for today. I enjoyed my game and I am happy with the results. My putting today was not firm enough. I need to practice. My driver was good although I missed a few fairways today but managed to find a way to get out of it. I can say my family 1000% supports me in golf. For me, I don’t want to just stop here, I don’t want to feel satisfied by my game today. I want to keep practicing and getting better.” Said Rivani Adelia Sihotang.

The Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern is the 5th in a series of twelve 3-day events that are being hosted at selected courses in the greater Jakarta area with each boasting Rp200,000,000 prize purses. The launch of the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group is an ambitious new professional golf circuit aimed at speeding the development of Indonesia’s up and coming golfers.
All 13 events earn ranking points for the participating golf professionals and amateurs, setting the stage for the Road to the Indonesian Golf Championship to be hosted at Jakarta Golf Club from December 10th – 13th this year.

The top 30 golf professionals and top 10 amateurs will play for the grand prize purse of Rp500,000,000 with all golf professionals guaranteed winnings in the 4-day tournament as well as the three top professional securing themselves a country exemption spot on the Asian Development Tour for the 2015 season.

Gandranara Takes The Lead In Second Round Of Indonesian Golf Tour At Padang Golf Modern

Tangerang, 11th June 2014 - George Gandranata signed off on a perfect score without bogey in the second round of the Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern. With six-under-par, George successfully compiled a total score of seven-under-par (137) to take the lead in round two of the Indonesian Golf Tour fifth series.

“My irons are great since yesterday and I'm playing really well today. I scored 6 birdies, no bogey. I hit it really close on a lot of holes. I sunk a lot of putts too. There is one hole where I sunk a 10 meter putt. The green at Padang Golf Modern is hard to read, you have to hit it close to the pin to score a birdie,” said George.

George Gandranata on the final hole during the second round of the Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern. Photo: Adil Anselm/OB Golf

“I still have 18 holes to go tomorrow. I can’t control what others do but I can control myself. My strategy will be the same as always. Hope my putts will drop like today in the final round tomorrow. We’ll see,” added George.

Chasing from third place, I Ketut Sugiarta signed in a total six-under-par (138) to tie with overnight leader, Maan Nasim, who played one-under-par in round two and dropped to second place. Stunning Johanes Dermawan was on fire when he recorded seven birdies and just two bogies to put him in fourth place with a total score five-under-par (139).

Rivani Adelia Sihotang signed off on a total seven-under-par (137) to take the Female Amateur lead.

“Thank God, I played really well. I enjoyed and focused on my game and scored 6 birdies today. The course is great. Wind is strong today, and the greens are fast. But overall it is going well,” said fourteen-year-old Rivani Adelia Sihotang.

Modest George Gandranata Takes The Throne At The Indonesian Golf Tour At LotusLakes Golf Club

Karawang, May 9th, 2014 - George Gandranata put on a great game of golf and became the Champion of Indonesian Golf Tour at LotusLakes Golf Club. Not expecting to win, he played confidently and to his best ability, which is what George believes is the key to his success today.

George Gandranata with trophy and winner's cheque after winning the Indonesia Golf Tour at LotusLakes Golf Club. Picture: Fadil/OB Golf

“Golf is a ‘day by day’ game. One day you’re good, another day you play bad. I don’t have expectations for each of the tournaments I have played. All I need to do is make sure that I play well and produce a good score with every opportunity,” Said George.

“I want to thank PGTI and Jimmy Masrin who have created the opportunity for the local professional golfers to play more. I am sure that the more we play, we will be able to score better in the future. Of course thanks to all the sponsors such as Linc Group, and the host venue, LotusLakes Golf Club who prepared the course in superb condition, especially the greens that successfully caused headaches for us professional golfers. All was great and gave us more experience,” added George.

Kevin C. Akbar holds his trophy for Lowest Male Amateur at LotusLakes Golf Club. Picture: Fadil/OB Golf

George wins the tournament with a total score of even-par, 216 (70-73-73). Tailing him was amateur golfer, Kevin C. Akbar, who finished in second place and came in as the Lowest Male Amateur, with a total score of one-over-par, 217.

The tournament was another success for the Indonesian Golf Tour, thanks to Linc Group as the presenting partner, LotusLakes Golf Club as the host venue, PGTI as the sanctioning body and also OB Golf & Lifestyle Magazine as the promoter.

The next series of the Indonesian Golf Tour will be held at Padang Golf Modern, from June 10th – 12th June 2014. Be sure to mark your calendars and watch your favorite local professional golf player in action.

Leading scores after the final round of the Indonesian Golf Tour at LotusLakes Golf Club (A - denotes amateur):

216 - George Gandranata 70-73-73

217 - Kevin C Akbar (A) 74-71-72

218 - Bramantio Adi 77-72-69, Ian Andrew 75-72-71

221 - Rinaldi Adiyandono 78-71-72, Ilyassak 72-74-75

222 - Ari Safari (A) 78-73-71, Andik Mauludin 73-76-73

223 - Benita Y. Kasiadi 76-73-74

224 - Johannes Dermawan 77-75-72, Indra Hermawan 77-74-73, Abhi Sahari 72-77-75

Talented Gandranata Outshines Top Stars At CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters

Jakarta, April 25 - Rising star George Gandranata of Indonesia outshone many of the tournament’s biggest names including Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and France’s Victor Dubuisson by carding a two-under-par 70 in the second round of the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters on Friday.

The 28-year-old compiled a two-day total of three-under-par 141 to emerge as the highest-ranked Indonesian in tied-23rd place, two shots ahead of Thongchai and Dubuisson, who took a share of 38th place after returning with rounds of 72 and 69 respectively at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Gandranata is feeling upbeat about his chances at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters as he managed to make cut for the first time in two appearances.

“It’s the first time I made cut here at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. I did not do well last year. I’m glad I rewrote history today. I came into the tournament hoping to make the cut. Now that I’ve achieved that, I really hope to see myself in contention tomorrow!” said Gandranata, who marked his card with five birdies against three bogeys.

Despite playing on home soil, Gandranata does not feel the pressure of having to play well in front of home crowd this week.

“I think playing on home soil actually helps my game. We don’t have lots of big tournaments here and I treasure every opportunity I get to play here. Playing at home makes me feel like there are a lot of people supporting me,” added Gandranata, who has been a regular player on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) since turning professional in 2012.

The second round of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters was suspended at 5pm local time due to lightning threats on Friday.

Local amateur Fadhli Rahman Soetarso will be one of the 19 players to resume their second rounds at 6.45am on Saturday. Soetarso is currently the second-placed Indonesian on tied-47th. He is even-par through 11 holes.

Indonesia's top-ranked player Rory Hie had to retire at hole 16 because of a wrist injury.

Round three will not start before 8am tomorrow.

Scores of the Indonesian players after day 2 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (a - denotes amateur, leader at -10):

141 - George GANDRANATA 71-70

(Par) - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) 72 Par (11)

148 - Ramadhan ALWIE 76-72

149 - Fahmi REZA 77-72

150 - William SJAICHUDIN 76-74, Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO 75-75

(+6) - Jamel ONDO 78 Par (11)

151 - Denny A. WIJAYA 77-74, Jordan IRAWAN 74-77, Sarmilih 73-78

152 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO 78-74

(+8) - Andik MAULUDIN 77 +3 (12)

153 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) 77-76

(+9) - Benny KASIADI 78 +3 (14)

(+10) - Johannes DERMAWAN 75 +7 (14), Bramantio ADI 81 +1 (13), Ilyasyak 79 +3 (10)

155 - Ian ANDREW 77-78

156 - Asep SAEFULLOH 81-75, Ade SEBUL 80-76

157 - Kevin C. AKBAR (A) 77-80, Junaidi IBRAHIM 81-76

167 - Naraajie RAMADHANPUTRA (A) 79-88

168 - Abhi SAHARI 84-84

         Rory HIE 76 RTD (16)

George Gandranata Spearheads Local Charge At CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters

Jakarta, April 24 - Indonesia’s George Gandranata kept alive the local hopes when he posted a one-under-par 71 to stay four shots back of first round leaders Nicholas Fung of Malaysia and Korean American Anthony Kang in tied-34th place at the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters on Thursday.

The 28-year-old, who plays regularly on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) which is the Tour’s secondary circuit, fired three birdies against two bogeys to stay on track for a possible breakthrough win on home soil.

Gandranata was delighted with his solid round after riding on a hot putter which was the key for him at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

“I already have a plan on attacking this golf course according to my skills set and I must say it went well for me today. I think the key to playing well on this course is to putt well. You got to put the ball in the right place and you need to putt well to score well. The greens here are really sloppy,” said Gandranata.

Gandranata hopes to take advantage of his experience of playing on the ADT and make his impression at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters this week.

“Playing on the ADT has really helped my game. It has given me a lot of experience playing with the professionals out here. The competition is really good here and it gives you the opportunity to hone your game,” said Gandranata, who has been playing on the ADT since turning professional in 2012.

Local amateur Fadhli Rahaman Soetarso signed for a 72 while compatriot Sarmilih is tied on 61st after carding a 73.

Scores of the Indonesian players after round 1 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (a - denotes amateur, leaders at 67):

71 - George GANDRANATA

72 - Fadhli SOETARSO (a)

73 - SARMILIH

74 - Jordan IRAWAN

75 - Johannes DERMAWAN, Kurnia Herisian SANTOSO

76 - Rory HIE, Ramadhan ALWIE, William SJAICHUDIN

77 - Ian ANDREW, Andik MAULUDIN, Fahmi REZA, Denny A. WIJAYA, Kevin C. AKBAR (a), Tirto TAMARDI (a)

78 - Benny KASIADI, Jamel ONDO, Rinaldi ADIYANDONO

79 - Naraajie RAMADHANPUTRA (a), ILYASSYAK

80 - Ade SEBUL

81 - Junaidi Ibrahim, Bramantio ADI, Asep SAIFULLOH

85 - Abhi SAHARI