I Ketut Sugiarta Claims Second Win On The Indonesian Golf Tour At Palm Hill

Bogor, October 9th, 2014 - As the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group leads into the Grand Finale, the final qualification round at Palm Hill Golf Club got more intense today. Everyone put their best effort in to qualify within the top 30 of the Indonesian Golf Tour Order of Merit. Once again I Ketut Sugiarta proved himself to be able to handle the pressure and came in as the champion of the 8th edition of Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group.

Leading from the second round, Ketut recorded 70-71-68 and posted a total score of seven-under-par 209. Ketut, who currently ranks third in the Order of Merit successfully fulfilled his hope to finish in the top five of the 8th edition where he sealed the tournament as the champion of the day.

“In the second round my putting was not good enough. I scored ‘under-par’, but still, it is not enough. I practiced my putting yesterday and it worked well today, and that helped a lot.”

“The Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group is giving us motivation to play well. The tournament series also gives opportunity for amateur golfers to participate and improve their ability. This is good for golf development in Indonesia.” said the two-time Indonesian Golf Tour champion.

Starting the final round tied in third place with Jordan Surya Irawan , Ian Andrew fought his way to finish in second place. Ian played brilliantly, generating seven birdies in the final round alone with a total score of five-under-par, 211 (71-73-67).

Finishing in third place, Rinaldi Adiyandono scored three-under-par, 213 (68-74-71).

“I Ketut played very well today, he controlled his emotions and was very calm. Even when he made a bogey on hole 10, he stayed calm as if nothing happened. I learnt so much from him today.” Said Rinaldi.

During the prize giving ceremony, Ketut expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group. “Thank you to Linc Group for this magnificent golf tour series. A big thanks to Palm Hill Golf Club too who provided us with a very nice, yet challenging golf course. We need this kind of tournament series to get better.” said I Ketut Sugiarta in his champion speech.

The top 30 playeers from the Indonesian Golf Tour Order of Merit are now confirmed. These 30 golf professionals will compete in the Road to Indonesian Golf Championship, Indonesian Golf Tour Grand Final in December 2014.

I Ketut Sugiarta Goes Top In Second Round Of The Indonesian Golf Tour At Palm Hill

Bogor, October 8th, 2014 - The Champion of the 7th edition Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group, I Ketut Sugiarta, ended with a total score three-under-par 141 and took the lead from overnight leader Rinaldi Adiyandono after the second round of The Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group at Palm Hill Golf Club.

"I played well today. My putting has been good throughout the whole round. I hope I can finish top five tomorrow, and qualify for the grand finale where I'm aiming to be in top three." smiled Ketut with confidence.

Rinaldi Adiyandono rolled to second place in round two, playing 74 with total score two-under-par 142. Not satisfied with his putting, Rinaldi wants to maintain his focus for the final day.

"My putts are a bit off today. Not as good as yesterday. I actually birdied all par 5s, but not many on par 4s. I will try to keep my focus on each of my strokes for tomorrow and have fun on the course." said 28-years-old Rinaldi Adiyandono.

Jordan Surya Irawan who played consistently 72-72, recorded an even-par both days in a row with total score 144 and tied with Ian Andrew in third place.

Overnight amateur leader, Sim Min Sub still hold his position at the top, but unfortunately no amateur will play in the final round of the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group as all missed the cut.

Early Lead For Rinaldi In The Indonesian Golf Tour At Palm Hill

Bogor, October 7th, 2014 - Scoring four-under-par 68 on the first round, Rinaldi Adiyandono leads the pack with confidence at the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group at Palm Hill Golf Club. Generating 7 birdies, Rinaldi aimed at the top. Currently in 10th position on the Indonesian Golf Tour Order of Merit, Rinaldi has secured his spot in the grand finale of Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group, which offers Rp500,000,000 prize money to the top 30 of the Order of Merit.

“I learned that the green surface was a bit hard during my practice round. So I changed my game plan and it worked really well. I tried to generate as many birdies as I could and successfully produced 5 birdies on the front nine and 2 on the back nine.” Said Rinaldi.

Closing tight in second place was Irwansyah who finished round one with a two-under-par, 70. Irwansyah and Rinaldi were tied with four-under-par before Irwansyah ended up scoring 2 bogeys on his back nine to hand the lead over to Rinaldi Adiyandono.

Meanwhile in the amateur division, Sim Min Sub leads round one after recording a 7-over-par, 79. Sim successfully overcame all of the other amateur golfers who participated in this first ever, professional/amateur golf tour circuit in Indonesia. The Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group field is unique where the participants consist of 80 professional golfers, 30 male amateur golfers, 20 female amateur golfers, and 14 invitee golfers all playing in one field under tournament conditions.

Palm Hill Golf club proudly hosts the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group for the second time this year. The Golf course's support is a major boost for golf professional development in Indonesia. The series hopes to see more support from the golf industry in Indonesia as Indonesian Golf Tour is slated to take Indonesian Professional Golf to a new level.

With the Tour leading into a Grand Finale in December this year, the 8th edition of Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group is getting more competitive. Every player is pushing their game to get into the top 30 so they can qualify for the grand finale.
The top 30 golf professionals and top 10 amateurs will play for the grand prize purse of Rp.500.000,000 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.

New Indonesian Golf Tour For Pros And Amateurs Launched

Jakarta, April 1st 2014 - Today the third leg of a brand new golf tour will get underway at Emeralda Golf Club, just south of Jakarta.

For the first time Indonesia has its own professional golf tour, the Indonesian Golf Tour. It is an ambitious new professional golf circuit aimed at speeding the development of Indonesia’s up and coming golfers.

The playing field will comprise of 80 Indonesian Golf Professionals, 30 Male Amateurs, 20 Female Amateurs and 14 special invites marking the first time Indonesia has seen such a tour that allows for a playing field offering opportunities to both Amateurs and Golf Professionals at the same time.

A total of thirteen 3-day events will be hosted at selected courses in the greater Jakarta area with each boasting IDR 200,000,000 prize purses. All 13 events will earn ranking points for the participating golf professionals, which will set the stage for the Road to the Indonesian Golf Championship to be hosted at Jakarta Golf Club (Rawamangun) from December 10th – 13th this year.

The top 30 golf professionals and top 10 amateurs will play for the grand prize purse of IDR 500,000,000 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.

As a result of this new initiative for professional and amateur golf in Indonesia, close to 10 amateurs have converted their status to professional status in order to allow them to play for money on the Indonesian Golf Tour.
The Indonesia Golf Tour was officially launched on March 21st during a Press Conference in Jakarta, but two events, the PGP Classic at Senayan National Golf Club and the Indonesia Golf Challenge at Palm Hill Golf Club, were already held prior to this launch.

"The long term future for golf in Indonesia is not paying large sums to bring the world's superstars to play here but creating our own stars," Johannes Dermawan, the chairman of Professional Golf Tour Indonesia (PGTI) said at the launch event.

"We need to create more stars that we ourselves can be proud of, stars that the Indonesian people will flock to see and stars that will eventually play among the world's top golfers in the world's top tournaments. But we can only achieve this by giving our best and most promising golfers the opportunity to develop their competitive skills, by giving them the chance to compete regularly." added Dermawan.

Indonesian Golf Star, Rory Hie added, “The Road to the Indonesian Golf Championship will create a buzz factor on the Indonesian Golf Tour as players compete throughout the season to make it into the field for the final event. We thank the tournament organizers for supporting this positive development.”

During the Press Conference, Professional golfers from across the country were presented with the vision and objectives of The Indonesian Golf Tour and were encouraged to use its platform as a unique opportunity to improve their fortunes.

The launch was blessed with the presence of representatives from Persatuan Golf Indonesia (Indonesian Golf Association) and Badan Professional Olahraga Indonesia (Professional Sports Association of Indonesia) as well as many of Indonesia’s leading golf professionals, all of whom echoed the sentiments expressed above.

The Indonesian Golf Tour series brings the total number of Professional Golf events being hosted in Indonesia to 20 events, including 2 Asian Tour events (CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters and Indonesia Open), 1 OneAsia event (Indonesian PGA Championship), 2 Asian Development Tour events (Linc Group Jakarta Classic and Linc Group Jakarta Invitational) and the Camry Invitational.

This is the first time Indonesia has seen so many professional golf events being hosted in a single year.

The 2014 schedule for the Indonesia Golf Tour:

No	Date	Event	Venue
1	Jan 26-28	PGP Classic	Senayan National GC
2	Feb 18-20	Indonesia Golf Challenge	Palm Hill GC
3	Apr 1-3	Citra Sembilan Satu	Emeralda GC
4	May 6-8	Indonesian Classic @	LotusLakes Golf
5	May 19-21	JGC Classic	Jakarta GC (Rawamangun)
6	Jun 10-12	Indonesian Classic @	PG Modern
7	Jun 17-19	Indonesian Classic @	Jababeka GCC
8	Aug 12-14	Indonesian Classic @	Sedana GCC
9	Aug 26-28	JGC Classic	Jakarta GC (Rawamangun)
10	Sep 23-25	Indonesian Classic @	tba
11	Oct 21-23	Indonesian Classic @	tba
12	Nov 4-6	JGC Classic	Jakarta GC (Rawamangun)
13	Nov 18-20	Indonesian Classic @	tba
14	Dec 10-13	IGT Final	Jakarta GC (Rawamangun)

Denny Wijaya Wins Indonesian Golf Challenge In Play Off Against Andik Mauludin

Bogor, February 20th - Denny A. Wijaya won the Indonesian Golf Challenge in a Play Off against Andik Mauludin. Both had total scores of 215 (-1) and on the first play off hole Denny A. Wijaya sunk his putt from the fringe to make birdie while Andik missed his chance early on to make birdie.

“On the first and second day, I played safe to survive the cut but today I tried to push my game. When I made bogey on 17th and 18th hole, the first thing I remembered was to call my family and let them know the possibility of a playoff,” said Denny.

Denny dedicated his win to his wife and 2 children, especially his wife who just celebrated her birthday on February 18th. For him, this win is sentimental and will be a memorable one.

Andik had to accept his loss when Denny sunk his putt from six meters. “I targeted to win the game this week. This is golf, everything can happen on the course. When I birdied the 15th, Denny scored bogey on the 17th that made us tied to two-under-par. I made bogey on the 17th and so did Denny on the 18th. Sinking the four meter putt 18th boosted my confidence,” said Andik smiling.

“I finished second at the previous tournament and lost in a playoff in this tournament. Next tournament, I have to win” added Andik.

(L-R) Jo Seik (Male Lowest Amateur), Denny A Wijaya (Champion), Gianti Mahardika (Female Lowest Amateur) pose with their trophy in the Indonesian Golf Challenge at Palm Hill Golf Club on February 20th, 2014.

In the amateur section, Jo Seik came in as the Male Lowest Amateur with a total of 217 (one-over-par), while Gianti Mahardika won the Female Lowest Amateur with a total of 229 thirteen-over-par.

The Indonesian Golf Challenge proved to be an event that not only pushed the professional golf players to do their best but also to gave an opportunity for amateur golfers to compete in a professional golf tournament and earn more experience.

Thank you to Palm Hill Golf Club who fully supported the event with their wonderful course and great services.

The Indonesian Golf Challenge was the second in a series of fourteen events, which are being conducted this year in Indonesia to establish a platform for Indonesian golf professionals and amateurs to play together in a three-day tournament and improve their level of golf on a regular basis.

All fourteen events lead into a Grand Finale in December which offers a prize purse of Rp. 500,000,000 to the top thirty Indonesian Professionals playing in a 4-day tournament called “The Race to the Indonesian Championship” at Jakarta Golf Club. This tournament does not involve a cut and all thirty professionals will win a percentage of the prize money with the top three positions earning a country exemption card on the Asian Development Tour.

Junaidi And Andik Share Lead At Indonesian Golf Challenge

Bogor, 19 February - Junaidi Ibrahim and Andik Mauludin are both leading Indonesian Golf Challenge at Palm Hills Golf Club after the second round with a total score of three under par.

Both will be paired with Jo Seik who is the best performing male amateur who finished today with a fantastic score of 69. The leading group will tee of from tee box 1 at 8:20am for the final round.

The cut today was at +11 with two female amateurs in close battle for the best female amateur position. Gianti Mahardika at +7 has a one stroke advantage over Rivani Adelia Sihotang.

Spectators are welcome to come watch the exciting Indonesia Golf Challenge final round at Palm Hills Golf Club located in Sentul.

This is the second in a series of fourteen events being conducted in Indonesia where eighty Indonesian golf professionals and thirty male and twenty female amateurs are playing together in each tournament, which offers a Rp. 200,000,000 prize purse for the top Indonesian golf professionals.

Miss Indonesia Making A Case For Indonesia Golf Tourism

Last week the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open was held at the Palm Hill Golf Club along the Jagorawi toll road, just south of Jakarta.

Besides it being the most lucrative event on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour in 2012, what attracts most attention in the international media is the participation of Miss Indonesia 2012, and top 15 finalist in the 2012 Miss World pageant, Inez Putri Tjiptadi, an accomplished amateur golfer from the island of Bali.

Although one can argue that her looks overshadowed the accomplishments of the female golfers in the field, she undoubtedly brought the world's attention to ladies golf in general and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and golf in Indonesia in particular.

From this perspective we can only hope that her performance on the golf course soon will outshine her performance on the catwalk, and that after her reign as Miss Indonesia comes to an end she will be able to reign on the golf course and become a ambassador for golf in Indonesia.

Below are some of the articles that headline Miss Indonesia in the international media:

AFP (France): Beauty queen to play golf in Ladies Indonesia Open

Reuters (USA): Bogeys not bouquets for Miss Indonesia in Jakarta

GOLF.com (USA): Beauty queen tees off in Ladies Indonesian Open

Digibet.info (UK): Beauty queen competes in Indonesia Open golf tournament

Taipei Times (Taiwan): ASIAN TOUR: Golfing Miss Indonesia swaps crown and gown for Ladies Indonesia Open

The Star online (Malaysia): Veteran Mehra charges ahead as Miss Indonesia Ines returns respectable score

Kongkapan Steals Victory At Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, October 20 - Diminutive Thai golfer Patcharachuta Kongkapan showed she has a big future by cruising to a three-shot victory in the US$200,000 Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open today.

An imperious four-under-par 68 saw her dominate the final round at Palm Hill Golf Club with no one able to get close.

Taiwan’s Hsieh Yu-ling claimed second place after shooting a 68 while Malaysian amateur Kelly Tan finished in third position two shots further back. She closed with a 74.

Tan led by one stroke at the start of the third and final round from Patcharachuta and veteran Indian Smriti Mehra.

However, the Thai golfer swiftly pulled ahead with birdies on the first, third, fourth and seventh.

She led by four shots at the turn and cruised home with her only bogey of the day coming on the last.

“My concentration was very good today and I was able to stay calm. I have been playing well recently and it keeps getting better. I am so happy to win,” said Patcharachuta, who received a cheque for US$30,000.

Her previous best finish was fourth place in this year’s Ladies Thailand Open.

It is Patcharachuta’s first victory on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and the third win of the season by a Thai player.

Nontaya Srisawang claimed the Ladies Thailand Open in February while Tiranan Yoopan triumphed in last month’s Technology Cup in Taiwan.

Hsieh stormed through at the end making birdies on three out of the last six holes to snatch second place while Tan failed to make any birdies and made two bogies.

Mehra, the first round leader, had a poor finish carding a bogey on 15, a double on 17 and a bogey on the last to fall back into a tie for eighth.

Amateur star Inez Putri, winner of this year’s Miss Indonesia, signed off with an 81 to end in a tie for 55th place.

Leading final round scores:

209 - Patcharachuta Kongkapan (THA) 71 70 68

212 – Hsieh Yu-ling (TPE) 71 73 68

214 – Kelly Tan (MAS) (a) 71 69 74

215 – Kusuma Meechai (THA) 73 73 69, Connie Chen (RSA) 74 69 72, Dottie Ardina (PHI) (a) 72 72 71

216 - Michelle Koh (MAS) (a) 75 68 73

217 – Walailak Satarak (US) 71 74 72, Numa Gulyanamitta (THA) 74 71 72, Smriti Mehra (IND) 69 72 76

219 - Thidapa Suwannapura (THA) 71 78 70, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 76 73 70, Jaruporn Palakawong (THA) 72 75 72

220 – Stacey Keating (AUS) 76 75 69, Neha Tripathi (AUS) 75 73 72, Sahra Hassan (WAL) 73 74 73, Tiffany Tavee (US) 75 72 73, Anil Abu Bakar Johani (MAS) 75 72 73, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 74 71 75

Selected:

228 – Nikki Garrett (AUS) 79 73 76

229 – Lidya Ivana Jaya (INA) 79 76 74

236 – Inez Putri (INA) (a) 79 76 81

Rain Stops Play On Day 2 Of Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, October 19 - Malaysian amateur Michelle Koh and South African Connie Chen took the clubhouse lead today in the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open before lightning stopped play for the day.

Koh fired an impressive second round four-under-par 68 while Chen carded a 69 at Palm Hill Golf Club.

They lead the Ladies Asian Golf Tour event on one-under-par 143 although three players on the course top the leaderboard.

India’s Smriti Mehra, the first round leader, and another Malaysian amateur Kelly Tan are three-under for the tournament after 12 holes.

Thailand’s Patcharachuta Kongkapan, playing in the same group, is two under.

Played was stopped at 2.45 allowing Koh and Chen to steal the limelight.

Koh, aged 22, graduated from Campbell University in North Carolina in May and intends to spend A year working hard on her game before deciding whether to turn professional.

After a strong round made up of five birdies and a bogey it looks as if she is on course for a promising career.

“I didn’t expect to play so well today. I was just focusing on swinging the club well. I have been working really hard with my dad so it’s great it has paid off,” said Koh.

Chen, who turns 20 next week, was ranked the number one amateur in South Africa when she turned professional in 2010. Last year was his first full season on the Ladies European Tour.

She birdied three out of the last five holes to catch Koh and give herself a great chance of claiming her maiden professional title.

Play will resume at 7am tomorrow with veteran Mehra hoping to maintain her consistent play.

“I am level par for my round today so I am playing comfortably but it is frustrating to have to stop. It is nice to be leading though and tomorrow should be an exciting day,” said the 40-year-old.

The glamorous Inez Putri, winner of this year’s Miss Indonesia title who is competing as an amateur, improved on her first round 79 by carding a 76.

It is proving to be an impressive tournament for the 23-year-old from Bali who has hardly played golf this year due to other commitments which included taking part in Miss World in June.

She is tied with the country’s only lady professional Lidya Ivana Jaya who has carded the same scores.

The Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open features 84 players. The tournament is played over 54 holes with no cut being made.

It is the most lucrative women’s national Open in South East Asia with the winner earning a cheque for US$30,000.

Completed second round scores:

143 – Michelle Koh (MAS) (a) 75 68, Connie Chen (RSA) 74 69

145 – Numa Gulyanamitta (THA) 74 71, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 74 71

146 – Alison Whitaker (AUS) 76 70, Vani Kapoor (IND) 76 70, Kusuma Meechai (THA) 73 73

147 – Anil Abu Bakar Johani (MAS) 75 72, Tiffany Tavee (USA) 75 72, Lim In-hong (KOR) 74 73, Tang Thi Nhung (VNM) 73 74

Selected:

149 – Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 76 73

151 – Stacey Keating (AUS) 76 75

152 – Nikki Garrett (AUS) 79 73

155 – Inez Putri (INA) (a) 79 76

Veteran Mehra Claims First Day Honiurs In Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, October 18 - Smriti Mehra showed why she has long been the flag bearer of Indian women’s golf by charging to the top of the leaderboard on the opening day of the US$200,000 Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open.

Mehra shot a three-under-par 69 at Palm Hill Golf Club in the ninth leg on this year’s Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).

Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, Patcharachuta Kongkapan, Malaysian amateur Kelly Tan, Walailak Satarak from the United States, and Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Yu-ling all shot 71 to tie for second place.

Amateur Inez Putri, the 2012 Miss Indonesia winner taking time out from her busy schedule, shot a respectable 79 and is in a tie for 55th position.

Mehra, aged 40, made three birdies in a row from the second to seize the lead. Another birdie on 11 moved her to four under before she made her only bogey of the day on the following hole.

Said Mehra: “I hit the ball the same on both nines but the putts seemed to drop on the front. I kept it steady and slow and got it done.”

The Indian, a powerful hitter, has spent much of her career playing on the US LPGA Tour and has also triumphed twice on the Futures Tour in the States.

“I have been several times to Indonesia and I love it here. I love playing in Southeast Asian countries. I have always supported Asian golf. I played on the LPGA Tour for about 12 years but I now play on the Ladies European Tour and I always come back to play in Asia,” said Mehra.

She won the Women’s Malaysian Open in 2002 and after a good start this week she is well placed to secure another title in the region.

Mehra was in the first group out and was paired with 13-year-old amateur Julia Alhemoud from Kuwait, who returned a 94.

“I am sure she had a good time but she was upset with the way she played. She walked off saying it was the worst round but I said it doesn’t matter as you are 13 years old and I am 40 so you know you have 27 years on me,” said Mehra.

When asked why women’s golf in India has not developed as rapidly as the men’s game she commented: “We started a women’s pro organization in 2005 and I was the only professional then. Today we have 20 which is not bad. We only had about eight amateurs then but we have about 500 today.”

Of the players hot on her heels in second place Thidapa could be one to watch.

The 19-year-old recently secured her US LPGA Tour card and finished third last week in the South Taiwan Open on the LAGT.

Thidapa burst through into the professional game last year by winning the ladies title at the Singha Pattaya Open, her first victory as a member of the paid ranks.

Last month she won the Vidalia Championship in Georgia. The event is part of the Symetra Tour which sees the top-10 players at the end of the season earn their cards for the US LPGA Tour. The US$16,500 she received for winning moved her to fourth on the money list and that is how she finished the year to pave the way for an exciting 2013.

There was huge pressure on Putri, a top amateur, as she was paired with Australian star Stacey Keating – fresh from back-to-back titles on the Ladies European Tour.

The other player in their group Nontaya Srisawang from Thailand, who claimed the Ladies Thailand Open in February, did not start as she was laid low by a fever.

Putri showed the kind of calmness that carried her to victory in Miss Indonesia in April and finished only three shots behind Keating.

The 23-year-old from Bali made one birdie and eight bogeys.

She said: “I haven’t played much golf in five months so I am happy with my score. It was very warm and the golf course is very tight with small fast greens so it is not easy. I hope to improve on my score each round.”

The Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open features 84 players. The tournament is played over 54 holes with no cut being made.

It is the most lucrative women’s national Open in South East Asia with the winner earning a cheque for US$30,000.

Leading first round scores, Par 72, (a) denotes amateur:

69 – Smriti Mehra (IND)

71 – Patcharachuta Kongkapan (THA), Kelly Tan (MAS) (a), Walailak Satarak (THA), Thidapa Suwannapura (THA), Hsieh Yu-ling (TWN)

72 – Jarupron Palakawong (THA), Dottie Ardina (PHI) (a), Tseng Hsiu-feng (TPE)

73 – Wannasari Sirisampant (THA), Aretha Pan (MAS) (a), Kurika Jang (THA), Sahra Hassan (WAL), Rodriguez Cyna (PHI) (a), Tang Thi Nhung (VNM), Russamee Gulyanamitta (THA), Samantha Richdale (CAN), Kusuma Meechai (THA)

74 – Connie Chen (RSA), Yoshee Yoshida (JPN), Chu Yu-an (TPE), Lim In-hong (KOR), Ornthana Chuenarraom (THA), Titiya Plucksataporn (THA), Numa Gulyanamitta (THA)

Selected:

76 – Stacey Keating (AUS), Rebecca Hudson (ENG)

79 – Inez Putri (INA) (a), Lidya Ivana Jaya (INA), Nikki Garrett (AUS)

Miss Indonesia Inez To Grace Fairways Of Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, October 17 - Eye catching Inez Putri, winner of Miss Indonesia 2012, will replace crown and gown with golf clubs and caddie to compete with conviction in this week’s Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open, which starts Thursday.

The 23-year-old, a top amateur but short of practice due to her Miss Indonesia commitments, will line up alongside a host of in-form professionals in the ninth leg of this year’s Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).

Boasting prize money of US$200,000 the tournament tees-off on Thursday at Palm Hill Golf Club, just outside Jakarta, and also features a number of top players from the Ladies European Tour (LET).

Putri has been paired in the opening round with Australian star Stacey Keating, fresh from back-to-back LET wins, and Nontaya Srisawang from Thailand, who claimed the Ladies Thailand Open in February.

“I am very nervous as I have hardly played for the last five months. I just hope I don’t finish last,” said Putri.

“I have had a lot to do since winning Miss Indonesia in April including competing in Miss World. I am just aiming to have fun this week and learn from some of the best players.”

She is the first Balinese ever to win Miss Indonesia and she also made it into the top-13 at this year’s Miss World in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.

Putri is the youngest person ever to compete for the national ladies golf team and won gold and silver medals in 2004 in Indonesia’s national championships. In 2010 she claimed the ladies Singapore amateur championship.

Her golf career is on hold this year but she plans to focus on it next season.

“There is so much I want to do with golf. I really want to help promote the sport in our country and show that it is not a game only played by wealthy people. I also want to get involved in television and host a golf show. However, playing is what I love and I would still like to turn professional in a couple of years,” she said.

The Indonesian certainly will be able to learn from the best this week as playing partner Keating is currently the hottest player on the LET.

Two weeks ago the 26-year-old completed back-to-back victories in Europe to position herself as one of the favourites heading into this week’s event.

Keating claimed the French Open by one stroke shortly after having triumphed in the Tenerife Open de España Femenino.

The victory in Spain came in a sudden-death play-off and was her first success in Europe. Her breakthrough wins as a professional followed on from an impressive amateur career which saw her ranked top female amateur in Australia in 2010.

Nontaya will also be one to watch as she is currently third on the LAGT Money List and is eyeing top spot.

Said Nontaya: "Last night I was down with a high fever and I pulled out of the Pro-Am today. I had no appetite and took a couple of fever tablets to stabilise my high temperature. I guess I will be alright for tomorrow's start of play. I will play even if I'm running a slight fever.”

The professional from Chiang Mai has earned US$26,703 this year, which is US$10,497 less than leader Yu Pei-lin of Chinese Taipei. Yu is not playing this week and with four more events remaining the Thai has a chance to finish first.

“Yesterday I played well in the practice round. I'm still excited about playing tomorrow unless the fever knocks me out. But I'll certainly play if the fever is low," she said confidently.

Thailand’s Tiranan Yoopan, who triumphed in last month’s Technology Cup in Taiwan on the LAGT, and England’s Rebecca Hudson and Nikki Garrett from Australia, who boast multiple LET titles, are also competing this week.

Other fancied starters include Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, who recently secured her US LPGA Tour card, Titiya Plucksataporn and Piyathida Ployumsri, Korean Lee Eun-young, South African Connie Chen, Australia’s Alison Whitaker, Kirsty Fisher from England and France’s Cassandra Kirkland.

The Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open is the most lucrative women’s national Open in South East Asia with the winner earning a cheque for US$30,000.

Red Hot Keating In Top Position In Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, October 12 -

Australian golfer Stacey Keating, the player who receives the most attention in the Ladies European Tour, will compete next week at the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open tournament.

Last week the 26-year-old managed to score consecutive victories in Europe, making herself one of the favorites for the title to appear in this leading women's golf tournament that will take place at the Palm Hill Golf Club.

The tournament with a total prize of US$200,000 is the ninth leg of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) circuit, and will feature the best golfers in Asia, as well as some of the leading players from Europe.

Keating became one of the players to watch, as she has just won the French Open title with a one stroke margin, just a few days after she won the Open de España Femenino Tenerife.

Her victory in Spain after a sudden-death play-off is her first success in Europe. The win was a breakthrough for her as a professional golfer, following an impressively successful amateur career.

In 2010, Keating was ranked top female golfer in Australia, had won the Australian Amateur Championship, as well as the Tasmanian, Victorian and West Australian Stroke Play Championships. Keating also represented Australia at the World Amateur Championship.

In the same year Keating was one of two players who received a Karrie Webb Scholarship, the most prestigious scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to get private training mentoring from former world number one Webb.

Currently she is ranked fourth on Europe's money list with earnings of €147,045 or US$ 189,317, and no doubt she will be able to continue her brilliance in Asia.

Nontaya Srisawang and Tiranan Yoopan of Thailand, who were both winners on LAGT this season, and Rebecca Hudson from England, who has won three title on the Ladies European Tour, have also been confirmed to compete in this tournament.

Nontaya won the Thailand Ladies Open in February, while Tiranan won the Technology Cup in Taiwan last August.

Also competing are Lydia Ivana Jaya, an Indonesian golfer together with the beautiful Ines, Miss Indonesia 2012, who is also an amateur golfer and is currently Indonesia's top amateur player and one of the members of the national team.

Another welcome addition is Sahra Hassan, a young golfer from Wales who in May was named sportwoman of the year by the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation at Wembley Stadium.

Also participants include Titiya and Piyathida of Thailand, Lee Eun-young of Korea, Connie Chen from South Africa, Alison Whitaker of Australia, Kirsty Fisher of England and Cassandra Kirkland of France.

A total of 84 players will compete in three rounds with no elimination. "We are very pleased to welcome the return of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour in Indonesia for the first time since 2010, and most importantly, we came back with good quality. We promise a competitive tournament with the presence of golfers from Asia and Europe," said Koichi Kato, President and Commissioner of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

The Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) launched in 2005 was formerly known as the Kasaido Ladies Asian Golf Circuit in 2003.

Enjoy Jakarta has sponsored the Indonesia Open golf tournament for men since 2005, and sponsoring the Ladies Indonesia Open golf tournament is an addition to their sponsorship program.

The Ladies Indonesia Open was first held in 1987 when Fusako Nagata of Japan won the trophy. Other famous winners include Lisa Hacney from England in 1995 and Corinne Dibnah from Australia in 1996.

The tournament can be watched on television with coverage on ESPN Star Sports in Asia Pacific and the One World Sports in the United States where they will air one hour highlights three times running.

Enjoy Jakarta Re-launch Ladies Indonesia Open

Jakarta, September 26 -

Enjoy Jakarta will embark on an exciting new sponsorship initiative this year by backing the Ladies Indonesia Open for the first time.

Boasting prize money of US$200,000, the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open will be played at Palm Hill Golf Club in Jakarta from October 18 to 20.

An all-star cast of many of the leading lady professional golfers from Asia and Europe will compete in the ninth tournament on the 2012 Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).

Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang and Tiranan Yoopan, both winners of the LAGT this season, and England’s Rebecca Hudson, who has claimed three titles on the Ladies European Tour, have all confirmed they will compete.

Nontaya claimed the Ladies Thailand Open in February while Tiranan triumphed in last month’s Technology Cup in Taiwan.

Indonesia’s Lydia Ivana Jaya will lead the local challenge along with the glamorous Inez Putri - the reigning Miss Indonesia World 2012 who is also a promising golfer.

Other welcome additions to the field will be Sahra Hassan, the young golfer from Wales who in May was named UK sportswoman of the year by the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation at Wembley Stadium.

Australian Nikki Garrett, the 2006 Rookie of the Year on the Ladies European Tour who claimed back-to-back titles in 2007, is also a starter.

“The Jakarta Capital City Government believes sponsoring an international sporting tournament of this caliber will draw significant attention to Indonesia as a whole and Jakarta in particular. It is a tremendous honour for us as we hope to showcase our nation’s rich mosaic of diverse languages, cultures and customs,” said His Excellency Dr. Ing H. Fauzi Bowo, Governor of Jakarta.

Enjoy Jakarta have sponsored the men’s Indonesia Open since 2005 and therefore their sponsorship of the ladies national Open is an extension of their sponsorship program.

“The Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open will be a wonderful sporting occasion and we are particularly excited to be associating ourselves with ladies professional golf which has a huge following,” added Dr. Fauzi.

The tournament will benefit hugely from regional television coverage on ESPN Star Sports as three one-hour highlight shows will be produced.

A field of 83 players will compete over three rounds with no cut being made.

The Ladies Indonesia Open was first played in 1987 when Japan’s Fusako Nagata lifted the trophy. Well known winners of the event include Lisa Hackney from England in 1995 and Australian Corinne Dibnah in 1996.

The Indonesian Golf Association (PGI) are the guardians of Ladies Indonesia Open and are looking forward to the first staging of the event since 2010.

“Ladies golf continues to capture the imagination of the golfing world and so we are thrilled that our national Open returns to the schedule in 2012. A strong field has entered and we also looking forward to seeing amateurs from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines compete,” said Arifin Panigoro, President – PGI.

The tournament is set to be one of the showpiece events on the LAGT.

“We are delighted to welcome Enjoy Jakarta, a new sponsor, to the Ladies Asian Golf Tour. Our circuit features 13 events this season and everyone is looking forward to heading to the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open,” said Koichi Kato, President & Commissioner, Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

The LAGT was launched in 2005, taking over where the previously known Kasaido Ladies Asian Golf Circuit left off in 2003.

“Indonesia deserves and needs international sporting events like the Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open and we at GolfLink Resorts take great pleasure in being able to facilitate this process,” said Suprapto Pegeng, Marketing Director, PT Intra GolfLink, the promoter of the event and owner of Palm Hill.

Located in the Sentul highlands and near the green city of Bogor, Palm Hill’s 18 holes course was designed by Tom Matteson and developed by Japan’s Taisei Corporation.

Like all the courses in the Bogor region, the course offers marvelous views particularly of the majestic Mount Salak.

World Golfers Championship Indonesia

The World Golfers Championship Indonesia Gross Series #1 will be held on Monday 3 & Tuesday 4 September 2012 at Palm Hill Golf Club.

1st Flight tees off 07:00 am.

The 3 winners with lowest gross scores after 36 Holes (2 days) will advance to the WGC Indonesia Final held from 24 to 27 September 2012.

Registration will be closed on Monday 3 Sept.2012 @ 06:30 am.

For more information:
SMS Center: 0815 86 01 02 09
Pin BB: 274FA12A
Email: wgc.indonesia@yahoo.com

Constitutional Court Rules Golf A Sport

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday approved a judicial review by the Indonesian Golf Association and several golf companies, stating that entertainment tax levied against the golf industry is unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday approved a judicial review by the Indonesian Golf Association and several golf companies, stating that entertainment tax levied against the golf industry is unconstitutional.

Golf in Indonesia will now be legally classified as a sport, and subject to a different (and likely lower) realm of taxation.

“The word ‘golf’ in the Law on Regional and Retribution Tax is against the 1945 Constitution, and therefore no longer legally binding,” presiding judge Ahmad Sodiki said, as quoted by Antara.

Under the old law, golf was categorized as entertainment, and subject to similar taxes as karaoke, nightclubs, billiards, bowling, massage parlors and art performances.

The golf association and several companies complained that categorizing golf as entertainment resulted in an unfairly high taxation rate of up to 35 percent, with different regions given the discretion to set the rate at or below that number.

“Tax charges should consider all aspects, including the type of the business or event that could be subject to tax, as well as the justice . . . for tax payers,” judge Akil Mochtar said. He said that the classifying golf as a sport seemed more suitable, given that there were numerous national and international tournaments, and because people played golf for health and recreation purposes.

“Therefore, golf could not be categorized only as entertainment, and cannot be an object of entertainment taxes,” Akil said.

But one of the nine Constitutional Court judges dissented — justice Achmad Sodiki said that golf is indeed entertainment that happens to contain elements of a sport.

“Golf can not be seen as black and white,” Achmad said. “Many people like golf as entertainment for weekend recreation. [Golf] also makes efforts to lift up it’s image and enter certain respected social economic segments. It is also a communication media for friendship and business among elite people.”

Interested companies in the judicial review included Pondok Indah Padang Golf, Sentul Highlands Golf Club, Cengkareng Golf Club, Palm Hill Golf Course, New Kuta Golf and Ocean View, Merapi Golf, Karawang International Golf Course and Damai Indah Golf.

HMP Cup Golf Championship 2010

Between June 15 and 18, another Amateur Invitational will tee off at GolfLink Resorts Sentul Palm Hill Country Club. This tournament will be preceded by a Pro-AM Tournament on June 15.

The tournament is presented by the Humpuss Group and aims at promoting honesty, integrity and responsibility. For registration please call Palm Hill at 021-87954307