Jakarta, January 8 - Highly-rated teenager Tirto Tamardi will be the player to beat when the eighth edition of the Faldo Series Indonesia Championship tees-off this weekend.
Following a succession of outstanding performances alongside the region’s leading professionals in recent months, the 15-year-old from Surabaya is already being touted as a star of the future.
But Tamardi’s immediate focus is simply to retain the Faldo Series Indonesia Championship title he won at a canter last year.
Since his seven-stroke success over Damai Indah Golf’s BSD Course in West Java exactly 12 months ago, Tamardi has enjoyed a memorable sequence.
Among the many highlights were a top-10 finish in September’s PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship, an Asian Development Tour event featuring a host of seasoned Asian professionals.
Tamardi also had the distinction of being one of only two amateurs to make the half-way cut in last month’s Bank BRI Indonesia Open, a fully-fledged Asian Tour event won by Irishman Padraig Harrington over Damai Indah’s PIK Course.
Those experiences are sure to stand Tamardi in good stead as he attempts to secure a return trip to Mission Hills China for the ninth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo in March.
Tamardi will certainly be drawing on the memory of his brilliant performance last year when an opening nine-under-par 63 set him on course for a runaway victory.
He said: “Winning tournaments will always be the best experience. The one that I won’t forget was when I won the Faldo Series Indonesia last year. I had the lowest scores and that was one of the greatest experiences for me.”
Speaking ahead of the 18th leg of the record-breaking 2014-2015 Faldo Series Asia season, six-time Major championship winner Sir Nick, Britain’s most successful golfer, said: “Tirto is clearly a talented player who has already proved that he has both the game and the temperament to succeed.
“I will be following closely his progress at Damai Indah in what promises to be another exciting tournament.”
Supported by The R&A and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2014-15 Faldo Series Asia campaign stretches over 11 months and is made up of 19 championships.
Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006.
Today, 40 Faldo Series tournaments take place in 30-plus countries worldwide, touching more than 7,000 golfers each year. Past winners include Tseng Ya-ni and Rory McIlroy, who took his tally of professional Major titles to four with his wins at last year’s Open Championship and US PGA Championship.
Showing posts with label Pantai Indah Kapuk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pantai Indah Kapuk. Show all posts
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Monday, December 8, 2014
Padraig Harrington Wins Bank BRI Indonesia Open After Dramatic Final Hole Drama
Jakarta, December 7 - Irishman Padraig Harrington secured a thrilling victory at the US$750,000 Bank BRI Indonesia Open after defeating a battling Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand by two shots on Sunday.
The three-time Major champion held a four-shot lead at the start of the final round but stumbled at the turn in 37 as Thanyakon birdied three in his opening five holes to lead by two shots after nine holes.
Harrington clawed his way back up after a two-hour rain suspension to tie with Thanyakon heading into the 18th hole where drama ensued at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
Under immense pressure to win his first Asian Tour title, the 24-year-old Thai hit his second shot into the water for a double bogey as Harrington sealed the win with a 15-foot par putt after taking a penalty drop when his tee shot landed on the edge of the hazard.
Harrington, who signed for an even-par 71 and a winning total of 16-under-par 268 said, “Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence. I didn’t start too well but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year.”
“I had a bad break on the 18th hole when I hit my tee shot and it rolled to the edge of the hazard. I was about to chip my ball sideways to the fairway but when Thanyakon hit it into the water, there was no point to take a chance. So I went back to the fairway and hit my six iron for my best shot of the week,” said Harrington.
After completing five holes in his third round on Sunday morning, Harrington opened his final round campaign with a bogey before dropping two shots on the par three seventh hole. He admits that the rain delay after nine holes helped him recover.
“I hit a few bad shots earlier on and I hit a careless shot on the seventh hole. The biggest thing for me at that stage was that I was really praying for a rain delay. My momentum was gone but Thanyakon was flying and he didn’t miss a shot,” explained Harrington.
“It was very unlucky for Thanyakon because of that rain delay. It was unfortunate but he can be very proud with how he played all the way through. He is really impressive. He looks like a player to watch for in the future,” added the Irishman, whose last win in a full field tournament was in Johor in 2010.
A dejected Thanyakon rued the missed opportunity to win his first Asian Tour title after struggling to hold his nerve on the 18th hole.
“It was a great final round from me but I was under so much pressure on the last hole. I’m still happy with how I played. The rain delay stopped my momentum. It wasn’t good. The pressure made me scared,” said the young Thai, who posted a 69.
David Lipsky of the United States extended his Order of Merit lead by slightly over US$133,518 after finishing sixth while Merit runner-up Anirban Lahiri of India stumbled to tied 15th place after closing with a triple bogey.
“Looks like I increased my lead and I’m feeling pretty good about that. The goal was to play solid here. Step one done and now I’ll move on to the Thailand Golf Championship and see what I can do there,” said Lipsky, who won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September.
Lahiri will have much to play for in the remaining two Asian Tour events. “I got a lot to play for. David has a good lead and I need two solid results in the last two events. I think I’m playing well enough but I got to put it together over four rounds. I haven’t done that in these last two weeks.”
Home hero George Gandranata couldn't maintain his good form, and had to settle for a 2-over par 73, his first round in the 70s this tournament. As a result he dropped back to a tie for 15th on the leaderboard with 278 total. Jordan Irawan finished one shot further back after firing a 70, which meant he completed all rounds in par or better.
The two Indonesian amateurs that made the cut had their own little fight on who would end on top, that was eventually won by Fadhli Rahman Soetarso, who came home in 68 strokes to overtake 15-year old Tirto Tamardi (72) by 3 strokes.
Scores after round 4 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):
(A denotes amateur)
268 – Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-66-67-71
270 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63-71-69
271 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63-70-69
272 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-67-68-66
274 – Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 73-67-67-67
275 – David LIPSKY (USA) 72-68-66-69
276 – Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 71-69-72-64, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 69-70-68-69, Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 71-68-71-66, Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-68-69-71, Scott HEND (AUS) 69-64-75-68
Selected:
278 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-68-68-73
279 – Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 71-67-71-70
283 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) (INA) 69-73-73-68
286 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 70-70-74-72
The three-time Major champion held a four-shot lead at the start of the final round but stumbled at the turn in 37 as Thanyakon birdied three in his opening five holes to lead by two shots after nine holes.
Harrington clawed his way back up after a two-hour rain suspension to tie with Thanyakon heading into the 18th hole where drama ensued at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
Under immense pressure to win his first Asian Tour title, the 24-year-old Thai hit his second shot into the water for a double bogey as Harrington sealed the win with a 15-foot par putt after taking a penalty drop when his tee shot landed on the edge of the hazard.
Harrington, who signed for an even-par 71 and a winning total of 16-under-par 268 said, “Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence. I didn’t start too well but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year.”
“I had a bad break on the 18th hole when I hit my tee shot and it rolled to the edge of the hazard. I was about to chip my ball sideways to the fairway but when Thanyakon hit it into the water, there was no point to take a chance. So I went back to the fairway and hit my six iron for my best shot of the week,” said Harrington.
After completing five holes in his third round on Sunday morning, Harrington opened his final round campaign with a bogey before dropping two shots on the par three seventh hole. He admits that the rain delay after nine holes helped him recover.
“I hit a few bad shots earlier on and I hit a careless shot on the seventh hole. The biggest thing for me at that stage was that I was really praying for a rain delay. My momentum was gone but Thanyakon was flying and he didn’t miss a shot,” explained Harrington.
“It was very unlucky for Thanyakon because of that rain delay. It was unfortunate but he can be very proud with how he played all the way through. He is really impressive. He looks like a player to watch for in the future,” added the Irishman, whose last win in a full field tournament was in Johor in 2010.
A dejected Thanyakon rued the missed opportunity to win his first Asian Tour title after struggling to hold his nerve on the 18th hole.
“It was a great final round from me but I was under so much pressure on the last hole. I’m still happy with how I played. The rain delay stopped my momentum. It wasn’t good. The pressure made me scared,” said the young Thai, who posted a 69.
David Lipsky of the United States extended his Order of Merit lead by slightly over US$133,518 after finishing sixth while Merit runner-up Anirban Lahiri of India stumbled to tied 15th place after closing with a triple bogey.
“Looks like I increased my lead and I’m feeling pretty good about that. The goal was to play solid here. Step one done and now I’ll move on to the Thailand Golf Championship and see what I can do there,” said Lipsky, who won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September.
Lahiri will have much to play for in the remaining two Asian Tour events. “I got a lot to play for. David has a good lead and I need two solid results in the last two events. I think I’m playing well enough but I got to put it together over four rounds. I haven’t done that in these last two weeks.”
Home hero George Gandranata couldn't maintain his good form, and had to settle for a 2-over par 73, his first round in the 70s this tournament. As a result he dropped back to a tie for 15th on the leaderboard with 278 total. Jordan Irawan finished one shot further back after firing a 70, which meant he completed all rounds in par or better.
The two Indonesian amateurs that made the cut had their own little fight on who would end on top, that was eventually won by Fadhli Rahman Soetarso, who came home in 68 strokes to overtake 15-year old Tirto Tamardi (72) by 3 strokes.
Scores after round 4 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):
(A denotes amateur)
268 – Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-66-67-71
270 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63-71-69
271 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63-70-69
272 – Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-67-68-66
274 – Sattaya SUPUPRAMAI (THA) 73-67-67-67
275 – David LIPSKY (USA) 72-68-66-69
276 – Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 71-69-72-64, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 69-70-68-69, Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 71-68-71-66, Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-68-69-71, Scott HEND (AUS) 69-64-75-68
Selected:
278 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-68-68-73
279 – Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 71-67-71-70
283 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) (INA) 69-73-73-68
286 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 70-70-74-72
Sunday, December 7, 2014
George Gandranata In Fourth Place After Round 3 Of The Bank BRI Indonesia Open
Jakarta, December 7 - Padraig Harrington of Ireland fired a four-under-par 67 after completing the third round of the US$750,000 Bank BRI Indonesia Open on Sunday.
The multiple Major champion returned this morning to finish five holes for a 16-under-par 197 total to hold a four-shot lead over Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand, who birdied his closing two holes for a 71 at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
Due to bad weather expected on Sunday afternoon, there will not be a redraw for the final round and player start round four in the same group.
Australia’s Nathan Holman registered a 70 to lie in third position while local hope George Gandranata posted a 68 to tie for fourth with Sam Brazel of Australia on 205, eight shots behind Harrington at the Asian Tour event.
Harrington, who is aiming to win his first title in a full field event since 2010, hopes to maintain his strong momentum.
“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.
Scores after round 3 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):
197 – Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-66-67
201 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63-71
202 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63-70
205 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-68-68, Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-68-69
206 – David LIPSKY (USA) 72-68-66, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 74-66-66, Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-67-68, Carlos PIGEM (ESP) 68-69-69, Scott BARR (AUS) 69-67-70
Selected:
209 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 71-67-71
214 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 70-70-74
216 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) (INA) 69-73-73
The multiple Major champion returned this morning to finish five holes for a 16-under-par 197 total to hold a four-shot lead over Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand, who birdied his closing two holes for a 71 at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
Due to bad weather expected on Sunday afternoon, there will not be a redraw for the final round and player start round four in the same group.
Australia’s Nathan Holman registered a 70 to lie in third position while local hope George Gandranata posted a 68 to tie for fourth with Sam Brazel of Australia on 205, eight shots behind Harrington at the Asian Tour event.
Harrington, who is aiming to win his first title in a full field event since 2010, hopes to maintain his strong momentum.
“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.
Scores after round 3 of the Bank BRI Indonesia Open (Par 71):
197 – Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 64-66-67
201 – Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 67-63-71
202 – Nathan HOLMAN (AUS) 69-63-70
205 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 69-68-68, Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 68-68-69
206 – David LIPSKY (USA) 72-68-66, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 74-66-66, Quincy QUEK (SIN) 71-67-68, Carlos PIGEM (ESP) 68-69-69, Scott BARR (AUS) 69-67-70
Selected:
209 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 71-67-71
214 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 70-70-74
216 - Fadhli Rahman SOETARSO (A) (INA) 69-73-73
Saturday, December 6, 2014
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.
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
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
Thursday, December 4, 2014
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)
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)
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
International Stars Ready To Shine At Bank BRI Indonesia Open
Jakarta, December 3 - Asian Tour Order of Merit leader David Lipsky of the United States will keep his foot firmly on the pedal when he challenges for the BANK BRI Indonesia Open title which starts on Thursday.
The Korean-American has enjoyed a superb season highlighted by his win at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September and that success has fueled his desire to chase for Asia’s top prize.
“I won this year and I’ve enjoyed some good results so I’ve exceeded my expectations but I still want to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit. You can’t get too content and satisfied despite the results. You always have to keep trying and pushing yourself,” said Lipsky.
With three events remaining for 2014, Lipsky will head into a decisive period starting with the US$750,000 tournament staged at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk course this week.
After pocketing US$682,610 in earnings this year, Lipsky will have to fend off the strong challenge from a resilient Anirban Lahiri of India, who is US$118,256 behind him. Despite the mounting pressure, the 26-year-old Lipsky believes he has the game to help him cross the finishing line.
“I want to stick to the process. I’m trying to get better each week and I’m trying not to go through many emotional highs and lows. Mentally I was a bit tired but I took a week off last week and I’m feeling fine now. Getting away from the golf course was nice.
“I played quite well here last year and I have some good memories. It is a great course and I’m looking forward to the week. I definitely like the course. There are a lot of hazards out there so you need to keep the ball in play,” said Lipsky, who finished tied 17th here last year.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland, a three-time Major champion, title holder Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and an in-form Mardan Mamat of Singapore will also feature at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open.
Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines and Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka are amongst those chasing for a first Asian Tour victory. A return to the BANK BRI Indonesia Open will bring back fond memories for Jazz, who was tied for the lead in the penultimate round last year before settling for tied sixth place.
“I was tied for the lead after the third round and on the last day, it was the first time I was in the last group on the Asian Tour. That experience really helped me a lot. If I have a chance to be in contention again, then I will definitely do better than last time,” said the 19-year-old Thai.
After taking a week’s break, the 20-year-old Tabuena, hopes to overcome the swirling winds and launch a title assault at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open.
“The course was playing easy on Tuesday but today it was a different animal. The wind will definitely play a huge factor this year. It is a bombers course because you can get away if you don’t find the fairway. But like every week, it will all come down to putting,” said Tabuena.
After losing in a three-way play-off at the Panasonic Open India last month, Perera, who is the son to Nandasena, a famous name on the old Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, believes he can also contend for the title.
“I believe that everyone has a chance to win. It doesn’t matter if it is a long or short hitter. If you strike the ball well then you can do well. My game is in good shape and when my game comes together then nobody can stop me,” said Perera.
The Korean-American has enjoyed a superb season highlighted by his win at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September and that success has fueled his desire to chase for Asia’s top prize.
“I won this year and I’ve enjoyed some good results so I’ve exceeded my expectations but I still want to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit. You can’t get too content and satisfied despite the results. You always have to keep trying and pushing yourself,” said Lipsky.
With three events remaining for 2014, Lipsky will head into a decisive period starting with the US$750,000 tournament staged at the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk course this week.
After pocketing US$682,610 in earnings this year, Lipsky will have to fend off the strong challenge from a resilient Anirban Lahiri of India, who is US$118,256 behind him. Despite the mounting pressure, the 26-year-old Lipsky believes he has the game to help him cross the finishing line.
“I want to stick to the process. I’m trying to get better each week and I’m trying not to go through many emotional highs and lows. Mentally I was a bit tired but I took a week off last week and I’m feeling fine now. Getting away from the golf course was nice.
“I played quite well here last year and I have some good memories. It is a great course and I’m looking forward to the week. I definitely like the course. There are a lot of hazards out there so you need to keep the ball in play,” said Lipsky, who finished tied 17th here last year.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland, a three-time Major champion, title holder Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and an in-form Mardan Mamat of Singapore will also feature at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open.
Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines and Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka are amongst those chasing for a first Asian Tour victory. A return to the BANK BRI Indonesia Open will bring back fond memories for Jazz, who was tied for the lead in the penultimate round last year before settling for tied sixth place.
“I was tied for the lead after the third round and on the last day, it was the first time I was in the last group on the Asian Tour. That experience really helped me a lot. If I have a chance to be in contention again, then I will definitely do better than last time,” said the 19-year-old Thai.
After taking a week’s break, the 20-year-old Tabuena, hopes to overcome the swirling winds and launch a title assault at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open.
“The course was playing easy on Tuesday but today it was a different animal. The wind will definitely play a huge factor this year. It is a bombers course because you can get away if you don’t find the fairway. But like every week, it will all come down to putting,” said Tabuena.
After losing in a three-way play-off at the Panasonic Open India last month, Perera, who is the son to Nandasena, a famous name on the old Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, believes he can also contend for the title.
“I believe that everyone has a chance to win. It doesn’t matter if it is a long or short hitter. If you strike the ball well then you can do well. My game is in good shape and when my game comes together then nobody can stop me,” said Perera.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
George Gandranata Aims For Glory At Bank BRI Indonesia Open
Jakarta, November 14 - Indonesia’s rising star George Gandranata hopes to shine at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open against the Asian Tour’s best in December.
As the highest ranked player in Indonesia, finishing strongly at this year’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open, scheduled for December 4 to 7 at Jakarta’s Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, will be a great way to wrap up a successful season.
After sharpening his game on the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the 28-year-old, who won four titles on the local circuit, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up in his National Open.
“I am ready to take on our national championship which is the biggest event for local players,” said Gandranata. “As Indonesian golfers, we all hope to give our best performance on home soil. There is been only one Indonesian champion, Benny Kasiadi in 1989. It would be a huge honor to win, adding my name to the list as the second Indonesian to claim victory.”
The talented Indonesian takes a humble view of his recent wins but credits his huge improvement after contesting regularly against Asia’s best and talented golfers on the Asian Tour and ADT.
“The experience I have gained from getting into contention in both ADT events and Asian Tour tournaments has been invaluable”, Gandranata added. “I have learned something different from every player I played with making me to a better player.”
Gandranata has been working with his coach Philippe De Busschere of the LeadBetter Golf Academy in Indonesia since October last year. De Busschere encouraged Gandranata to make adjustments in his body movement and weight transfer, delivering instant improvement in his game.
“It’s still a work in progress, but I have seen improvements in hitting the ball more solidly and driving further in distance,” Gandranata commented.
In addition, Gandranata also experimented with changing tactics from his usual aggressive approach to more conservative play. This paid immediate dividends as he emerged as the sole Indonesian to make the cut at the Indonesian Masters in April, the first time he played during the weekend in three attempts.
When asked his view on the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, host venue of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, Gandranata responded with confidence: “It’s a challenging course, especially when it’s windy which can be often. But I like it because it plays tough for everyone. I will also have a caddy who knows the course well giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the green.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, welcomed the confirmation of Gandranata, “George is not only a rising star on the golf course, he is also fast becoming a role model for Indonesian golfers of all ages. We are very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in competing in a whole new level as he has grown in experience and skill in the past year.”
As the highest ranked player in Indonesia, finishing strongly at this year’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open, scheduled for December 4 to 7 at Jakarta’s Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, will be a great way to wrap up a successful season.
After sharpening his game on the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the 28-year-old, who won four titles on the local circuit, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up in his National Open.
“I am ready to take on our national championship which is the biggest event for local players,” said Gandranata. “As Indonesian golfers, we all hope to give our best performance on home soil. There is been only one Indonesian champion, Benny Kasiadi in 1989. It would be a huge honor to win, adding my name to the list as the second Indonesian to claim victory.”
The talented Indonesian takes a humble view of his recent wins but credits his huge improvement after contesting regularly against Asia’s best and talented golfers on the Asian Tour and ADT.
“The experience I have gained from getting into contention in both ADT events and Asian Tour tournaments has been invaluable”, Gandranata added. “I have learned something different from every player I played with making me to a better player.”
Gandranata has been working with his coach Philippe De Busschere of the LeadBetter Golf Academy in Indonesia since October last year. De Busschere encouraged Gandranata to make adjustments in his body movement and weight transfer, delivering instant improvement in his game.
“It’s still a work in progress, but I have seen improvements in hitting the ball more solidly and driving further in distance,” Gandranata commented.
In addition, Gandranata also experimented with changing tactics from his usual aggressive approach to more conservative play. This paid immediate dividends as he emerged as the sole Indonesian to make the cut at the Indonesian Masters in April, the first time he played during the weekend in three attempts.
When asked his view on the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, host venue of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, Gandranata responded with confidence: “It’s a challenging course, especially when it’s windy which can be often. But I like it because it plays tough for everyone. I will also have a caddy who knows the course well giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the green.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organizer of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, welcomed the confirmation of Gandranata, “George is not only a rising star on the golf course, he is also fast becoming a role model for Indonesian golfers of all ages. We are very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in competing in a whole new level as he has grown in experience and skill in the past year.”
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Bank BRI New Title Sponsor For Indonesia Open
Jakarta, October 23 - Organizers of Indonesia’s national open announced a double-dose of good news today as Indonesia’s oldest bank, BANK BRI, stepped up to become title sponsor of the tournament, and defending champion, Gaganjeet Bhullar confirmed his attendance at this year’s event, to be played at Damai Indah Golf, PIK Course in Jakarta from December 4 to 7.
BANK BRI was a platinum partner of the 2013 edition and following the success of that partnership, the bank has agreed to become title sponsor of Indonesia’s oldest golf tournament. The tournament will now be called the “BANK BRI Indonesia Open” and will offer a purse of at least USD 500,000.
Firman Taufick, Executive Vice President of BANK BRI, commented “We are absolutely delighted to become the title sponsor of the oldest professional tournament in Indonesia and to put our name to the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open’. Both the bank and the tournament share a rich and storied history that makes us natural partners. We both understand the importance of tradition, yet appreciate the need to always evolve and innovate.”
“Starting with the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open 2014’, BANK BRI will launch a number of new loyalty program privileges for our premium customers, especially for those who are fans of golf. By participating in international events, BANK BRI will reinforce its position as a bank ready to take part in the global market,” said Firman.
“Everyone at BANK BRI is extremely excited about our partnership. I’d like to thank Persatuan Golf Indonesia for their support and IMPL for their hard work in bringing this partnership to fruition,” concluded Firman.
In a further boost for the tournament, Bhullar, a five-time Asian Tour winner, will return to Jakarta in December to defend the crown he won in such style last year. Shooting four rounds in the 60s – 64, 67, 69 and 68 – the popular Indian completed a wire-to-wire victory in 2013 with a 16 under par total.
“Last year’s victory was my biggest career win to date so it’s really important for me to come back and play well and try to defend my title. I haven’t played much in Asia this year and I’m looking forward to getting back to the region, seeing my fans and playing some good golf,” said Bhullar.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han is confident of another great showing from the best players from the Asian Tour and is looking forward to another exciting edition of the Indonesia Open.
“We’re looking forward to welcome the return of the best players from the Asian Tour to the 2014 Indonesia Open. The Asian Tour has celebrated the success of many worthy winners recently. With the Indonesia Open highly regarded as one of the popular national Opens in Asia, we’re confident of another success story waiting to be written this year.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organisers of the “BANK BRI Indonesia Open”, was thrilled with the dual announcement:
“This year will be the 37th Indonesia Open and we are delighted that one of Indonesia’s most respected and trusted financial institutions, BANK BRI, has committed to a partnership with the tournament. With their support, the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open’ will continue to grow and develop and we look forward to a bright future for the tournament.”
“It’s also wonderful that we are able to confirm the return of our defending champion so far in advance of the event. Gaganjeet played some magnificent golf last year and was a worthy winner of our event. We’re all looking forward to welcoming him, and a host of other fine golfers, back to Pantai Indah Kapuk for what I’m sure will be another thrilling tournament.”
“This event will surely support the growth of the national golf scene, even allowing amateur golfers to take part in developing golf in Indonesia,” concluded Murdaya.
Franciscus Welirang, Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, said, “Golf is a sport that has great potential in Indonesia, and the increasing number of world class golf tournaments will grow the interest of local golfers. In any sport, including golf, good nutrition is essential for athletes to stay healthy, active and for them to reach their full potential. Indofood, as a food and beverage company with a vision to become a ‘Total Food Solutions Company’, is honored to participate in supporting the ‘Bank BRI Indonesia Open 2014’, which will inspire national golfers to reach success in the international arena.
Grant Slack from IMPL commented: “We would like to thank BANK BRI for their continued and enhanced commitment to the BANK BRI Indonesia Open. It is fantastic for the National Open to have such strong support from the Indonesia business community and we look forward to working with BANK BRI, the PGI, PIK, Jaguar, Indofood, and all of our other sponsors in this year’s tournament.”
BANK BRI was a platinum partner of the 2013 edition and following the success of that partnership, the bank has agreed to become title sponsor of Indonesia’s oldest golf tournament. The tournament will now be called the “BANK BRI Indonesia Open” and will offer a purse of at least USD 500,000.
Firman Taufick, Executive Vice President of BANK BRI, commented “We are absolutely delighted to become the title sponsor of the oldest professional tournament in Indonesia and to put our name to the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open’. Both the bank and the tournament share a rich and storied history that makes us natural partners. We both understand the importance of tradition, yet appreciate the need to always evolve and innovate.”
“Starting with the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open 2014’, BANK BRI will launch a number of new loyalty program privileges for our premium customers, especially for those who are fans of golf. By participating in international events, BANK BRI will reinforce its position as a bank ready to take part in the global market,” said Firman.
“Everyone at BANK BRI is extremely excited about our partnership. I’d like to thank Persatuan Golf Indonesia for their support and IMPL for their hard work in bringing this partnership to fruition,” concluded Firman.
In a further boost for the tournament, Bhullar, a five-time Asian Tour winner, will return to Jakarta in December to defend the crown he won in such style last year. Shooting four rounds in the 60s – 64, 67, 69 and 68 – the popular Indian completed a wire-to-wire victory in 2013 with a 16 under par total.
“Last year’s victory was my biggest career win to date so it’s really important for me to come back and play well and try to defend my title. I haven’t played much in Asia this year and I’m looking forward to getting back to the region, seeing my fans and playing some good golf,” said Bhullar.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han is confident of another great showing from the best players from the Asian Tour and is looking forward to another exciting edition of the Indonesia Open.
“We’re looking forward to welcome the return of the best players from the Asian Tour to the 2014 Indonesia Open. The Asian Tour has celebrated the success of many worthy winners recently. With the Indonesia Open highly regarded as one of the popular national Opens in Asia, we’re confident of another success story waiting to be written this year.”
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organisers of the “BANK BRI Indonesia Open”, was thrilled with the dual announcement:
“This year will be the 37th Indonesia Open and we are delighted that one of Indonesia’s most respected and trusted financial institutions, BANK BRI, has committed to a partnership with the tournament. With their support, the ‘BANK BRI Indonesia Open’ will continue to grow and develop and we look forward to a bright future for the tournament.”
“It’s also wonderful that we are able to confirm the return of our defending champion so far in advance of the event. Gaganjeet played some magnificent golf last year and was a worthy winner of our event. We’re all looking forward to welcoming him, and a host of other fine golfers, back to Pantai Indah Kapuk for what I’m sure will be another thrilling tournament.”
“This event will surely support the growth of the national golf scene, even allowing amateur golfers to take part in developing golf in Indonesia,” concluded Murdaya.
Franciscus Welirang, Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, said, “Golf is a sport that has great potential in Indonesia, and the increasing number of world class golf tournaments will grow the interest of local golfers. In any sport, including golf, good nutrition is essential for athletes to stay healthy, active and for them to reach their full potential. Indofood, as a food and beverage company with a vision to become a ‘Total Food Solutions Company’, is honored to participate in supporting the ‘Bank BRI Indonesia Open 2014’, which will inspire national golfers to reach success in the international arena.
Grant Slack from IMPL commented: “We would like to thank BANK BRI for their continued and enhanced commitment to the BANK BRI Indonesia Open. It is fantastic for the National Open to have such strong support from the Indonesia business community and we look forward to working with BANK BRI, the PGI, PIK, Jaguar, Indofood, and all of our other sponsors in this year’s tournament.”
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Two Time Major Winner John Daly To Play 2014 Indonesia PGA Championship
JAKARTA, Feb 19 - Two-time Major winner John Daly will be one of the star attractions at next month’s Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship, which has also been boosted by the participation of the Indonesia Port Corporation as a presenting sponsor for the first time.
Adding to the spectacle is the fact that the U.S. $1 million tournament — to be played from March 27 to 30 at Damai Indah Golf, Bumi Serpong Damai — will again be jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, and is the opening tournament of the 2014 season for both.
A stellar field is expected for the now officially titled "Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship, presented by Indonesia Port Corporation", with defending champion Choi Ho-sung from Korea leading the charge.
Australian Andre Stolz beat Indonesian number one Rory Hie by a shot to win the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2011.
American Daly, nicknamed “Wild Thing”, is sure to be a huge draw on his debut and likely to thrill the crowds with his trademark big hitting.
The 47-year-old’s two greatest accomplishments are his “zero to hero” victory in the 1991 PGA Championship, and his playoff victory over Italian Costantino Rocca in the 1995 Open Championship.
According to official performance statistics kept since 1980, Daly in 1997 became the first U.S. PGA Tour player to average more than 300 yards (270 metres) per drive over a full season — a feat he repeated every year between 1999 and 2008. It was only matched by a second player in 2003.
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital territory’s tourism portal, is an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and delighted to be continuing backing the country’s richest tournament.
“With comprehensive regional television coverage, a world class field and an outstanding venue, Enjoy Jakarta’s partnership with the Indonesia PGA Championship reaps huge reward,” said Joko Widodo, the Governor of Jakarta.
“Through this tournament we are able to showcase to the region the wonderful appeal that our nation’s capital boasts and its tremendous value as a golfing destination.”
The event marks the first time the Indonesia Port Corporation, the state body responsible for the governance, regulation, maintenance of maritime berths and harbours across the country, has sponsored a golf tournament.
“This tournament provides us with a great opportunity to promote our services throughout Asia,” said R.J. Lino, CEO of the IPC.
“One of our key corporate values is integrity, and this is certainly evident by our decision to sponsor the Indonesia PGA Championship -- an outstanding sporting event that our country can be proud of.”
Damai Indah Golf, the brainchild of Indonesian real estate developer and business baron Ciputra, consists of two international championship courses in completely different and challenging surroundings. Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) is located in the West Java satellite city of the same name, while and Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) rests along the Java Sea in North Jakarta.
Bumi Serpong Damai, affectionately known by locals as “BSD”, is situated alongside the impressive Cisadane River with the up-market housing estates of Serpong providing an impressive backdrop.
Tournament will be promoted by World Sport Group (WSG) for a third time, drawing on their vast experience in sponsorship, media and event management to ensure an outstanding event is staged.
WSG also promote the Emirates Australian Open, the Thailand Open and the Singapore Open.
Adding to the spectacle is the fact that the U.S. $1 million tournament — to be played from March 27 to 30 at Damai Indah Golf, Bumi Serpong Damai — will again be jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, and is the opening tournament of the 2014 season for both.
A stellar field is expected for the now officially titled "Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship, presented by Indonesia Port Corporation", with defending champion Choi Ho-sung from Korea leading the charge.
Australian Andre Stolz beat Indonesian number one Rory Hie by a shot to win the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2011.
American Daly, nicknamed “Wild Thing”, is sure to be a huge draw on his debut and likely to thrill the crowds with his trademark big hitting.
The 47-year-old’s two greatest accomplishments are his “zero to hero” victory in the 1991 PGA Championship, and his playoff victory over Italian Costantino Rocca in the 1995 Open Championship.
According to official performance statistics kept since 1980, Daly in 1997 became the first U.S. PGA Tour player to average more than 300 yards (270 metres) per drive over a full season — a feat he repeated every year between 1999 and 2008. It was only matched by a second player in 2003.
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital territory’s tourism portal, is an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and delighted to be continuing backing the country’s richest tournament.
“With comprehensive regional television coverage, a world class field and an outstanding venue, Enjoy Jakarta’s partnership with the Indonesia PGA Championship reaps huge reward,” said Joko Widodo, the Governor of Jakarta.
“Through this tournament we are able to showcase to the region the wonderful appeal that our nation’s capital boasts and its tremendous value as a golfing destination.”
The event marks the first time the Indonesia Port Corporation, the state body responsible for the governance, regulation, maintenance of maritime berths and harbours across the country, has sponsored a golf tournament.
“This tournament provides us with a great opportunity to promote our services throughout Asia,” said R.J. Lino, CEO of the IPC.
“One of our key corporate values is integrity, and this is certainly evident by our decision to sponsor the Indonesia PGA Championship -- an outstanding sporting event that our country can be proud of.”
Damai Indah Golf, the brainchild of Indonesian real estate developer and business baron Ciputra, consists of two international championship courses in completely different and challenging surroundings. Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) is located in the West Java satellite city of the same name, while and Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) rests along the Java Sea in North Jakarta.
Bumi Serpong Damai, affectionately known by locals as “BSD”, is situated alongside the impressive Cisadane River with the up-market housing estates of Serpong providing an impressive backdrop.
Tournament will be promoted by World Sport Group (WSG) for a third time, drawing on their vast experience in sponsorship, media and event management to ensure an outstanding event is staged.
WSG also promote the Emirates Australian Open, the Thailand Open and the Singapore Open.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Indonesia's Top Ten Golf Courses Announced
In the upcoming edition of Golf Digest's Planet Golf, the best courses from 205 individual countries are selected to come up with a list of the best courses in the world by country.
From the around 140 courses in Indonesia the courses that 'made the cut' are:
To know which courses from other countries are among the world's best, follow the link here.
From the around 140 courses in Indonesia the courses that 'made the cut' are:
- Nirwana Bali GC, Tabanan, Bali ★
- Taman Dayu GC & Resort, Surabaya, East Java
- Rancamaya G&CC, Jakarta, West Java
- Royale Jakarta GC, (West/South), Jakarta, West Java
- Damai Indah Golf (Pantai Indah Kapuk), Jakarta, West Java
- Ria Bintan GC (Ocean Course), Lagoi, Bintan
- Damai Indah Golf (Bumi Serpong Damai), Tangerang, West Java
- Jagorawi G&CC (New Course), Bogor, West Java
- Gunung Geulis CC, Bogor, West Java
- Jagorawi G&CC (Old Course), Bogor, West Java
To know which courses from other countries are among the world's best, follow the link here.
Monday, December 23, 2013
New Home For Indonesia PGA Championship In 2014
The picturesque venue, the first Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Indonesia, will host the U.S. $1 million tournament from March 27 - 30, and for the second successive year will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
The tournament tees off a week after the Thailand Open, also a OneAsia and JGTO event, which will be played from March 13 to 16.
“Damai Indah Golf – Bumi Serpong Damai course is thrilled to welcome the 2014 Indonesia PGA Championship,” said Christine Wiradinata, Director, Damai Indah Golf.
“We are firmly established as one of Indonesia’s premier golf courses, well known for staging world class tournaments. Our Jack Nicklaus championship course will provide an outstanding layout for some of the world’s finest players.”
The brainchild of well-known Indonesian real estate developer and business baron Ir. Ciputra, Damai Indah Golf consists of two international championship courses in completely different and challenging surroundings. Bumi Serpong Damai — known to local golfers as "BSD" — is located in the West Java satellite city of the same name, while Pantai Indah Kapuk is along the Java Sea in North Jakarta.
BSD is situated alongside the impressive Cisadane River that is framed by the upmarket housing estates of Serpong.
“The Indonesia PGA Championship together with our friends at the Japan Golf Tour Organisation and the world class Damai Indah Golf course will combine to help launch another great year on OneAsia,” said OneAsia Commissioner and Chairman Sang Y. Chun.
Next year is the sixth season of OneAsia and marks the third staging of the Indonesia PGA Championship.
“This year the Japan Golf Tour Organisation enjoyed an excellent start to the season by joint-sanctioning the Indonesia PGA Championship and Thailand Open with OneAsia and we look forward to a repeat of this in 2014,” said Katsuji Ebisawa, Chairman, JGTO.
In March, Korean Choi Ho-sung survived a dramatic three-hour storm delay on the final hole and drained an eight-foot birdie putt for a two-stroke victory in the Indonesian PGA Championship at Emeralda Golf Club.
At the inaugural event in 2011, Australian Andre Stolz beat Indonesian number one Rory Hie by a shot at Imperial Klub Golf.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Disaster Hits For Rory Hie In Final Round Of Indonesia Open At Pantai Indah Kapuk
Jakarta, December 1 - Gaganjeet Bhullar dominated the Indonesia Open after shooting a flawless three-under-par 68 to win his first Asian Tour title in 2013 by three shots on Sunday.
The talented Indian opened with 10 straight pars but displayed a gutsy back nine performance highlighted by three birdies to complete a sensational wire-to-wire triumph at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Malaysian rising star Nicholas Fung contended for the title before finishing tied second on 66 with Chapchai Nirat of Thailand, who shot two eagles today, at the Pantai Indah Kapuk Course at Damai Indah Golf.
Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh ended his campaign with a 67 in solo fourth on 272 while Jyoti Randhawa (69) of India was a further shot back. Young Thai Jazz Janewattananond, the co-leader at the start of the day, returned with a disappointing 74 to finish tied sixth, but the 18-year-old earned plaudits by the Asian Tour stars for his battling performance.
The final round ended in a disaster for Indonesia's top player Rory Hie, who saw a good placement and securing his tour card for next year disappear after finishing the round in 8 over par. A double bogey on 8 and triple bogey on 9 contributed to a dismal 6-over on the front 9 alone, and his inability to score a birdie on the final day meant he dropped from a share of 5th to a very disappointing tie for 41st. Indonesia's Jordan Irawan (74) was the best amateur in 65th place, in front of Maan Nasim (73) in 71st, while the other amateurs William Sjaichudin (77) and Tirto Tamardi (76) closed the field in 73rd and 74th respectively.
At the end of 18 holes, it was Bhullar who was the last man standing. He got off to a slow start but picked up pace when the field, which included a fast charging Siddikur, Jazz and Fung, edged closer and threatened to overtake him.
Gaganjeet Bhullar holding the trophy after winning the Indonesia Open 2013.
A birdie on 11 was the turning point in his round which led to two more birdies on holes 13 and 14. His momentum came to halt when inclement weather suspended play for over an hour but he returned with four pars to clinch his fifth Asian Tour title.
"I gave myself a lot of opportunities in the first nine holes but I misjudged my yardages on a few holes. Apart from that, there was no difference in my strategy. Winning takes a lot of patience. I'm glad I stayed patient and showed a lot of confidence."
"It was kind of difficult for me when play was suspended. I find it hard to go back to my momentum. But I guess these kind of scenarios are common in Asia. We just have to accept it as it is," said Bhullar, who took home the winner's prize purse of US$135,000.
The victory was also a welcome return to form for the Indian who struggled in the last six months and finished last at the World Cup of Golf in Australia last week.
"I haven't had much success this season but I know my game was up there and winning is just a matter of time. I waited so long for my fifth win and this is my 10th consecutive event. Mentally, I was exhausted but Indonesia is one of my favourite cities as I won my first title on the Asian Tour here," said Bhullar.
The bespectacled Fung turned in 32 to raise his hopes of winning his first Asian Tour title before running out of holes. The 23-year-old settled for tied-second, which is his best Asian Tour result since finishing tied fifth in Manila two weeks ago.
Despite his defeat, Fung held his head high after a worthy performance that was highlighted by a superb 30-yard bunker shot from the edge of the 17th green which resulted in a two feet birdie.
"I'm extremely happy with my performance this week. It's really good to see my name up on the leaderboard amongst the other experienced players," said the Fung, hailed as one of the most talented players from Malaysia.
"During the rain suspension, I checked my phone and was overwhelmed with tons of messages from my friends and family, as well as my supporters. I felt really encouraged and I'm glad I didn't disappoint them," he smiled.
Chapchai, a three-time Asian Tour winner, remains confident that he still has what it takes to end a four-year title drought on the region's premier Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013. His runner-up finish was his best result this year.
"I'm very happy with my round. I'm very hungry for a victory. I'm getting closer to it. I can really feel it. The win is coming soon."
"I made a few mistakes after my first eagle and I was so angry with myself. I gave my tee shot on the 17th hole a 100% effort and my seven iron approach landed 20 feet from the hole. I had a lot of time to think about that putt during the weather delay and made it when play resumed," smiled Chapchai.
The 39th edition of Indonesia's national championship, which has a rich and illustrious history dating back to its first edition in 1974, is the nation's oldest golf tournament.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Pertamina, Harum Energy, Bintang, Sequislife, Subway, Beringer, Mazda, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh, White Horse and Maui Jim.
Scores after round 4 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
268 - Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67-69-68
271 - Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67-72-66, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67-71-66
272 - Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65-69-67
273 - Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 69-70-65-69
274 - Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 74-65-67-68, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 71-68-67-68, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64-69-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66-68-74
275 - Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66-71-71, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67-68-73
Selected:
283 - Rory HIE (INA) 68-68-68-79
289 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71-74-74
292 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71-76-73
294 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68-75-77
297 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71-79-76
The talented Indian opened with 10 straight pars but displayed a gutsy back nine performance highlighted by three birdies to complete a sensational wire-to-wire triumph at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Malaysian rising star Nicholas Fung contended for the title before finishing tied second on 66 with Chapchai Nirat of Thailand, who shot two eagles today, at the Pantai Indah Kapuk Course at Damai Indah Golf.
Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh ended his campaign with a 67 in solo fourth on 272 while Jyoti Randhawa (69) of India was a further shot back. Young Thai Jazz Janewattananond, the co-leader at the start of the day, returned with a disappointing 74 to finish tied sixth, but the 18-year-old earned plaudits by the Asian Tour stars for his battling performance.
The final round ended in a disaster for Indonesia's top player Rory Hie, who saw a good placement and securing his tour card for next year disappear after finishing the round in 8 over par. A double bogey on 8 and triple bogey on 9 contributed to a dismal 6-over on the front 9 alone, and his inability to score a birdie on the final day meant he dropped from a share of 5th to a very disappointing tie for 41st. Indonesia's Jordan Irawan (74) was the best amateur in 65th place, in front of Maan Nasim (73) in 71st, while the other amateurs William Sjaichudin (77) and Tirto Tamardi (76) closed the field in 73rd and 74th respectively.
At the end of 18 holes, it was Bhullar who was the last man standing. He got off to a slow start but picked up pace when the field, which included a fast charging Siddikur, Jazz and Fung, edged closer and threatened to overtake him.
Gaganjeet Bhullar holding the trophy after winning the Indonesia Open 2013.A birdie on 11 was the turning point in his round which led to two more birdies on holes 13 and 14. His momentum came to halt when inclement weather suspended play for over an hour but he returned with four pars to clinch his fifth Asian Tour title.
"I gave myself a lot of opportunities in the first nine holes but I misjudged my yardages on a few holes. Apart from that, there was no difference in my strategy. Winning takes a lot of patience. I'm glad I stayed patient and showed a lot of confidence."
"It was kind of difficult for me when play was suspended. I find it hard to go back to my momentum. But I guess these kind of scenarios are common in Asia. We just have to accept it as it is," said Bhullar, who took home the winner's prize purse of US$135,000.
The victory was also a welcome return to form for the Indian who struggled in the last six months and finished last at the World Cup of Golf in Australia last week.
"I haven't had much success this season but I know my game was up there and winning is just a matter of time. I waited so long for my fifth win and this is my 10th consecutive event. Mentally, I was exhausted but Indonesia is one of my favourite cities as I won my first title on the Asian Tour here," said Bhullar.
The bespectacled Fung turned in 32 to raise his hopes of winning his first Asian Tour title before running out of holes. The 23-year-old settled for tied-second, which is his best Asian Tour result since finishing tied fifth in Manila two weeks ago.
Despite his defeat, Fung held his head high after a worthy performance that was highlighted by a superb 30-yard bunker shot from the edge of the 17th green which resulted in a two feet birdie.
"I'm extremely happy with my performance this week. It's really good to see my name up on the leaderboard amongst the other experienced players," said the Fung, hailed as one of the most talented players from Malaysia.
"During the rain suspension, I checked my phone and was overwhelmed with tons of messages from my friends and family, as well as my supporters. I felt really encouraged and I'm glad I didn't disappoint them," he smiled.
Chapchai, a three-time Asian Tour winner, remains confident that he still has what it takes to end a four-year title drought on the region's premier Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013. His runner-up finish was his best result this year.
"I'm very happy with my round. I'm very hungry for a victory. I'm getting closer to it. I can really feel it. The win is coming soon."
"I made a few mistakes after my first eagle and I was so angry with myself. I gave my tee shot on the 17th hole a 100% effort and my seven iron approach landed 20 feet from the hole. I had a lot of time to think about that putt during the weather delay and made it when play resumed," smiled Chapchai.
The 39th edition of Indonesia's national championship, which has a rich and illustrious history dating back to its first edition in 1974, is the nation's oldest golf tournament.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Pertamina, Harum Energy, Bintang, Sequislife, Subway, Beringer, Mazda, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh, White Horse and Maui Jim.
Scores after round 4 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
268 - Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67-69-68
271 - Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67-72-66, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67-71-66
272 - Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65-69-67
273 - Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 69-70-65-69
274 - Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 74-65-67-68, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 71-68-67-68, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64-69-71, Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66-68-74
275 - Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66-71-71, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67-68-73
Selected:
283 - Rory HIE (INA) 68-68-68-79
289 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71-74-74
292 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71-76-73
294 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68-75-77
297 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71-79-76
Monday, December 2, 2013
Hie In Contention At Indonesia Open
Jakarta, November 30 - Rory Hie kept up his hopes of winning the prestigious Indonesia Open title when he shot a three-under-par 68 to trail co-leaders Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand by four shots on Saturday.
The local star marked his card with five birdies against two bogeys for a three-day total of nine-under-par 204 to share fifth place with India’s Jyoti Randhawa, who returned with the day’s lowest score of 65, and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat (71) at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at the Damai Indah Golf.
Hie, who capped two top-20 finishes on the Asian Tour this year, was delighted to put himself in a strong position to seal a dream victory in his National Open.
“It was exactly what I was looking for. I think I made up some ground to give myself a better chance going into the last round. That’s all I can ask for which is to get a chance to win my national Open,” said the 25-year-old Hie.
“I feel like I want to win more than anyone out there in the field because it is my National Open. I felt like I’ve taken another step in my mental approach to the game this week. There were times when I felt like it is getting away from me but I kept reminding myself to keep playing and keep going. Hopefully I can win tomorrow,” he added.
Hie was also proud with the performance of three local amateurs, Jordan Irawan (74), William Sjaichudin (75) and Tirto Tamardi (79), who made the halfway cut and is currently ranked in 60th, 69th and 74th position respectively.
“It is good news to see three amateurs made the cut because it shows that Indonesian juniors are playing well and growing as a nation in golf. Hopefully we will see more good players come out,” added the local talent.
Currently 89th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Hie will be aiming for a good finish to boost his rankings on the Order of Merit as the top-60 players at the end of the season will earn full play rights on the Asian Tour.
Scores after round 3 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
200 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66-68, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67-69
202 – Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67-68
203 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64-69
204 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 69-70-65, Rory HIE (INA) 68-68-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66-71
205 – Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65-69, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67-71, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67-72
Selected:
215 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71-74
217 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68-75
219 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71-76
221 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71-79
The local star marked his card with five birdies against two bogeys for a three-day total of nine-under-par 204 to share fifth place with India’s Jyoti Randhawa, who returned with the day’s lowest score of 65, and Thailand’s Prom Meesawat (71) at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at the Damai Indah Golf.
Hie, who capped two top-20 finishes on the Asian Tour this year, was delighted to put himself in a strong position to seal a dream victory in his National Open.
“It was exactly what I was looking for. I think I made up some ground to give myself a better chance going into the last round. That’s all I can ask for which is to get a chance to win my national Open,” said the 25-year-old Hie.
“I feel like I want to win more than anyone out there in the field because it is my National Open. I felt like I’ve taken another step in my mental approach to the game this week. There were times when I felt like it is getting away from me but I kept reminding myself to keep playing and keep going. Hopefully I can win tomorrow,” he added.
Hie was also proud with the performance of three local amateurs, Jordan Irawan (74), William Sjaichudin (75) and Tirto Tamardi (79), who made the halfway cut and is currently ranked in 60th, 69th and 74th position respectively.
“It is good news to see three amateurs made the cut because it shows that Indonesian juniors are playing well and growing as a nation in golf. Hopefully we will see more good players come out,” added the local talent.
Currently 89th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Hie will be aiming for a good finish to boost his rankings on the Order of Merit as the top-60 players at the end of the season will earn full play rights on the Asian Tour.
Scores after round 3 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
200 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66-68, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67-69
202 – Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67-68
203 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64-69
204 – Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 69-70-65, Rory HIE (INA) 68-68-68, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66-71
205 – Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65-69, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67-71, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67-72
Selected:
215 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71-74
217 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68-75
219 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71-76
221 - Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71-79
Amateurs Shine In Second Round Of Indonesia Open At Pantai Indah Kapuk
Jakarta, November 30 - Gaganjeet Bhullar birdied the last for a second round four-under-par 67 to hold a one shot lead over an in-form Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand at the Indonesia Open on Saturday.
The talented Indian returned early morning to finish two holes in round two after play was suspended due to inclement weather yesterday at the Pantai Indah Kapur course at Damai Indah Golf.
Bhullar, who won his first of four Asian Tour titles in Indonesia in 2009, totalled 11-under-par 131 while Jazz birdied 17 for a 66 to stay in the hunt for his first victory on the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013.
Nicholas Fung of Malaysia charged into contention with a 67 to share third alongside Prom Meesawat of Thailand at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Thai titans Thaworn Wiratchant and Thongchai Jaidee, who have a combined total of five Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns, were a further three shots back in tied fifth alongside Chapchai Nirat after shooting 64, 67 and 67 respectively.
Indonesia's Rory Hie kept up the pressure with another round of 68, which kept him in a share of 8th. Meanwhile not less then 3 of Indonesia's amateurs managed to make the cut, with Jordan Irawan (71) in 40th and William Sjaichudin (68) and Tirto Tamardi (71) in a share of 51th place. The only other Indonesian player to make the cut was Maan Nasim (71) who finished the day in a tie for 60th.
Ranked sixth on the Order of Merit, Bhullar, who will take aim at his first Asian Tour win said: “This is Mother Nature and you can’t control it. I’m still playing well and my confidence is up there.”
The halfway cut at the Indonesia Open was set at two-over-par 144 with a total of 75 players making the last two round.
Scores after round 2 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
131 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67
132 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66
133 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67
134 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67
136 – KIM Gi-whan (KOR) 68-68, Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 69-67, Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65, Rory HIE (INA) 68-68
137 – Retief GOOSEN (RSA) 72-65, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 68-69, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 69-68
Selected:
141 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71
142 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68, Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71
143 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71
CUT
145 - Fahmi REZA (A) (INA) 71-74, George GANDRANATA (INA) 71-74
146 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 71-75, Denny A. WIJAYA (INA) 74-72
148 - Fadhli R. SOETARSO (A) (INA) 76-72, Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 75-73, Kevin C. AKHBAR (A) (INA) 75-73, Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 73-75
149 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA) 72-77
150 - Benny KASIADI (INA) 80-70, Indra HERMAWAN (INA) 73-77
151 - K. Soewarno (INA) 75-76, Asep SUGANDA (INA) 77-74
152 - Hendri NASIM (INA) 72-80
153 - Jamel ONDO (INA) 75-78, Ilyasyak (INA) 75-78, Aria KAMSURI (INA) 77-76
155 - Ujang ZAREM (A) (INA) 81-74, Nasin SURACHMAN (INA) 75-80
157 - Theodore RAHARDJA (A) (INA) 80-77
159 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 80-79
160 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA) 81-79, Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN (A) (INA) 80-80
164 - S Syukrizal (A) (INA) 86-78
79 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 79-RTD
The talented Indian returned early morning to finish two holes in round two after play was suspended due to inclement weather yesterday at the Pantai Indah Kapur course at Damai Indah Golf.
Bhullar, who won his first of four Asian Tour titles in Indonesia in 2009, totalled 11-under-par 131 while Jazz birdied 17 for a 66 to stay in the hunt for his first victory on the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013.
Nicholas Fung of Malaysia charged into contention with a 67 to share third alongside Prom Meesawat of Thailand at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
Thai titans Thaworn Wiratchant and Thongchai Jaidee, who have a combined total of five Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns, were a further three shots back in tied fifth alongside Chapchai Nirat after shooting 64, 67 and 67 respectively.
Indonesia's Rory Hie kept up the pressure with another round of 68, which kept him in a share of 8th. Meanwhile not less then 3 of Indonesia's amateurs managed to make the cut, with Jordan Irawan (71) in 40th and William Sjaichudin (68) and Tirto Tamardi (71) in a share of 51th place. The only other Indonesian player to make the cut was Maan Nasim (71) who finished the day in a tie for 60th.
Ranked sixth on the Order of Merit, Bhullar, who will take aim at his first Asian Tour win said: “This is Mother Nature and you can’t control it. I’m still playing well and my confidence is up there.”
The halfway cut at the Indonesia Open was set at two-over-par 144 with a total of 75 players making the last two round.
Scores after round 2 of the Indonesia Open 2013 being played at the par 71, 7100 Yards Damai Indah GC course (a- denotes amateur):
131 – Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 64-67
132 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 66-66
133 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 67-66, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-67
134 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-64, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 67-67, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 67-67
136 – KIM Gi-whan (KOR) 68-68, Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 69-67, Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-65, Rory HIE (INA) 68-68
137 – Retief GOOSEN (RSA) 72-65, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 68-69, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 69-68
Selected:
141 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA) 70-71
142 - William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA) 74-68, Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA) 71-71
143 - Maan NASIM (INA) 72-71
CUT
145 - Fahmi REZA (A) (INA) 71-74, George GANDRANATA (INA) 71-74
146 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 71-75, Denny A. WIJAYA (INA) 74-72
148 - Fadhli R. SOETARSO (A) (INA) 76-72, Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 75-73, Kevin C. AKHBAR (A) (INA) 75-73, Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 73-75
149 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA) 72-77
150 - Benny KASIADI (INA) 80-70, Indra HERMAWAN (INA) 73-77
151 - K. Soewarno (INA) 75-76, Asep SUGANDA (INA) 77-74
152 - Hendri NASIM (INA) 72-80
153 - Jamel ONDO (INA) 75-78, Ilyasyak (INA) 75-78, Aria KAMSURI (INA) 77-76
155 - Ujang ZAREM (A) (INA) 81-74, Nasin SURACHMAN (INA) 75-80
157 - Theodore RAHARDJA (A) (INA) 80-77
159 - Asep SAEFULLOH (INA) 80-79
160 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA) 81-79, Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN (A) (INA) 80-80
164 - S Syukrizal (A) (INA) 86-78
79 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 79-RTD
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Local Hero Hie Gets Off To Solid Start
Jakarta, November 28 - Rory Hie of Indonesia turned the pressure of playing on home soil into his advantage when he signed for an opening three-under-par 68 at the US$750,000 Indonesia Open on Thursday.
Hie marked his card with one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys to stay four shots back from the first round leader Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, who leads on 64 at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at the Damai Indah Golf.
The talented Indonesian was tied in 14th position alongside Singaporean Mardan Mamat, Zaw Moe of Myanmar, Kim Gi-whan of Korea, Chan Kim of the United States, Carlos Pigem of Spain, Lionel Weber of France and Chris Rodgers of England.
Currently 89th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Hie will be looking for a good finish this week to boost his rankings as the top-60 players at the end of this season will earn full playing rights on the Asian Tour next year.
The local talent, who capped two top-20 finishes on the Asian Tour this year, soared up the leaderboard when he chipped in for eagle from 120 yards on the 16th hole.
“It was a solid round. It was fun playing with Daniel (Chopra) and Shiv (Kapur). They are both very good players. We were all playing very well. The course is in a really good condition out there,” said Hie.
As much as he hopes to make his nation proud, he is determined not to let the pressure get to him.
“There are obviously more pressure on me this week but I think that helps me to play well as compared to any other week. I was really happy with my eagle on 16. I hit a really good shot and that was pretty amazing,” said the 25-year-old, who chipped in the eagle from about 120 yards on the 16th hole.
Local amateur Jordan Irawan signed for a 70 to take a share of 30th place while another four Indonesians including Andik Mauludin and George Gandranata returned with matching 71s to tie at 43rd.
The 39th edition of Indonesia’s national championship, which has a rich and illustrious history dating back to its first edition in 1974, is the nation’s oldest golf tournament.
Fans from around the world can also watch these world class golfers in action through the live broadcast on the Asian Tour Media platform. Asian Tour Media will produce 16 hours of live coverage from the event which will be seen across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America plus further coverage and distribution generated via the highlights and magazine programmes from the event, resulting in global media exposure for all the sponsors involved in this prestigious tournament.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Pertamina, Harum Energy, Bintang, Sequislife, Subway, Beringer, Mazda, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh, White Horse and Maui Jim.
Scores after Round 1 of the Indonesia Open played at Pantai Indah Kapuk course (A - denotes amateur):
64 - Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND)
66 - Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA), Anthony KANG (USA), MO Joong kyung (KOR), Nicholas FUNG (MAS), Berry HENSON (USA), Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS)
67 - Sam BRAZEL (AUS), David LIPSKY (USA), Sujjan SINGH (IND), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Thongchai JAIDEE (THA), Chapchai NIRAT (THA)
Selected:
68 - Rory HIE (INA)
70 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA)
71 - Fahmi REZA (A) (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA), Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA), Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
72 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Maan NASIM (INA), Hendri NASIM (INA)
73 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA), Indra HERMAWAN (INA)
74 - Denny A. WIJAYA (INA), William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA)
75 - Nasin SURACHMAN (INA), Jamel ONDO (INA), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA), Ilyasyak (INA), K. Soewarno (INA), Kevin C. AKHBAR (A) (INA)
76 - Fadhli R. SOETARSO (A) (INA)
77 - Asep SUGANDA (INA), Aria KAMSURI (INA)
79 - Ian ANDREW (INA)
80 - Theodore RAHARDJA (A) (INA), Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN (A) (INA), Asep SAEFULLOH (INA), Benny KASIADI (INA)
81 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA), Ujang ZAREM (A) (INA)
86 - S Syukrizal (A) (INA)
Hie marked his card with one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys to stay four shots back from the first round leader Gaganjeet Bhullar of India, who leads on 64 at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at the Damai Indah Golf.
The talented Indonesian was tied in 14th position alongside Singaporean Mardan Mamat, Zaw Moe of Myanmar, Kim Gi-whan of Korea, Chan Kim of the United States, Carlos Pigem of Spain, Lionel Weber of France and Chris Rodgers of England.
Currently 89th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Hie will be looking for a good finish this week to boost his rankings as the top-60 players at the end of this season will earn full playing rights on the Asian Tour next year.
The local talent, who capped two top-20 finishes on the Asian Tour this year, soared up the leaderboard when he chipped in for eagle from 120 yards on the 16th hole.
“It was a solid round. It was fun playing with Daniel (Chopra) and Shiv (Kapur). They are both very good players. We were all playing very well. The course is in a really good condition out there,” said Hie.
As much as he hopes to make his nation proud, he is determined not to let the pressure get to him.
“There are obviously more pressure on me this week but I think that helps me to play well as compared to any other week. I was really happy with my eagle on 16. I hit a really good shot and that was pretty amazing,” said the 25-year-old, who chipped in the eagle from about 120 yards on the 16th hole.
Local amateur Jordan Irawan signed for a 70 to take a share of 30th place while another four Indonesians including Andik Mauludin and George Gandranata returned with matching 71s to tie at 43rd.
The 39th edition of Indonesia’s national championship, which has a rich and illustrious history dating back to its first edition in 1974, is the nation’s oldest golf tournament.
Fans from around the world can also watch these world class golfers in action through the live broadcast on the Asian Tour Media platform. Asian Tour Media will produce 16 hours of live coverage from the event which will be seen across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America plus further coverage and distribution generated via the highlights and magazine programmes from the event, resulting in global media exposure for all the sponsors involved in this prestigious tournament.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Pertamina, Harum Energy, Bintang, Sequislife, Subway, Beringer, Mazda, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh, White Horse and Maui Jim.
Scores after Round 1 of the Indonesia Open played at Pantai Indah Kapuk course (A - denotes amateur):
64 - Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND)
66 - Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA), Anthony KANG (USA), MO Joong kyung (KOR), Nicholas FUNG (MAS), Berry HENSON (USA), Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS)
67 - Sam BRAZEL (AUS), David LIPSKY (USA), Sujjan SINGH (IND), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Thongchai JAIDEE (THA), Chapchai NIRAT (THA)
Selected:
68 - Rory HIE (INA)
70 - Jordan IRAWAN (A) (INA)
71 - Fahmi REZA (A) (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA), Tirto TAMARDI (A) (INA), Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
72 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Maan NASIM (INA), Hendri NASIM (INA)
73 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA), Indra HERMAWAN (INA)
74 - Denny A. WIJAYA (INA), William SJAICHUDIN (A) (INA)
75 - Nasin SURACHMAN (INA), Jamel ONDO (INA), Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA), Ilyasyak (INA), K. Soewarno (INA), Kevin C. AKHBAR (A) (INA)
76 - Fadhli R. SOETARSO (A) (INA)
77 - Asep SUGANDA (INA), Aria KAMSURI (INA)
79 - Ian ANDREW (INA)
80 - Theodore RAHARDJA (A) (INA), Joshua Andrew WIRAWAN (A) (INA), Asep SAEFULLOH (INA), Benny KASIADI (INA)
81 - Kurnia Herisiandy SANTOSO (INA), Ujang ZAREM (A) (INA)
86 - S Syukrizal (A) (INA)
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Thongchai Ready To Rumble In Indonesia
Jakarta, November 26 - A recharged Thongchai Jaidee will hunt for a 14th Asian Tour title at the Indonesia Open, a result that will ultimately boost his position inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
The decorated Thai is currently ranked 48th in the world and he hopes to go even higher on the standings by winning this week’s US$750,000 Asian Tour event which starts on Thursday.
“My main goal this year is to stay inside the top-50 in the world rankings. Right now, I’m on the bubble but if I have two good weeks then I will definitely finish the year inside the top-50,” said Thongchai.
He will headline the Indonesia Open this week alongside two-time Major champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, exciting Spanish talent Pablo Larrazabal, home hero Rory Hie, Asian Tour stars Scott Hend of Australia and Anirban Lahiri of India at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course.
To fuel his title ambitions, Thongchai, whose last victory on the Asian Tour was in 2010, took a one-week break after playing in six straight events where he finished second in China last month.
“I’m feeling a bit better now. I was feeling tired previously but I was home last week and I think that’s prepared me for this week. I needed a break to get ready for a busy stretch towards the end of the year,” said the 44-year-old Thongchai.
The Indonesia Open will bring back fond memories for the former paratrooper as he won the event in 2009 and went on to lift an unprecedented third Asian Tour Order of Merit crown in the same year.
“It feels like home here. I will try my best to give myself a chance to win this tournament. There’s a strong field this week and I hope the Indonesia Open will grow even bigger on the Asian Tour,” Thongchai added.
The decorated Thai is currently ranked 48th in the world and he hopes to go even higher on the standings by winning this week’s US$750,000 Asian Tour event which starts on Thursday.
“My main goal this year is to stay inside the top-50 in the world rankings. Right now, I’m on the bubble but if I have two good weeks then I will definitely finish the year inside the top-50,” said Thongchai.
He will headline the Indonesia Open this week alongside two-time Major champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, exciting Spanish talent Pablo Larrazabal, home hero Rory Hie, Asian Tour stars Scott Hend of Australia and Anirban Lahiri of India at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course.
To fuel his title ambitions, Thongchai, whose last victory on the Asian Tour was in 2010, took a one-week break after playing in six straight events where he finished second in China last month.
“I’m feeling a bit better now. I was feeling tired previously but I was home last week and I think that’s prepared me for this week. I needed a break to get ready for a busy stretch towards the end of the year,” said the 44-year-old Thongchai.
The Indonesia Open will bring back fond memories for the former paratrooper as he won the event in 2009 and went on to lift an unprecedented third Asian Tour Order of Merit crown in the same year.
“It feels like home here. I will try my best to give myself a chance to win this tournament. There’s a strong field this week and I hope the Indonesia Open will grow even bigger on the Asian Tour,” Thongchai added.
Goosen Eyes Good Showing In Indonesia
Jakarta, November 26 - Two-time Major winner Retief Goosen of South Africa hopes to attune to the rhythm of playing good golf again when he tees off at the US$750,000 Indonesia Open on Thursday.
The 44-year-old will headline the star-studded field which include Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee, China’s Liang Wen-chong and local star Rory Hie at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at Damai Indah Golf.
Goosen, winner of the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open, is feeling more confident and comfortable with his swing after recovering from a back injury which curtailed most of his season last year.
“I’ve had some problems with my back last year and I’ve not played much golf since. I think I only played one month of golf last year. I feel great playing in the last three events. It has been a tough year but it’s nice to be back and playing again,” said Goosen.
“I felt like my swing is coming back a little bit when I played in South Africa last week. I just need to start making some putts. I’ve always enjoyed playing in Asia. The golf course is looking great and I’m very looking forward to this week.”
He admits that the road to recovery has not been easy. “Getting back to the rhythm of playing good golf is not easy. You got to practice a lot and give yourself a few weeks to get back to playing well again.
“Overall, I’m pretty confident with the way I’m playing now,” explained Goosen, whose last victory on the Asian Tour was the Iskandar Johor Open back in 2008.
Larrazabal, who recorded two top-10 finishes in Portugal and Shanghai in October, will put his recent run of good form to the test against Asia’s top stars.
“I love to challenge the top stars as they motivate me to play better. I need to work on my driving as I’ve been missing a lot of fairways. My iron shots are better now and my short game is still alright. My putting is getting better too. If my driver gets better, I should be able to shoot some low numbers,” said the Spaniard.
He returns to Indonesia for the first time since 2008 and will aim for a return into the winners’ circle as his last victory was back in 2011.
“It feels great to be back. I love playing golf all around the world. I played nine holes here yesterday and the golf course is looking great. I’m looking forward to playing good this week and I hope to keep up with my good form” said Larrazabal.
Fans from around the world can also watch these world class golfers in action through the live broadcast on the Asian Tour Media platform. Asian Tour Media will produce 16 hours of live coverage from the event which will be seen across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America plus further coverage and distribution generated via the highlights and magazine programmes from the event, resulting in global media exposure for all the sponsors involved in this prestigious tournament.
Established in 1974, the Indonesia Open, which is making a return onto the Asian Tour schedule after a lapse of several years, boasts of a roll of honor that includes prominent names such as the late American Payne Stewart, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand, Filipino legend Frankie Minoza, Australia’s Craig Parry, Chinese Taipei’s Lu Chien-soon, Myanmar’s Mya Aye and Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, who are both Asian Tour Order of Merit champions.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Pertamina, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Harum Energy, Bintang, Subway, Beringer, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh and Maui Jim.
The 44-year-old will headline the star-studded field which include Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee, China’s Liang Wen-chong and local star Rory Hie at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at Damai Indah Golf.
Goosen, winner of the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open, is feeling more confident and comfortable with his swing after recovering from a back injury which curtailed most of his season last year.
“I’ve had some problems with my back last year and I’ve not played much golf since. I think I only played one month of golf last year. I feel great playing in the last three events. It has been a tough year but it’s nice to be back and playing again,” said Goosen.
“I felt like my swing is coming back a little bit when I played in South Africa last week. I just need to start making some putts. I’ve always enjoyed playing in Asia. The golf course is looking great and I’m very looking forward to this week.”
He admits that the road to recovery has not been easy. “Getting back to the rhythm of playing good golf is not easy. You got to practice a lot and give yourself a few weeks to get back to playing well again.
“Overall, I’m pretty confident with the way I’m playing now,” explained Goosen, whose last victory on the Asian Tour was the Iskandar Johor Open back in 2008.
Larrazabal, who recorded two top-10 finishes in Portugal and Shanghai in October, will put his recent run of good form to the test against Asia’s top stars.
“I love to challenge the top stars as they motivate me to play better. I need to work on my driving as I’ve been missing a lot of fairways. My iron shots are better now and my short game is still alright. My putting is getting better too. If my driver gets better, I should be able to shoot some low numbers,” said the Spaniard.
He returns to Indonesia for the first time since 2008 and will aim for a return into the winners’ circle as his last victory was back in 2011.
“It feels great to be back. I love playing golf all around the world. I played nine holes here yesterday and the golf course is looking great. I’m looking forward to playing good this week and I hope to keep up with my good form” said Larrazabal.
Fans from around the world can also watch these world class golfers in action through the live broadcast on the Asian Tour Media platform. Asian Tour Media will produce 16 hours of live coverage from the event which will be seen across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America plus further coverage and distribution generated via the highlights and magazine programmes from the event, resulting in global media exposure for all the sponsors involved in this prestigious tournament.
Established in 1974, the Indonesia Open, which is making a return onto the Asian Tour schedule after a lapse of several years, boasts of a roll of honor that includes prominent names such as the late American Payne Stewart, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand, Filipino legend Frankie Minoza, Australia’s Craig Parry, Chinese Taipei’s Lu Chien-soon, Myanmar’s Mya Aye and Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, who are both Asian Tour Order of Merit champions.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Pertamina, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Harum Energy, Bintang, Subway, Beringer, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh and Maui Jim.
Rory Hie Blog: Aiming For Home Glory
In this latest blog, local hope Rory Hie talks about his challenge at the Indonesia Open where he will be battling to earn an Asian Tour card for the 2014 season. He currently sits in 89th position on the Merit list and will need to finish inside the top-60 on the final Order of Merit to earn a card for next year.
By Rory Hie
It is going to be a special week for Indonesia because there are a lot of star players coming out. The course we are playing on this week is probably one of the best in the country as well. It is a step up for the Indonesia Open so hopefully I can play well and represent my country.
I need about 30 grand to save my Asian Tour card. It will be pretty spectacular if I can save my Tour card this year given the limited events that I can play in. It will be a dream week if I can win though!
I’m hitting the ball very well and I’m getting better as the season progress. Hopefully I can put it together. You need to putt well here and control your ball flight because there’s a lot of wind here. That will be a big factor this week. The greens are also fast. You can attack the par fives and I think that’s where you can score. There are a couple of key holes that you need to be aware of.
There’s been a lot of improvement in my game this season. I made a lot of cuts in the second half of the year. I just need to finish higher on the standings.
By Rory Hie
It is going to be a special week for Indonesia because there are a lot of star players coming out. The course we are playing on this week is probably one of the best in the country as well. It is a step up for the Indonesia Open so hopefully I can play well and represent my country.
I need about 30 grand to save my Asian Tour card. It will be pretty spectacular if I can save my Tour card this year given the limited events that I can play in. It will be a dream week if I can win though!
I’m hitting the ball very well and I’m getting better as the season progress. Hopefully I can put it together. You need to putt well here and control your ball flight because there’s a lot of wind here. That will be a big factor this week. The greens are also fast. You can attack the par fives and I think that’s where you can score. There are a couple of key holes that you need to be aware of.
There’s been a lot of improvement in my game this season. I made a lot of cuts in the second half of the year. I just need to finish higher on the standings.
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