Westwood Holds Clubhouse Lead At The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented By PNTS

Jakarta, April 20, 2012 - Lee Westwood was rewarded for his patience with a flawless four-under-par 68 as he took the second round clubhouse lead at the weather-hit CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS on Friday.
Westwood, who finished tied third at the Masters, made eight consecutive pars before adding birdies on holes 18 and three followed by two closing birdies for 11-under-par 133 at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.

Lee Westwood at Royale Jakarta Golf Club

The world number three holds a dominant five-shot lead over Kieran Pratt of Australia, winner of the Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Air Bagan in February, who posted a sparkling 65 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
Zaw Moe of Myanmar was on eight-under through 12 holes before play was abandoned at 5.27pm local time due to lightning threat. Play was also suspended earlier in the day for two hours and 20 minutes for the same reason.
Moe will be among 74 players who will return at 6.30am Saturday to complete their rounds.
Westwood, who played in the morning, struggled with the humidity but he believes the extra rest will give him an edge over the chasing pack.
“You want to be leading tournaments and I obviously got the hang of playing on this golf course. More importantly, I was patient and I didn’t force things to happen. I’m glad I finished, I can relax this afternoon and prepare for the weekend,” said the Englishman.
“Yesterday was quite windy and overcast. It was very hot and humid early on and I suffered with that a little bit. It is just one of those things where it can be so hot that you can’t replenish the fluids. That’s Asia for you. I’m going to have to fluid up this afternoon,” he added.
Kieran, playing in his second year on the Asian Tour, three-putted for bogey on his opening hole but made a brave comeback with 10 birdies against two bogeys for a 138 total.
It was a polished performance from the Australian, who shot an opening 73. “I was frustrated yesterday. I felt like I was sort of playing okay but didn’t putt very well. I never had confidence on the greens and I did a bit of work with my coach last night and sort of ironed out a few things and holed some putts.
“I’ve been in this position before. It is only two rounds in so I need to keep going through the weekend. Obviously, Lee (Westwood) is a world class player and he is not going to back up but we are going to go out there and chase him,” said the 23-year-old.
Moe, who has won once on the Asian Tour, got off to a fast start, shooting birdies on holes 10, 14 and 18 highlighted by a 20-foot eagle putt on the 12th hole.
“The suspension didn’t stop any momentum in my game. I’ve been playing well so I’m not worried. I’m three back at the moment with a few more holes to play. I won’t rush anything, I’ll just play my game and hopefully at the start of the third round, I’ll be in the same flight as Westwood,” said Moe, who has yet to miss a single cut on the Asian Tour.
Sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will enjoy widespread exposure via a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches out live to over 200 countries and 650 million households, Highlights, Asian Tour Golf Show and Golfing World.

Indonesia’s premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event and the positive impact it has on the economy of Indonesia.

Other partners participating as the event’s Presenting Sponsor include: Pelayaran Nasional Tanjungriau Service (PNTS), Garuda Indonesia (Official Airline), Indonesian World Class Energy Company, Pertamina, BMW (Official Car), Coca-Cola (Official Drinks Partner), Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Thiess Indonesia (Main Partner), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Linc Group (Main Partner), Hush Puppies Golf (Official Apparel), San Miguel (Official Beer), Blackberry (Official Handset), Srixon (Official Ball), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment) and Casillero del Diablo (Official Wine).

Scores after round 2 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters Presented by Pnts being played at the par 72, 7262 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (a- denotes amateur):

133 - Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) 65-68.

138 - Kieran PRATT (AUS) 73-65.

139 - Shiv KAPUR (IND) 68-71.

140 - Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN) 72-68, James BYRNE (SCO) 73-67.

141 - Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 71-70, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 72-69.

142 - BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 72-70, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 70-72, Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 70-72, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 72-70, Rick KULACZ (AUS) 69-73, Angelo QUE (PHI) 69-73, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 74-68, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 74-68.

143 - Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 68-75, Himmat RAI (IND) 72-71, Sam CYR (USA) 68-75, Adilson DA SILVA (BRA) 73-70, Scott BARR (AUS) 74-69.

144 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 75-69, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 75-69, Scott HEND (AUS) 74-70, Tim STEWART (AUS) 72-72.

145 - Jonathan MOORE (USA) 73-72, Jason KNUTZON (USA) 75-70.

Selected scores:

151 - James ONDO (INA) 77-74, SARMILIH (INA) 73-78.

156 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA) 84-72.

158 - Ian ANDREW (INA) 79-79.

161 - Asep SUGANDA (INA) 83-78.

162 - Zulharmen TUBASALLA (INA) 80-82.

163 - Chandra LEO (INA) 78-85.

164 - Nasin SURACHMAN (INA) 81-83.

165 - Hamzah RACHMADI (INA) 81-84, Ade SEBUL (INA) 83-82.

169 - Roby SUGARA (INA) 84-85.

170 - Zainuddin SYAFIE (INA) 82-88.

Tourism Ministery Outlines Plans To Grow Special Tourism Sectors

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is developing its special interest tourism portfolio, focusing on six sectors: cruise; culinary; golf and sports; spa and wellness; shopping; and diving and marine tourism.

Rizki Handayani, newly appointed marketing director of MICE and Special Interest Tourism, said: “Indonesia has all these products, with each sector having its own association and community, so we need to package and promote (the products) the right way to the right targets.”

Citing golf as an example, Rizki said Indonesia had not been successful in attracting golfers to play in the country despite having many world-class golf courses and a golf association. She plans to work with international golfing associations to promote the destination.

Rizki added that the NTO would also participate in special interest tradeshows and invite Indonesian industry players catering to these markets.

On the domestic front, her marketing division will collaborate with the product development department to create and package products to meet market demand.

Westwood Off To A Flying Start At The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented By PNTS

Jakarta, April 19, 2012 - Lee Westwood of England got off to a hot start in his title defence at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS with a sizzling round of seven-under-par 65 on Thursday.

The Englishman opened up a two-shot lead over highly rated Arnond Vongvanij of Thailand, who returned with a 67 at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event staged at the majestic Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Veteran Boonchu Ruangkit of Thailand, former Asian Tour number one Jyoti Randhawa of India, Shiv Kapur, Lee Sung of Korea, Zaw Moe of Myanmar and Sam Cyr of the United States were bunched up in tied third place on matching 68s.

A rejuvenated Westwood, who took a week’s break from his third place finish at the Masters, birdied the opening three holes before turning in 31 and adding three birdies and one bogey on his homeward nine.

“I had a break last week and hardly hit any balls. I played a lot of golf earlier this year and needed a rest. It was good to go home and recharge my batteries because the Masters always takes a lot out of you. It is physically and mentally very demanding,” said the world number three golfer.

It was a wind-swept day at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club and Westwood was caught off guard on the 14th hole where he dropped his second bogey of the day.

“This is quite a tricky test because the greens are very undulating. You got to have your “A-Game” with you. It (wind direction) changed on 14 and it caught me by surprise and ended up with a bogey where I three putted,” said the Englishman, who rose to the world number one position with his victory in this tournament last year.

Asian Tour rookie Arnond, who has two top-10 finishes this year, continued to impress and credited his straight shooting game for his flawless scorecard.

“I’m happy but not surprised. I feel that my game in the last couple of weeks has been really close to where I want it. I hit my driver fairly straight and didn’t get into too much trouble,” said the 23-year-old.

Korea’s Lee, who was born with a hearing impairment but had an implant surgically put into his right ear in 2010 to help him hear, missed only one fairway in a round of five birdies against one bogey.

“My driver was excellent. I missed only one fairway. If you get your tee shots going here, you can have a chance of attacking the greens. All my birdies were quite close today,” said Lee, who has won once on the Asian Tour in 2007.

Kapur, the Asian Tour rookie in 2005, birdied three of his closing five holes to trail first round leader Westwood by three shots.

“I played pretty well. It was one of those rounds where I could have gone really low. I just didn’t hole enough putts. I hit a lot of fairways and greens and kept burning the edges. I was kind of rewarded with my patience,” said Kapur.

“I like the course. It is one of those courses where there’s a big premium of hitting fairways. You have to hit quality iron shots here. Iron play is kind of my strength so it worked pretty well for me,” he added.

Matthew Rosenfeld of the United States will finish his first round on Friday morning as darkness fell at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will enjoy widespread exposure via a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches out live to over 200 countries and 650 million households, Highlights, Asian Tour Golf Show and Golfing World.

Indonesia’s premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event and the positive impact it has on the economy of Indonesia.

Other partners participating as the event’s Presenting Sponsor include: Pelayaran Nasional Tanjungriau Service (PNTS), Garuda Indonesia (Official Airline), Indonesian World Class Energy Company, Pertamina, BMW (Official Car), Coca-Cola (Official Drinks Partner), Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Thiess Indonesia (Main Partner), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Linc Group (Main Partner), Hush Puppies Golf (Official Apparel), San Miguel (Official Beer), Blackberry (Official Handset), Srixon (Official Ball), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment) and Casillero del Diablo (Official Wine).

Scores after round 1 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters Presented by PNTS being played at the par 72, 7262 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course:

65 - Lee WESTWOOD (ENG).

67 - Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA).

68 - LEE Sung (KOR), Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA), Zaw MOE (MYN), Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND), Sam CYR (USA), Shiv KAPUR (IND).

69 - PARK Hyun-bin (KOR), Berry HENSON (USA), Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA), Masanori KOBAYASHI (JPN), Angelo QUE (PHI), Rick KULACZ (AUS).

70 - Bernd WIESBERGER (AUT), Marcus BOTH (AUS), Mithun PERERA (SRI), Javi COLOMO (ESP), KOH Deng Shan (SIN), Antonio LASCUNA (PHI), Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND), Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA).

71 - Elmer SALVADOR (PHI), SIDDIKUR (BAN), Wade ORMSBY (AUS), Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA).

Selected scores:

72 - Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA)

73 - SARMILIH (INA)

74 - Andik MAULUDDIN (INA), Michael CAMPBELL (NZL)

75 - Benny KASIADI (INA), Thongchai JAIDEE (THA)

76 - Ian WOOSNAM (WAL), Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA)

77 - HARDJOTO (INA), James ONDO (INA)

78 - Chandra LEO (INA), Johannes DERMAWAN (INA)

79 - Ian ANDREW (INA), Denny A. WIJAYA (INA)

80 - Zulharmen TUBASALLA (INA)

81 - Nasin SURACHMAN (INA), George GANDRANATA (INA), Hamzah RACHMADI (INA), Hendri NASIM (INA)

82 - Cahyo ADHITOMO (INA), Zainuddin SYAFIE (INA)

83 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA), Ade SEBUL (INA), Asep SUGANDA (INA)

84 - Roby SUGARA (INA), Ramadhan ALWIE (INA)

87 - Azis HARTANTO (INA)

Faldo Series Announces Record Asia Schedule

18 TOURNAMENTS IN 15 ASIAN COUNTRIES DURING 2012/2013

19 April 2012 - Sir Nick Faldo has announced a new Faldo Series Asia schedule that features a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries across the region during the next 12 months. The six-time Major Champion’s global golf development programme will visit Cambodia and Nepal for the first time in 2012.

“In keeping with our aim to create opportunity through golf for as many young people as possible, we have expanded our Asian schedule for the seventh straight year,” said Faldo. “We now offer 38 Faldo Series tournaments in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers taking part.”

“It is the support of our sponsors, including The R&A, Mission Hills, ISPS and UFL, which makes this possible, together with the commitment of our hosts in each country,” added the former world number one. “I thank our partners for sharing my vision and for allowing participants across Asia to benefit from the experience.”

“The Faldo Series will be a huge boost to golf development in the Himalayan region,” commented Tashi Ghale, General Secretary of the Nepal Golf Association which will host its inaugural tournament in October. “We thank Sir Nick for his support and look forward to welcoming competitors who will benefit significantly from this unique opportunity.”

The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule features four tournaments in mainland China plus others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand. The season will conclude in March 2013 when Faldo hosts the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China.

The Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, official golf wear partner UFL and official suppliers TaylorMade and Tricor. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.

The Faldo Series was established in Europe in 1996 and in Asia in 2006. Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

Faldo Series Asia dates/venues 2012:
April 24-26	TAT Filipinas Golf Club, San Pedro	The Philippines
June 19-20	Sunrise Golf and Country Club, Taipei	Chinese Taipei
July, date and venue TBA		Pakistan
July 3-4	Taihu International Golf Club, Suzhou	China
July 10-11	Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen	China
August, date and venue TBA		Hong Kong
August 4-5	Ocean Dunes Golf Club, Phan Thiet	Vietnam
September 4-6	Warren Golf and Country Club	Singapore
September 8-9	Empire Hotel and Country Club	Brunei
September 11-12	Angkor Golf Resort, Siem Reap	Cambodia
October, date TBA	Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu	Nepal
October 9-12	Chandigarh Golf Club, Chandigarh	India
October 30-November 1	Royal Selangor Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia
December, date TBA	Shizu Hills Country Club and Shishido Hills Country Club, Ibaraki	Japan
2013:
January, date TBA	Damai Indah Golf (BSD Course), Jakarta	Indonesia
January, date and venue TBA		Thailand
February, date TBA	Lakeview Golf Club, Kunming	China
Grand Final:
March, date TBA	Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen	China

For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com. You can also follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/faldoseries.

Westwood Eyes Succesful Title Defense At CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented By PNTS

Jakarta, April 18, 2012 - World number three Lee Westwood hopes to translate his impressive form into a successful title defense at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS starting Thursday.

Westwood’s victory last year pushed him back to the world number one position albeit for a brief time and he hopes to repeat his winning performance at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event staged at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Westwood, who finished tied third at the Masters two weeks ago and has three other top-five finishes in the United States and Dubai, believes he will be in for a tough title defense.

“It is always special to come back here. It is nice to come back and try to defend but I don’t think it will be easy. It is tough to win one and it is even tougher to defend,” said Westwood, who won four titles last year.

“I mastered the course last year and had the game plan right. All the players playing here wouldn’t be in this tournament if they weren’t capable of winning. No matter where you play in the world now it is difficult to win,” he added.

A victory this week will set him up nicely of fulfilling his goals of returning to the world number one position and contending for the remaining three Major tournaments.

“I’m not far off from number one. Obviously, Luke (Donald) and Rory (McIlroy) are two good players but I feel like I’m a good player and can play as well as them if not better. That’s obviously one of the goals of the year but the main goal is to play well in the remaining three Major championships,” said the Englishman.

Three-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand will also feature in the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS with a total of 40 Asian Tour winners.

Thongchai will have to battle fatigue in hopes of going one spot higher than his second place finish last year.

“I had a bit of headache earlier this morning and I think it is because of the weather. I’m feeling quite tired from the heat so I’ll need to get a lot of rest tonight and hopefully be ready for the first round,” said Thongchai, who has a record of 13 Asian Tour titles.

“I feel my putting is better now and I’m quite confident of my chances. I changed to a belly putter recently and it seems to be working for me. I need to stay patient and you never know, I might have a chance of winning,” added the Thai.

Michael Campbell of New Zealand is delighted to return to Asia and will rely on his old swing technique in hopes that he will find the form which won him the 2005 US Open championship.

“I’ve got fond memories in Asia and I played here a lot as an amateur and professional. I always love coming here. My game hasn’t been great in the last couple of years but I hope I can change that soon.

“I had a pretty rough couple of years but I’m going back to my old swing thoughts because I changed too much of my game previously. We all had some good and bad rounds. As I said before, it all comes down to confidence. You can go out there and shoot one good round and it sets you up for the week,” said Campbell.

Ian Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champion and holder of 28 titles in Europe, hopes to roll back the years and overcome the challenging Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

“The course is playing very long and I need to get some distance. Over the years, as I get older, the courses are getting longer and I’m hitting it shorter! 19-under was a terrific winning score and I expect him (Westwood) to be there again this week. It will be nice to challenge him but my goal will be to try and make the cut this week and enjoy my game,” said the 54-year-old.

When asked if he had a chance of winning, Woosnam replied, “Miracles can happen.”

Sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will enjoy widespread exposure via a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches out live to over 200 countries and 650 million households, Highlights, Asian Tour Golf Show and Golfing World.

Indonesia’s premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event and the positive impact it has on the economy of Indonesia.

Other partners participating as the event’s Presenting Sponsor include: Pelayaran Nasional Tanjungriau Service (PNTS), Garuda Indonesia (Official Airline), Indonesian World Class Energy Company, Pertamina, BMW (Official Car), Coca-Cola (Official Drinks Partner), Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Thiess Indonesia (Main Partner), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Linc Group (Main Partner), Hush Puppies Golf (Official Apparel), San Miguel (Official Beer), Blackberry (Official Handset), Srixon (Official Ball), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment) and Casillero del Diablo (Official Wine).

CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented By PNTS Charity Gala Dinner To Raise Funds For Habitat For Humanity

Jakarta, April 18, 2012 - World number three Lee Westwood, Major champions Ian Woosnam and Michael Campbell joined the stars from the Asian Tour at a charity gala dinner during the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS to raise more than US$35,000 for the underprivileged in Indonesia on Tuesday.

The charity dinner was held in conjunction with the event’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, a non-profit organisation which builds homes for the poor in the country.

The funds raised will ensure that a total of 14 homes will be built by the Habitat for Humanity, an increase of three homes from last year.

Formed in 1997, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia has housed approximately 30,000 families in the country through various activities and sponsorship initiatives.

Habitat for Humanity has its presence in over 100 countries worldwide and in more than 20 countries in the Asia Pacific region such as Thailand, Philippines, India, China, Cambodia and Indonesia.

PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (“CIMB Niaga”), which is title sponsoring the Indonesian Masters, started the ball rolling by donating some of their dinner tables for Habitat for Humanity Indonesia for sale to donors; a total of four homes were built from this alone.

Catherine Hadiman, Vice President Director of CIMB Niaga lauded the charity element linked to the US$750,000 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS.

“Charity drives bolted on to the world class golf tournaments are great initiatives. We are proud that the event we are sponsoring not only to support the world of sport but also show a level of social responsibility. Even the players have shown their support by helping Habitat for Humanity Indonesia raise funds,” said Catherine.

“We hope that this type of charity element will grow in stature as we build the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters into a world class event”.

The charity gala dinner was held at the Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta on April 17. Money was raised through live auction of sports memorabilia and raffle ticket sales for lucky draw prizes where a grand prize of a CIMB Niaga Flat screen TV was up for grabs.

The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS will be held at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 19 to 22.

Sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will enjoy widespread exposure via a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches out live to over 200 countries and 650 million households, Highlights, Asian Tour Golf Show and Golfing World.

Indonesia’s premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event and the positive impact it has on the economy of Indonesia.

Other partners participating as the event’s Presenting Sponsor include: Pelayaran Nasional Tanjungriau Service (PNTS), Garuda Indonesia (Official Airline), BMW (Official Car), Coca-Cola (Official Drinks Partner), Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Thiess Indonesia (Main Partner), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Linc Group (Main Partner), Hush Puppies Golf (Official Apparel), San Miguel (Official Beer), Blackberry (Official Handset), Srixon (Official Ball), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment) and Casillero del Diablo (Official Wine).

Lin Ignores Pain To Play In Indonesia

Jakarta, 17 April 2012 - Chinese Taipei star Lin Wen-tang will play through the pain barrier of a hip injury at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS starting on Thursday.

Lin, a five-time Asian Tour winner, will be playing in only his third event this year after taking a two-month break from golf. Going against the advice of his doctor to play in this week's US$750,000 showpiece, Lin said he has lost some distance off the tees because of his injury.

"I injured my hip and shoulder because I trained too hard in the gym. I still feel slight pain and I can't control my drives. I think I've lost about 15 yards in distance. My doctor actually advised me to rest for another one month but this is a big tournament so I had to play here," said Lin.

Lin will be among an elite cast assembled at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club where defending champion and world number three Lee Westwood, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, Michael Campbell of New Zealand and Ian Woosnam of Wales will headline the event.

Lin has high hopes of another strong finish at the event after finishing in tied ninth place last year. "I like playing here. I missed the cut in my last two events but I feel that I can play here because I like the course a lot. I'm not sure if I can win because of my body condition but I'll try my best."

Mithun Pererra of Sri Lanka hopes to continue his dream run on the Asian Tour where he has yet to miss a single cut and finished tied second at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic two weeks ago.

"This is actually my first time in Indonesia! This week is another good week for me to get a good result and give me a chance of keeping my Asian Tour card. I feel I have a chance on this golf course even though I'm not a long hitter but what I lack in distance, I can make up with my short game," said Pererra, currently in 17th place on the Order of Merit.

Pererra, whose father Nandasena was a famous name on the old Asian circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, is preparing himself mentally as he takes on the 7322-yard golf course.

"You have to be mentally strong when you are playing on long courses such as this one. Obviously it is quite disappointing when you see the long hitters blasting their shots of the tees. That's why you have to keep a calm mind and focus on the strong points of your game," he added.

Thitiphun Chuayprakong of Thailand is delighted to return to the venue where he claimed his best Asian Tour result. He finished in tied third place last year and will draw on the memories of playing with Westwood on the last day.

"I'm feeling confident. Coming back here gives me a good boost in my game. After last year's event, I changed the mechanics in my golf swing and was struggling to feel comfortable with it. It feels better now but I need to stay focus on my mental game when I putt," said the 19-year-old, nicknamed "Tote" which means slow because he does things in his own pace.

Andik Mauluddin, a seven-time winner on the local circuit, will spearhead the Indonesian charge this week. He believes the experience of playing against Westwood and the best players in Asia will prepare him for the Asian Tour Qualifying School next year.

"I'm feeling good. I want to use this tournament as a platform to test my game for the Asian Tour Qualifying School. I tried before in 2009 and 2010 but missed the cut," said the 2005 and 2008 bronze medalist in the South East Asian Games.

"It is always nice to be playing in a big event in Indonesia. My game is good so I'm feeling confident. I also know this course very well because I've played here many times," said Mauluddin.

Sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will enjoy widespread exposure via a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour's global television platform, which reaches out to over 200 countries and 650 million households live of the highlights in TV programs such as Asian Tour Golf Show and Golfing World.

Indonesia's premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event. This will give positive impact to Indonesia.