Jakarta, July 2 - The second edition of the Linc Group Jakarta Classic will kick start an exciting second half of the 2014 Asian Development Tour (ADT) season where the quest to secure an exclusive Asian Tour card for 2015 continues.
The highly rated Imperial Klub Golf will be the venue for leading Indonesian players to compete against an international field for the second consecutive year from July 15 to 18 (Tuesday to Friday).
The Linc Group Jakarta Classic will be the ninth stop on the burgeoning circuit, which is the gateway to the premier Asian Tour. A total of 18 tournaments have been confirmed for the ADT schedule this season.
Title holder James Bowen of the United States, who won the inaugural event last year, will return to defend his title. It was his victory last year that helped him finish second on the final Order of Merit, earning him his Asian Tour card for 2014.
OB Golf Events, the event promoter said the return of the Linc Group Jakarta Classic will provide a good platform for Indonesian golfers to enhance their game.
“We are delighted to announce to return of the Linc Group Jakarta Classic for the second consecutive year. The tournament is a great event which will benefit the local players as they will have an opportunity to improve on their world ranking points,” said Harmony Thomas, President Director of OB Golf Events.
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han expressed his appreciation to OB Golf Events for their continuous support in developing the game in Indonesia and across the region.
“On behalf of our players, I would like to thank OB Golf Events for their continuous support and we look forward to working with the newly established Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI) this year,” said Han.
“The ADT has grown immensely over the past few years and it is good to see a lot of young players like George Gandranata emerging from Indonesia. With the establishment of the Indonesian Golf Tour which sees 13 events a year locally for Indonesia, I believe the Linc Group Jakarta Classic will provide another opportunity for them to showcase their talent on an international level and fight their way on to the Asian Tour,” added Han.
The ADT Order of Merit race will resume following a one-month break. Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei leads the rankings on US$28,816, courtesy of two victories this season.
This season, the ADT will reward the top five players on the final Order of Merit with playing rights for the 2015 Asian Tour season. Previously, the top-three players were offered Asian Tour cards since the ADT’s launch in 2010.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
MNC Land To Spend USD2-3 Billion On Developing Lido Lakes Resort
Jakarta, 2 July 2014 - PT MNC Land Tbk, a property developer in Indonesia, plans to spend $2 billion to $3 billion in the next 20-30 years on developing Lido Lakes Resort, a 1700ha tourism and recreation area that includes the Lido golf course in Sukabumi, West Java.
Construction will start in August, said Hary Tanoesoedibjo, CEO of the company. MNC Land will build a hotel, villas, theme park and other supporting facilities on the site.
Last year MNC Land acquired the Lido Lakes Resort, operated by PT Lido Nirwana Parahyangan, from the Bakrie Group for IDR 1.4 trillion (approx. USD 120 million).
The company will spend USD 400 million for the first phase of the development, said Darma Putra, Vice President Director at MNC Investama, which is expected to be completed in 3-4 years.
Construction will start in August, said Hary Tanoesoedibjo, CEO of the company. MNC Land will build a hotel, villas, theme park and other supporting facilities on the site.
Last year MNC Land acquired the Lido Lakes Resort, operated by PT Lido Nirwana Parahyangan, from the Bakrie Group for IDR 1.4 trillion (approx. USD 120 million).
The company will spend USD 400 million for the first phase of the development, said Darma Putra, Vice President Director at MNC Investama, which is expected to be completed in 3-4 years.
Joshua Wirawan Leads After First Round Of Indonesian Golf Tour At Jababeka Golf & Country Club
Heat and windy weather was an issue for many but it did not stop the participating golfers to showcase their brilliant golf skills. Joshua pushed himself to enable him to lead the pack for the day. Jababeka Golf & Country Club is proving to be a challenge for all the golfers on this edition of the Indonesian Golf Tour.
"Actually, this course is quite difficult. It has many long fairways and some of the greens are slumped. However, it depends on how we can adjust our shots. I didn’t have any specific strategy today. As long as my driver could reach the fairways, I could get a safe second or third shot and reach the green, I was happy as it was then down to my putting. Overall, my game today was good although on hole 13 I scored double-bogey." Said Joshua.
Indonesian Golf Tour 5th series (Padang Golf Modern) runner-up I Ketut Sugiarta is chasing the lead and could well have been leading for the day but fell to second place after a bogey on the Par 5 14th and 16th to tie with William Sjaichudin at two under-par (69).
“My swing was quite good today. On hole 16, my ball went into the water. The course is not my problem, it's the fairways which are proving to be long for me. Its probably due to my age. The strong wind also affected my game, but it's not a big deal. Basically I will play safe for the next two days.” said I Ketut.
Two-times Indonesian Golf Tour series champion, George Gandranata on the other hand was struggling to find his game. A double-bogey on the 15th pulled him back to end his round with a four-over-par 75.
"Like I've said before, golf is a day-by-day game. My ball striking was not really good today. I’ve been practicing my swing for the past few days, but I don't think it came into effect yet. My putting wasn’t good as well. A little windy today. Golf is a shot-by-shot game and each week will be different for sure, but we’ll see," said current Order of Merit leader George Gandranata.
On the amateur scene, 2-times lowest score amateur champion on the Indonesian Golf Tour series, Joeh Se Ik came in 4th place with a par 71, while Renata scored one-over-par at 72 and took the lead in the Indonesian Golf Tour ladies amateur.
The Indonesian Golf Tour at Jababeka Golf & Country Club is the 6th in a series of twelve 3-day events that are being hosted at selected courses in the greater Jakarta area with each boasting Rp200,000,000 prize purses.
Friday, June 13, 2014
George “The Horse” Gandranata Seals Second Victory And Hails PGTI
28-year-old Gandranata fired three birdies and one bogey on the front nine and started his back nine with a birdie on the 10th finishing his final round with 10-under-par and a total score of 206. Maan Nasim came in second with a total score of 8-under-par, 208.
“Like I said yesterday, I stuck to the plan. My irons were great and my driver was even better than yesterday. That’s why I managed to hit it close to the pin and make birdies. I played one-under-par yesterday and was happy to keep up the momentum today.”, said George.
George continued: “I’m so grateful for this circuit (Indonesian Golf Tour) thanks to the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia (PGTI). PGTI is a player’s tour. It was formed and is owned by and for the professional golf players of Indonesia. Thanks to Mr. Irwan (Johanes Dermawan) and PGTI, who helped establish and conceptualize this tour series. We can already see the improvements made by Indonesian Golf Tour. Look to the leaderboard today, scores are increasing and game quality is improving. I know I speak on behalf of all the Touring Professionals of Indonesia when I say that we have been waiting for a regular series of events for us to compete in and the Indonesian Golf Tour is providing us with this platform.”
“It is so sad to the hard work and success of PGTI in creating and convincing investors to fund and establish the Indonesian Golf Tour for us being tarnished by unfounded claims by other organizations that the Indonesian Golf Tour belongs to them. This is wrong and is also not fair. They had nothing to do with establishing the Indonesian Golf Tour and they know this. You cannot claim something that is not yours to claim. Simple as that. We professionals are not happy with this. If their true intention is to improve golf in Indonesia, why don’t they just create their own tournament series instead of trying to claim and disrupt the Indonesian Golf Tour. That way we would have more tournaments to compete in and more chances for us to improve our skill.
Best Male Amateur went to 15-year old Daniel Wirawan from Surabaya who posted a total score of seven-over-par (223). With an eagle on the 13th, 3 birdies and four bogies, Rivani Adelia Sihotang come up as the Best Female Amateur with a total score of 10-under-par (206). Fully supported by her parents, 14-year-old Rivani wants to pave her way to professional level and is certainly ensuring she gets there.
“Thank God for today. I enjoyed my game and I am happy with the results. My putting today was not firm enough. I need to practice. My driver was good although I missed a few fairways today but managed to find a way to get out of it. I can say my family 1000% supports me in golf. For me, I don’t want to just stop here, I don’t want to feel satisfied by my game today. I want to keep practicing and getting better.” Said Rivani Adelia Sihotang.
The Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern is the 5th in a series of twelve 3-day events that are being hosted at selected courses in the greater Jakarta area with each boasting Rp200,000,000 prize purses. The launch of the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by Linc Group is an ambitious new professional golf circuit aimed at speeding the development of Indonesia’s up and coming golfers.
All 13 events earn ranking points for the participating golf professionals and amateurs, setting the stage for the Road to the Indonesian Golf Championship to be hosted at Jakarta Golf Club from December 10th – 13th this year.
The top 30 golf professionals and top 10 amateurs will play for the grand prize purse of Rp500,000,000 with all golf professionals guaranteed winnings in the 4-day tournament as well as the three top professional securing themselves a country exemption spot on the Asian Development Tour for the 2015 season.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Gandranara Takes The Lead In Second Round Of Indonesian Golf Tour At Padang Golf Modern
“My irons are great since yesterday and I'm playing really well today. I scored 6 birdies, no bogey. I hit it really close on a lot of holes. I sunk a lot of putts too. There is one hole where I sunk a 10 meter putt. The green at Padang Golf Modern is hard to read, you have to hit it close to the pin to score a birdie,” said George.
“I still have 18 holes to go tomorrow. I can’t control what others do but I can control myself. My strategy will be the same as always. Hope my putts will drop like today in the final round tomorrow. We’ll see,” added George.
Chasing from third place, I Ketut Sugiarta signed in a total six-under-par (138) to tie with overnight leader, Maan Nasim, who played one-under-par in round two and dropped to second place. Stunning Johanes Dermawan was on fire when he recorded seven birdies and just two bogies to put him in fourth place with a total score five-under-par (139).
Rivani Adelia Sihotang signed off on a total seven-under-par (137) to take the Female Amateur lead.
“Thank God, I played really well. I enjoyed and focused on my game and scored 6 birdies today. The course is great. Wind is strong today, and the greens are fast. But overall it is going well,” said fourteen-year-old Rivani Adelia Sihotang.
Maan Nasim Leads After First Round Of Indonesian Golf Tour At Padang Golf Modern
With a record clean score on the front nine, Maan successfully signed-in 4 birdies. A bogey on the 13th did not stop him with a quick recovery on 14th when he sank his birdie putt with and another birdie secured on the 16th.
Tailing Maan in second place is Andik Mauludin with three-under-par (69) followed by I Ketut Sugiarta who scored two-under-par (68) and sits in third place. Despite playing in rainy conditions, the current Order of Merit leader, George Gandranata was still able to sign-in at one-under-par (71) tied in 4th place with Indra Hermawan.
"The Fairways were firm before it rained on the 14th hole. The greens are not like I remember 2 years ago either if am not mistaken but overall the course is in great condition," said George.
In this edition of Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern, 40 male and 11 female amateur golfers are participating in the tournament. Scoring three-under-par (69), Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri leads round one for the female amateurs while Elki Kow leads the male amateurs with 1-over-par.
The Indonesian Golf Tour at Padang Golf Modern is the 5th in a series of twelve 3-day events that are being hosted at selected courses in the greater Jakarta area with each boasting Rp200,000,000 prize purses.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Indonesia Wins Girls Overall, Thailand Boys At Enjoy Jakarta Workd Junior Golf Championship
JAKARTA, 6 JUNE -- An Indonesian golfer managed to win one of the prestigious titles, the individual title for All Girls' Classes, at the the 20th Enjoy Jakarta World Junior Golf Championship (EJWJGC) supported by Ciputra Group. Rivani Adelia Sihotang won the title over Kanyalak Preedasuttijit (THA), the defending champion from last year, at Damai Indah Golf, BSD course.
Rivani, who is in Class-B Girls (13-14 years old), played beautifully by scoring 3 under in the last round. That score made her total score 5-under (211; 73, 69, 69)Princess Mary Superal (PHI) and Kanyalak from Class-A Girls both scored 216 (1-under), and Paphankorn Tavatanakit from Class-B Girls scored 214 (2-under).
"I am very happy today that I won, because other golfers that I have to face are indeed excellent," said Rivani. "Nonetheless, since the beginning I have confidence that I can win. And I felt that confidence again when playing the last hole, 'I think I will win'. Just like that, I don't why I felt that all the sudden." The title is the first International title that she won.
Meanwhile, for Boys Individual, Japanese golfer Ryo Toyoyama won the "battle" over Thanakorn Torsee (THA). As both had the same result, a decision had to be made through a play-off, and Ryo finally won the title after scoring birdie on hole 18 while Thanakorn only scored par.
"I was so nervous when I started today. But when I reached hole 8, I got my confidence back," said Ryo. After making bogey on hole 3, Ryo made another bogey on hole 8. After that, his game was relatively stable by scoring birdie in hole 9, 15, 17 and 18. He admitted that the positive result was due to his good iron play. In addition, he was motivated to win in his second time joining EJWJGC.
Except for the Individual title, Thailand still maintained the team titles. The Boys Team for Thailand, Parathakorn Suyasri (Class-B Boys) and Thanakorn Torsee (Class-A Boys) became the winners of the Boys Team title. With a collective total score of 577 they were followed by the Philippines team of Kristoffer Arevalo (Class-B Boys) and Rupert Zaragosa (Class-A Boys) with a total score 584. Third place went to Indonesia, with Theodore Rahardja and Kevin Caesario Akbar scoring a total of 601.
For the Girls Team, defending champions Paphangkorn Tavatanakit (Class-B Girls) and Kanyalak (Class-A Girls) retained the title with a total score 249. Indonesia, with Ida Ayu Indira Melati (Class-B Girls) and Rivani Adelia Sihotang (Class-A Girls) were in 2nd place with a total score 431, followed in 3rd place by Japanese girls Nasa Hataoka (Class-B Girls) and Sara Ota (Class-A Girls) with the score 440.
This year the 20th Enjoy Jakarta World Junior Golf Championship supported by Ciputra Group prepared a special title named Ciputra Trophy in honor of the founder of the tournament. The title is awarded to the player with the lowest score from all classes Boys and Girls (Best of The Best). This year the trophy went to Thitaporn Saithip from Thailand with an impressive total score of 208 (67, 71 and 70) or 8 under.
Not only for team titles, Thailand also dominated almost all individual classes for Boys and Girls. Thanakorn won Class-A Boys, followed by Rupert Zaragosa (PHI) with the total score 287 (1 under) and Joeh Se Ik (KOR) with the total score of 288 (par).
The Class-B Boys was also dominated by Thai golfers. Kritchayapol Sinchai was the winner with a total score of 287 (1-under), followed by Puwit Anupansuebsai with a total score of 290 (2-over) and Aidric Chan from Philippines in 3rd place with the total score 293 (5-over).
In Class-A Girls, Princes Mary Superal from Philippines became the winner. The winner of 2 gold medals in the SEA Games, she closed her game with a convincing score of 68 (4-under). Even though she collected the same total score (215) as Kanyalak (THA), Superal won on count back. Kanyalak scored 73 in the last round (1-over), so she had to accept 2nd place. The 3rd position was taken by Japanese junior golfer Nasa Hataoka with a total score 218 (2-over).
In Class-B Girls a Thai golfer again took the winning spot. Paphankorn Tavatanakit, the defending champion of EJWJGC 2013, led the leaderboard for the last 3 days and closed the tournament with a total score of 214 (2-under), 8 strokes ahead of Sara Ota (JAP) who scored 222, and 11 strokes ahead of Inez Beatrice Wanamarta (INA) who scored 225 for 3rd position.
To view complete scores of the tournament, please visit EJWJGC 2014 website, and click on Live Scoring & Pairing Info.
Rivani, who is in Class-B Girls (13-14 years old), played beautifully by scoring 3 under in the last round. That score made her total score 5-under (211; 73, 69, 69)Princess Mary Superal (PHI) and Kanyalak from Class-A Girls both scored 216 (1-under), and Paphankorn Tavatanakit from Class-B Girls scored 214 (2-under).
"I am very happy today that I won, because other golfers that I have to face are indeed excellent," said Rivani. "Nonetheless, since the beginning I have confidence that I can win. And I felt that confidence again when playing the last hole, 'I think I will win'. Just like that, I don't why I felt that all the sudden." The title is the first International title that she won.
Meanwhile, for Boys Individual, Japanese golfer Ryo Toyoyama won the "battle" over Thanakorn Torsee (THA). As both had the same result, a decision had to be made through a play-off, and Ryo finally won the title after scoring birdie on hole 18 while Thanakorn only scored par.
"I was so nervous when I started today. But when I reached hole 8, I got my confidence back," said Ryo. After making bogey on hole 3, Ryo made another bogey on hole 8. After that, his game was relatively stable by scoring birdie in hole 9, 15, 17 and 18. He admitted that the positive result was due to his good iron play. In addition, he was motivated to win in his second time joining EJWJGC.
Except for the Individual title, Thailand still maintained the team titles. The Boys Team for Thailand, Parathakorn Suyasri (Class-B Boys) and Thanakorn Torsee (Class-A Boys) became the winners of the Boys Team title. With a collective total score of 577 they were followed by the Philippines team of Kristoffer Arevalo (Class-B Boys) and Rupert Zaragosa (Class-A Boys) with a total score 584. Third place went to Indonesia, with Theodore Rahardja and Kevin Caesario Akbar scoring a total of 601.
For the Girls Team, defending champions Paphangkorn Tavatanakit (Class-B Girls) and Kanyalak (Class-A Girls) retained the title with a total score 249. Indonesia, with Ida Ayu Indira Melati (Class-B Girls) and Rivani Adelia Sihotang (Class-A Girls) were in 2nd place with a total score 431, followed in 3rd place by Japanese girls Nasa Hataoka (Class-B Girls) and Sara Ota (Class-A Girls) with the score 440.
This year the 20th Enjoy Jakarta World Junior Golf Championship supported by Ciputra Group prepared a special title named Ciputra Trophy in honor of the founder of the tournament. The title is awarded to the player with the lowest score from all classes Boys and Girls (Best of The Best). This year the trophy went to Thitaporn Saithip from Thailand with an impressive total score of 208 (67, 71 and 70) or 8 under.
Not only for team titles, Thailand also dominated almost all individual classes for Boys and Girls. Thanakorn won Class-A Boys, followed by Rupert Zaragosa (PHI) with the total score 287 (1 under) and Joeh Se Ik (KOR) with the total score of 288 (par).
The Class-B Boys was also dominated by Thai golfers. Kritchayapol Sinchai was the winner with a total score of 287 (1-under), followed by Puwit Anupansuebsai with a total score of 290 (2-over) and Aidric Chan from Philippines in 3rd place with the total score 293 (5-over).
In Class-A Girls, Princes Mary Superal from Philippines became the winner. The winner of 2 gold medals in the SEA Games, she closed her game with a convincing score of 68 (4-under). Even though she collected the same total score (215) as Kanyalak (THA), Superal won on count back. Kanyalak scored 73 in the last round (1-over), so she had to accept 2nd place. The 3rd position was taken by Japanese junior golfer Nasa Hataoka with a total score 218 (2-over).
In Class-B Girls a Thai golfer again took the winning spot. Paphankorn Tavatanakit, the defending champion of EJWJGC 2013, led the leaderboard for the last 3 days and closed the tournament with a total score of 214 (2-under), 8 strokes ahead of Sara Ota (JAP) who scored 222, and 11 strokes ahead of Inez Beatrice Wanamarta (INA) who scored 225 for 3rd position.
To view complete scores of the tournament, please visit EJWJGC 2014 website, and click on Live Scoring & Pairing Info.
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