Jakarta, 23 February 2016 - The government is transforming the former Senayan Golf Driving Range located in Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) into a city forest as part of an overhaul of the sports complex in preparation for the 2018 Asian Games.
GBK sports complex management center president director Winarto said the driving range had officially shut down as of Feb. 1 and would be turned into a recreational green zone as stipulated in the regional planning regulations.
In response to criticism regarding the conversion of a commercial area into free public space, Winarto said the change would be beneficial not only environmentally but also financially as a conventional space in the middle of the city, which would also tie-in with the upcoming construction of the underground mass rapid transit (MRT) system with stations located nearby.
"We believe the greening will increase the overall value of the area," Winarto said on Monday during a press conference.
The renovation process would be spearheaded by the management center in partnership with the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the Jakarta city administration, he added.
The team will collaborate on converting the 4.6 hectares of land by planting exotic trees and other greenery within the area.
The government is still in the early stages of design and aims to start the plantation and construction processes by March. The area is expected to be ready by late 2017.
Environment and Forestry Ministry secretary general Bambang Hendroyono said the area was included in the ministry's plan to create 5,000 hectares of city forest across the country in the next five years.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Jordan Irawan Collects His First Professional Title At Sawangan GC
Sawangan, February 18th - Series I of the Indonesian Golf Tour (IGT) always has produced a new face in the list of champions. This time, Jordan Surya Irawan carved his name as a champion in Series I of the Indonesian Golf Tour 2016 co-presented by OB Sports Golf and Ancora.
Jordan scored his first professional title after ending the game in the last round with a score of 71 (one-under par), thus accumulating a total score of 212 (four-under par). The 20-year-old golfer played only one shot less than Rifqi Alam, who nudged into second position.
"This is a positive result of what I have already applied for three days. Control my emotions, befriend the pressure. I have achieved the best results without being burdened with a variety of things that would damage my game," said Jordan. The mental fight was then won by Jordan who collected Rp34 million as prize money for his success in winning the Indonesian Golf Tour Series I 2016, which was held at Sawangan Golf Club.
In addition to mental pressure from within, Jordan, who made three birdies and two bogeys in the final round, also had to deal with the persistence of Rinaldi Adiyandono, Benita Y. Kasiadi, and Ian Andrew who were in pursuit. Rinaldi was at the 13th hole level with Jordan, who was two groups behind him, at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 4 under. Unfortunately, a double bogey on hole 14 directly dropped Rinaldi to a tie for third until the last hole.
Benita, who played just in front of the group with Rinaldi, was sticking closely to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 3-under total until the 15th hole. However, he was not able to gain ground on the last three holes and even had to concede a bogey on hole 18. Eventually he had to be satisfied with a T-3 position with Rinaldi and Kurnia Herisiandy.
"Today my shots were not good. Many opportunities were wasted," said the winner of three IDT titles in 2015.
Ian played like crazy for 17 holes without a single bogey with a total score of 3-under, while taking the fight for top spot to a very tight battle. But just like Benita, Ian made a costly mistake on the final hole and ended up with a double bogey.
Rifqi Alam actually had a surprise showing. After successfully maintaining a consistent game for two days with a total score of 1-under, the amateur athlete from Jakarta slowly climbed towards the top of the leaderboard.
After completing the first nine holes with a total score of two under by making three birdies and two bogeys, Rifqi went to 3 under at hole 10, only to be back to 2 under in hole 11. The 18-year-old finally locked his score to 3-under on hole 17, which put him in second place overall while winning "the Low Amateur".
"My game was starting to feel comfortable after hole 5. This result is my best achievement in IGT. My participation in this event is to improve my skills and score more rounds under par," said the Junior National Championship winner in 2015, who participated a couple of times in IGT 2015.
Meanwhile, Juriah had confirmed herself as the Low Ladies Amateur. The athlete from Jakarta finished the third round with a score of 72 (even par) and a total score of 220 (four above par).
"Because I was already certain to be champion, at the end I focused more on improving my score. My target was to play under par, but clearly I missed this target. Besides this, it was a test for my stamina to play three days in a row."
Jordan scored his first professional title after ending the game in the last round with a score of 71 (one-under par), thus accumulating a total score of 212 (four-under par). The 20-year-old golfer played only one shot less than Rifqi Alam, who nudged into second position.
"This is a positive result of what I have already applied for three days. Control my emotions, befriend the pressure. I have achieved the best results without being burdened with a variety of things that would damage my game," said Jordan. The mental fight was then won by Jordan who collected Rp34 million as prize money for his success in winning the Indonesian Golf Tour Series I 2016, which was held at Sawangan Golf Club.
In addition to mental pressure from within, Jordan, who made three birdies and two bogeys in the final round, also had to deal with the persistence of Rinaldi Adiyandono, Benita Y. Kasiadi, and Ian Andrew who were in pursuit. Rinaldi was at the 13th hole level with Jordan, who was two groups behind him, at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 4 under. Unfortunately, a double bogey on hole 14 directly dropped Rinaldi to a tie for third until the last hole.
Benita, who played just in front of the group with Rinaldi, was sticking closely to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 3-under total until the 15th hole. However, he was not able to gain ground on the last three holes and even had to concede a bogey on hole 18. Eventually he had to be satisfied with a T-3 position with Rinaldi and Kurnia Herisiandy.
"Today my shots were not good. Many opportunities were wasted," said the winner of three IDT titles in 2015.
Ian played like crazy for 17 holes without a single bogey with a total score of 3-under, while taking the fight for top spot to a very tight battle. But just like Benita, Ian made a costly mistake on the final hole and ended up with a double bogey.
Rifqi Alam actually had a surprise showing. After successfully maintaining a consistent game for two days with a total score of 1-under, the amateur athlete from Jakarta slowly climbed towards the top of the leaderboard.
After completing the first nine holes with a total score of two under by making three birdies and two bogeys, Rifqi went to 3 under at hole 10, only to be back to 2 under in hole 11. The 18-year-old finally locked his score to 3-under on hole 17, which put him in second place overall while winning "the Low Amateur".
"My game was starting to feel comfortable after hole 5. This result is my best achievement in IGT. My participation in this event is to improve my skills and score more rounds under par," said the Junior National Championship winner in 2015, who participated a couple of times in IGT 2015.
Meanwhile, Juriah had confirmed herself as the Low Ladies Amateur. The athlete from Jakarta finished the third round with a score of 72 (even par) and a total score of 220 (four above par).
"Because I was already certain to be champion, at the end I focused more on improving my score. My target was to play under par, but clearly I missed this target. Besides this, it was a test for my stamina to play three days in a row."
Monday, February 15, 2016
2016 Season Of The Indonesian Golf Tour To Commence Tomorrow At Sawangan Golf Club
Sawangan, 15 February - The Indonesian Golf Tour. the national professional golf circuit, will start tomorrow its third season with Series I, running from February 16 to 18. For this year OB Golf becomes the presenting sponsor of IGT. This is a sign of care for and commitment to national golf by the company which already operates since 2003.
As in previous years, Indonesia's best professional golfers will compete for a total prize amount of 200 million in each series. This time, Sawangan Golf Club becomes the venue for the 2016 season-opening event.
Welcoming the competition in the new season, some golfers already prepared themselves. For example Benita Yuniarto Kasiadi. The defending champion of Series I, which last year was held at the Matoa Nasional Golf Club, claims to have no special preparation. He just practiced regularly and continues to keep physically trained so that he is fit when plunging in the tournament. "Especially because the current weather conditions can easily change 180 degrees, from heat to rain and vice versa. Therefore, I have to maintain a good physical condition in order to preform better during the tournament," said Benita.
Especially for Sawangan, Benita continued to hone his short game. "The speed on the greens at Sawangan are likely to be slow. This is what keeps me practicing," said the winner of three titles in the 2015 IGT, who this season will be more focused on his second shot and short game.
Not only Benita, Rinaldi Adiyandono also continue to improve the game around the green. "I am increasing the exercise on my short game as the green speed in Sawangan is more slowly, so that I learn the techniques to overcome them," said the Grand Final champion of IGT 2014. The preparation of Rinaldi is more specific when approaching the tournament so that it can reach its peak during the tournament.
Some national players, such as George Gandranata, Ian Andrew, Rory Hie, Danny Masrin, William Sjaichuddin, and Jordan Surya Irawan, were even heating up the temperature of their game with z plunge into international tournaments on the calendar of the Asian Development Tour is early January.
Ian, who already declared his participation in IGT Series I, will be arriving at Sawangan with satisfactory results during his adventure in ADT. The IGT 2015 Grand Final champion is in 16th place on the ADT Order of Merit in 2016 after battling in the PGM UMW Championship from 3-6 February. Ian's success is followed by Rory in 67th and Danny at 87 in the ADT Order of Merit.
Therefore IGT presented by OB Golf Series I is expected to present a fierce battle. Who will break the first egg at the start of this 2016 season?
In addition to accommodate the professional golfer, IGT also presents amateur golfers who want to try out skills in the professional event. A total of 24 men and six women amateur golfers have declared their participation in this event. However, this number will continue to grow because the deadline for registration is until today.
To be sure, they will gain valuable experience and at the same time improve their golfing abilities in this competitive arena
As in previous years, Indonesia's best professional golfers will compete for a total prize amount of 200 million in each series. This time, Sawangan Golf Club becomes the venue for the 2016 season-opening event.
Welcoming the competition in the new season, some golfers already prepared themselves. For example Benita Yuniarto Kasiadi. The defending champion of Series I, which last year was held at the Matoa Nasional Golf Club, claims to have no special preparation. He just practiced regularly and continues to keep physically trained so that he is fit when plunging in the tournament. "Especially because the current weather conditions can easily change 180 degrees, from heat to rain and vice versa. Therefore, I have to maintain a good physical condition in order to preform better during the tournament," said Benita.
Especially for Sawangan, Benita continued to hone his short game. "The speed on the greens at Sawangan are likely to be slow. This is what keeps me practicing," said the winner of three titles in the 2015 IGT, who this season will be more focused on his second shot and short game.
Not only Benita, Rinaldi Adiyandono also continue to improve the game around the green. "I am increasing the exercise on my short game as the green speed in Sawangan is more slowly, so that I learn the techniques to overcome them," said the Grand Final champion of IGT 2014. The preparation of Rinaldi is more specific when approaching the tournament so that it can reach its peak during the tournament.
Some national players, such as George Gandranata, Ian Andrew, Rory Hie, Danny Masrin, William Sjaichuddin, and Jordan Surya Irawan, were even heating up the temperature of their game with z plunge into international tournaments on the calendar of the Asian Development Tour is early January.
Ian, who already declared his participation in IGT Series I, will be arriving at Sawangan with satisfactory results during his adventure in ADT. The IGT 2015 Grand Final champion is in 16th place on the ADT Order of Merit in 2016 after battling in the PGM UMW Championship from 3-6 February. Ian's success is followed by Rory in 67th and Danny at 87 in the ADT Order of Merit.
Therefore IGT presented by OB Golf Series I is expected to present a fierce battle. Who will break the first egg at the start of this 2016 season?
In addition to accommodate the professional golfer, IGT also presents amateur golfers who want to try out skills in the professional event. A total of 24 men and six women amateur golfers have declared their participation in this event. However, this number will continue to grow because the deadline for registration is until today.
To be sure, they will gain valuable experience and at the same time improve their golfing abilities in this competitive arena
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Gandranata Receives Wildcard To Play At Maybank Championship Malaysia
Jakarta, 25 January 2016 - With the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia to commence next month, the organizers of the event expect regional players to make the most of the opportunity to challenge the world.
The field will feature 156 players and five of the slots are to be allocated for top professional players from Southeast Asia.
“We will reserve places for top ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] players,” Maybank Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor told The Jakarta Post in an interview recently.
“So for those ASEAN players who did not automatically qualify through the Order of Merit, then we go to the national associations and ask them for the top-ranked players,” he said. “And the Indonesian association has recommended George Gandranata.”
With no Indonesian players being in the top 67 of the Asian Order of Merit, George will be the only contender from the country at the US$3 million tournament, which will be staged at the Royal Selangor Golf Club from Feb. 18 to 21.
The 30-year-old player, who turned professional in 2012, is fired up to prove he is a worthy wildcard recipient.
“I feel honored to be invited to play in the Maybank Championship Malaysia. I think it’s a really great opportunity for me. Hopefully I can play well and make the event’s promoters feel that they made the right choice,” he said.
The invitation was officially extended by Tan Sri to Indonesia’s Jimmy Masrin, the chairman of the Asian Tour board, at Pondok Indah Golf course on Thursday.
Louis Oosthuizen, currently number 18 on the world rankings, and Martin Kaymer (30) are the highest ranked players in the tournament, and Tan Sri said he was expecting another player ranked higher than 18 to join.
“We have announced top two players [Oosthuizen and Kaymer] and we will be announcing three more in the coming days,” Tan Sri said.
The wildcard reservation for regional players is viewed as a reward to countries that are committed to actively promoting professional golf.
“Obviously, we are focusing on the countries that are active in promoting professional golf,” Tan Sri said.
He noted the significance of the tournament in offering leverage toward qualifying for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where golf will be making its debut at the world’s largest multi-sport event.
“The key goal will be to provide as many playing opportunities for top Malaysian and ASEAN players. Why do we feel it’s important, because through the involvement of European Tour and Asian Tour, there’s a lot of world ranking points at stake. And this is, especially for this year, very important because with adequate ranking points you can qualify for the Olympics in Rio. In this sense, this is tremendous opportunity for a large number of ASEAN players to go after world ranking points,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a pool of 60 players, each in the men’s and women’s division, based on the Olympic Golf Rankings. Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand are currently the only players from the region on the qualification list.
With a view to pushing the region to catch up with the rest of the world, especially Europe and America, in the development of golf, Tan Sri pointed out the need for national associations to be more active in exposing golf to youth.
“What has to be done will be to improve the organizations and infrastructure to enable easy access for players to compete and to ensure the flow of young players to senior ranks,” he said.
“Giving more opportunities for young players to play outside, especially in Europe, will help raise the standard of the game for the pros in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jimmy, while acknowledging underperformance compared to other countries in the region, said that Indonesia had stepped up efforts in promoting the game to its youth in the last three years.
“The more you get exposure for the young, the more they are interested in golf,” he said. “Indonesia in the last three years has developed what we call a local platform, which is the Indonesian Golf Tour.”
The next level for tournaments, according to Jimmy, includes the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the Asian Tour and the co-sanctioned European-Asian Tour events.
The ADT series this year encompasses 19 tournaments, two of which will be hosted in Indonesia in June and August.
Tan Sri said he was keen to extend assistance to help raise Indonesian golf.
“We have provided a slot for Indonesia’s top golfer to come and play in the Maybank Championship. And we’ll continue to discuss with the association here what other roles we can play. A few years ago we sponsored an ADT event,” he said.
The field will feature 156 players and five of the slots are to be allocated for top professional players from Southeast Asia.
“We will reserve places for top ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] players,” Maybank Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor told The Jakarta Post in an interview recently.
“So for those ASEAN players who did not automatically qualify through the Order of Merit, then we go to the national associations and ask them for the top-ranked players,” he said. “And the Indonesian association has recommended George Gandranata.”
With no Indonesian players being in the top 67 of the Asian Order of Merit, George will be the only contender from the country at the US$3 million tournament, which will be staged at the Royal Selangor Golf Club from Feb. 18 to 21.
The 30-year-old player, who turned professional in 2012, is fired up to prove he is a worthy wildcard recipient.
“I feel honored to be invited to play in the Maybank Championship Malaysia. I think it’s a really great opportunity for me. Hopefully I can play well and make the event’s promoters feel that they made the right choice,” he said.
The invitation was officially extended by Tan Sri to Indonesia’s Jimmy Masrin, the chairman of the Asian Tour board, at Pondok Indah Golf course on Thursday.
Louis Oosthuizen, currently number 18 on the world rankings, and Martin Kaymer (30) are the highest ranked players in the tournament, and Tan Sri said he was expecting another player ranked higher than 18 to join.
“We have announced top two players [Oosthuizen and Kaymer] and we will be announcing three more in the coming days,” Tan Sri said.
The wildcard reservation for regional players is viewed as a reward to countries that are committed to actively promoting professional golf.
“Obviously, we are focusing on the countries that are active in promoting professional golf,” Tan Sri said.
He noted the significance of the tournament in offering leverage toward qualifying for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where golf will be making its debut at the world’s largest multi-sport event.
“The key goal will be to provide as many playing opportunities for top Malaysian and ASEAN players. Why do we feel it’s important, because through the involvement of European Tour and Asian Tour, there’s a lot of world ranking points at stake. And this is, especially for this year, very important because with adequate ranking points you can qualify for the Olympics in Rio. In this sense, this is tremendous opportunity for a large number of ASEAN players to go after world ranking points,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a pool of 60 players, each in the men’s and women’s division, based on the Olympic Golf Rankings. Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand are currently the only players from the region on the qualification list.
With a view to pushing the region to catch up with the rest of the world, especially Europe and America, in the development of golf, Tan Sri pointed out the need for national associations to be more active in exposing golf to youth.
“What has to be done will be to improve the organizations and infrastructure to enable easy access for players to compete and to ensure the flow of young players to senior ranks,” he said.
“Giving more opportunities for young players to play outside, especially in Europe, will help raise the standard of the game for the pros in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jimmy, while acknowledging underperformance compared to other countries in the region, said that Indonesia had stepped up efforts in promoting the game to its youth in the last three years.
“The more you get exposure for the young, the more they are interested in golf,” he said. “Indonesia in the last three years has developed what we call a local platform, which is the Indonesian Golf Tour.”
The next level for tournaments, according to Jimmy, includes the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the Asian Tour and the co-sanctioned European-Asian Tour events.
The ADT series this year encompasses 19 tournaments, two of which will be hosted in Indonesia in June and August.
Tan Sri said he was keen to extend assistance to help raise Indonesian golf.
“We have provided a slot for Indonesia’s top golfer to come and play in the Maybank Championship. And we’ll continue to discuss with the association here what other roles we can play. A few years ago we sponsored an ADT event,” he said.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Modest Success For George Gandranata In Philippine Open
Tarlac, Philippines, December 20 - Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines fired a superb six-under-par 66 to claim a stylish win at the Philippine Open presented by ICTSI for his first Asian Tour title on Sunday.
The 21-year-old fired six birdies on his homeward nine to seal the deal with a winning total of 14-under-par 202 in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event which was reduced to 54 holes due to bad weather earlier this week.
Scott Barr of Australia missed out on winning his first Asian Tour title following a 68 but his lone second place result ensured that he would retain his Tour card for 2016 after jumping 15 spots to 49th place on the Order of Merit.
India’s Himmat Rai produced the round of the week at the Luisita Golf and Country Club with a sparkling 63 to share third place with Chinnarat Phadungsil (67) of Thailand on 204, two shots from the champion.
Lindsay Renolds of Canada, who held the lead in the opening two rounds, fired a disappointing 73 to finish in tied 10th place in the final Asian Tour event in 2015.
Indonesia's George Gandranata finished at a modest 52nd place at even par for the tournament. But given his failure to get his tour card for the 2015 Asian Tour, as well as to dominate the domestic Indonesian Golf Tour, this result will still give him some confidence that he is on his way back. Hopefully he can maintain this until at least the 2016 Asian Tour Q-school in January to secure his tour card for the upcoming season.
Home favorite Tabuena became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008 after making a brave charge at the turn highlighted by three straight birdies from the 12th hole.
“I’m glad the Philippine Open is my first Asian Tour title,” said Tabuena. “I’m really happy that my name will be on this prestigious trophy alongside some of the legends in golf in Asia’s oldest National Open.”
“I gave myself a goal at the start of the day which was to shoot a 66 or lower. There are a lot of birdie chances and people can make a move. I was one-under after the turn and I thought I lost some ground. I knew I needed to go out with all guns blazing,” he said.
The victory was a huge relief for Tabuena who fell short of winning his first Asian Tour title on numerous occasions including in Taipei this year where he settled for runner-up.
“You have to take your defeats as a positive and remind yourself that it is part of the process. It definitely made me a stronger golfer mentally. It helped a lot that I had already saved my Asian Tour card for 2016 earlier this year. I knew I was playing for the win.
“I played really well here before and I won on this course on the local circuit. I’m without words really. I’m happy and glad with the victory,” said Tabuena.
Barr retained his Asian Tour card for the 12th straight season after finishing one-shot behind Tabuena. He was in a good position to pip Tabuena to the title but let the chance slip when he bogeyed 17 after finding water. A birdie on the last earned him his best result since 2006.
“I couldn’t hole any putts for 14 holes. Once I did, it was game on and I holed my share. I did what I needed to do but it is a shame to finish one short. This week is a huge positive. I set very low expectations coming into the week but it is great that I’ve secured my card,” he said.
Rai, who lost in a play-off two weeks ago in Vietnam, continued his good run of form by returning with a flawless card to finish tied third.
“I didn’t have a number in my mind. I was thinking of eliminating my errors in round one and two. I wanted to play percentage golf and hitting it near the hole. I putted aggressively and that made a difference today,” said Rai, a one-time Asian Tour winner.
Chinnarat was delighted to hold on to his Asian Tour card. He was ranked 62nd on the Order of Merit at the start of the week but moved to 56th place thanks to his result at the Philippine Open. The top-63 players on the final Order of Merit secured playing rights on the 2016 season.
“It was an exciting week! There was so much pressure,” he laughed. After 13 holes I knew I had a chance to win but the putts didn’t drop. It is okay because my goal was to make the cut and get my Asian Tour card but this result will give me a better ranking on the Order of Merit!”
Other players who safely retained their Asian Tour cards include Unho Park of Australia (63rd), Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand (62nd), Adam Groom of Australia (61st) and Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei (60th).
There was heart break for 16-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, who ended the season in 64th place on the Merit rankings.
Scores after round 3 of the Philippine Open being played at the par 72, 7042 Yards Luisita Course course
202 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-69-66
203 – Scott BARR (AUS) 69-66-68
204 – Himmat RAI (IND) 71-70-63, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67-70-67
206 – Seukhyun BAEK (KOR) 69-71-66, Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 70-68-68, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 67-70-69, Niall TURNER (IRL) 69-68-69, Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-68-69
Selected:
216 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 70-72-74
The 21-year-old fired six birdies on his homeward nine to seal the deal with a winning total of 14-under-par 202 in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event which was reduced to 54 holes due to bad weather earlier this week.
Scott Barr of Australia missed out on winning his first Asian Tour title following a 68 but his lone second place result ensured that he would retain his Tour card for 2016 after jumping 15 spots to 49th place on the Order of Merit.
India’s Himmat Rai produced the round of the week at the Luisita Golf and Country Club with a sparkling 63 to share third place with Chinnarat Phadungsil (67) of Thailand on 204, two shots from the champion.
Lindsay Renolds of Canada, who held the lead in the opening two rounds, fired a disappointing 73 to finish in tied 10th place in the final Asian Tour event in 2015.
Indonesia's George Gandranata finished at a modest 52nd place at even par for the tournament. But given his failure to get his tour card for the 2015 Asian Tour, as well as to dominate the domestic Indonesian Golf Tour, this result will still give him some confidence that he is on his way back. Hopefully he can maintain this until at least the 2016 Asian Tour Q-school in January to secure his tour card for the upcoming season.
Home favorite Tabuena became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008 after making a brave charge at the turn highlighted by three straight birdies from the 12th hole.
“I’m glad the Philippine Open is my first Asian Tour title,” said Tabuena. “I’m really happy that my name will be on this prestigious trophy alongside some of the legends in golf in Asia’s oldest National Open.”
“I gave myself a goal at the start of the day which was to shoot a 66 or lower. There are a lot of birdie chances and people can make a move. I was one-under after the turn and I thought I lost some ground. I knew I needed to go out with all guns blazing,” he said.
The victory was a huge relief for Tabuena who fell short of winning his first Asian Tour title on numerous occasions including in Taipei this year where he settled for runner-up.
“You have to take your defeats as a positive and remind yourself that it is part of the process. It definitely made me a stronger golfer mentally. It helped a lot that I had already saved my Asian Tour card for 2016 earlier this year. I knew I was playing for the win.
“I played really well here before and I won on this course on the local circuit. I’m without words really. I’m happy and glad with the victory,” said Tabuena.
Barr retained his Asian Tour card for the 12th straight season after finishing one-shot behind Tabuena. He was in a good position to pip Tabuena to the title but let the chance slip when he bogeyed 17 after finding water. A birdie on the last earned him his best result since 2006.
“I couldn’t hole any putts for 14 holes. Once I did, it was game on and I holed my share. I did what I needed to do but it is a shame to finish one short. This week is a huge positive. I set very low expectations coming into the week but it is great that I’ve secured my card,” he said.
Rai, who lost in a play-off two weeks ago in Vietnam, continued his good run of form by returning with a flawless card to finish tied third.
“I didn’t have a number in my mind. I was thinking of eliminating my errors in round one and two. I wanted to play percentage golf and hitting it near the hole. I putted aggressively and that made a difference today,” said Rai, a one-time Asian Tour winner.
Chinnarat was delighted to hold on to his Asian Tour card. He was ranked 62nd on the Order of Merit at the start of the week but moved to 56th place thanks to his result at the Philippine Open. The top-63 players on the final Order of Merit secured playing rights on the 2016 season.
“It was an exciting week! There was so much pressure,” he laughed. After 13 holes I knew I had a chance to win but the putts didn’t drop. It is okay because my goal was to make the cut and get my Asian Tour card but this result will give me a better ranking on the Order of Merit!”
Other players who safely retained their Asian Tour cards include Unho Park of Australia (63rd), Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand (62nd), Adam Groom of Australia (61st) and Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei (60th).
There was heart break for 16-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, who ended the season in 64th place on the Merit rankings.
Scores after round 3 of the Philippine Open being played at the par 72, 7042 Yards Luisita Course course
202 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-69-66
203 – Scott BARR (AUS) 69-66-68
204 – Himmat RAI (IND) 71-70-63, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67-70-67
206 – Seukhyun BAEK (KOR) 69-71-66, Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 70-68-68, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 67-70-69, Niall TURNER (IRL) 69-68-69, Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-68-69
Selected:
216 - George GANDRANATA (INA) 70-72-74
Friday, December 11, 2015
Trump's Anti-Muslim Stance May Affect His Golf Projects In Indonesia
Donald Trump’s call for a blanket ban on followers of Islam entering the USA comes after his travel companies signed deals to open five properties in Muslim-majority countries.
Trump Hotel Collection this autumn announced it would open resorts in West Java and Bali in Indonesia, while two Dubai golf courses and a luxury hotel in Azerbaijan are due to open next year.
The company said it had plans for the West Java property, Lido Lakes Resort, “to revive the allure of the fabled destination” and the Bali hotel at Nirwana was “a project designed to reflect the authenticity of the local culture”. Although Bali has a majority Hindu population, West Java is 97 per cent Muslim. Both project deals were signed with Hary Tanoesoedibjo's MNC Group, owner of the Lido Lakes and Nirwana Resorts.
The resorts' overall value is unknown but a Trump hotel in Vancouver, slated to open next year, will be in a building itself costing $360 million.
Mr Trump, whose net wealth Forbes puts at $4.5 billion, called for all Muslims to be banned from entering the United States following a terrorist attack, but has faced a worldwide backlash that risks threatening his business interests in the Middle East and countries where Islam is the major religion.
Despite his statement that claimed there is, "great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population", the business magnate has shown little hesitation to expand into countries where the majority of the population follows Islam.
Trump Hotel Collection this autumn announced it would open resorts in West Java and Bali in Indonesia, while two Dubai golf courses and a luxury hotel in Azerbaijan are due to open next year.
The company said it had plans for the West Java property, Lido Lakes Resort, “to revive the allure of the fabled destination” and the Bali hotel at Nirwana was “a project designed to reflect the authenticity of the local culture”. Although Bali has a majority Hindu population, West Java is 97 per cent Muslim. Both project deals were signed with Hary Tanoesoedibjo's MNC Group, owner of the Lido Lakes and Nirwana Resorts.
The resorts' overall value is unknown but a Trump hotel in Vancouver, slated to open next year, will be in a building itself costing $360 million.
Mr Trump, whose net wealth Forbes puts at $4.5 billion, called for all Muslims to be banned from entering the United States following a terrorist attack, but has faced a worldwide backlash that risks threatening his business interests in the Middle East and countries where Islam is the major religion.
Despite his statement that claimed there is, "great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population", the business magnate has shown little hesitation to expand into countries where the majority of the population follows Islam.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Ian Andrew Claims Victory After Playoff At The Grand Final Of The Indonesian Golf Tour
Karawaci, 10 December - The final round of the Grand Final of the 2015 Indonesian Golf Tour (IGT) presented by LINC Group really presented a fight that could be considered the "peak" of the IGT journey during the year. The Grand Final champion could only be determined after extended drama (play-off). The actors being Benita Y. Kasiadi, Ian Andrew, and 2014 champion Rinaldi Adiyandono. All three had an equal score of 208 (eight-under par) after completing the final round, therefore a play-off was unavoidable.
Ian Andrew eventually established himself as the champion of the Grand Final of the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by LINC Group in 2015, held at Imperial Klub Golf, Karawaci Tangerang. A birdie from a distance of about two meters established the 27-year-old golfer as Indonesia's best golfer this season, while Benita and Rinaldi were only able to make par.
"I intentionally attacked the pin at the third shot, because I could Benita's ball was just half a meter from the pin. But, as it turned out my ball fell in front of the pin. Therefore, I was forced to attempt to make a birdie, and it worked!" said Ian, who was determined to win this Grand Final.
Ian completed the last round with a score of 70 (two-under par), maintaining his position atop the leaderboard that he shared with Rinaldi in the second round. However, Ian admitted he was worried to see Benita's game during the final round.
"At 17 I already lost hope, when I made bogey and Rinaldi scored birdie, leaving me behind by one stroke of Benita and Rinaldi who both were at eight-under par. They had a chance (to win) at hole 18, I was just determined to make birdie on the final hole. Fortunately, they failed to birdie the hole," said Ian, who took home a cash prize of Rp 48.000.000. "But Benita was remarkable today. He should have scored at least 10-under par. Unfortunately for him some of his short putts did not go in."
It looked like Benita played flawless. Without scoring a single bogey, the winner of three titles at the IGT 2015 series could match the total score of Ian and Rinaldi after carding a round of 66 (six-under par).
"My goal today was to finish at eight-under par. Therefore my target was reached. I didn't think of becoming champion as the second day I played very poorly. That's why I did not set that target. When I could compete for the play-offs, I thought this to be my best achievement after successfully reaching my target of eight-under par," said Benita.
Rinaldi, who failed to defend his title in the Grand Final, was not too disappointed with the final result at the play-offs, although he had a great opportunity to win. He considered the Grand Final as a try out for himself before plunging to the level of the Asian Tour next season.
"This becomes my stepping stone, because my main target is the Asian Tour Q-School in Thailand. This tournament can forge me mentally as well as my game, so that I can reach my peak at the time of Q-School," said Rinaldi.
He therefore was happy that Ian could win the Grand Final. For him, this indicates that the ability of several national professional golfers started to become more evenly, so that winners are not limited to one or two people. He saw his and other golfers overall score has improved in the past year.
"In my opinion, the implementation of IGT last season started a process of which we can see the results in improvements this season. As golfer we become more mature, and our competitive spirit becomes more visible," he added.
In addition to the announcement of the winner, during the Grand Final of the 2015 Indonesian Golf Tour (IGT) presented by LINC Group awards were also to the sponsors and golf courses that have supported the smooth implementation of the IGT season 2015. Some media also received attention and awards for their coverage of IGT 2015,
In the amateur category, Cahyo Adhitomo finally won the low amateur. The excellent play Cahyo displayed the day before did not make him waste this opportunity. On the final day Bobby, as he is usually called, completed his round with a score of 71 (one-under par), for an accumulated score of 215 (one-under par). Cahyo outperformed runner-up Dicky Prionggo by seven shots.
While for the ladies amateurs, Putri Aisha Amani won the battle with Michela Tjan through count back, and won the Low Amateur for ladies. Putri, who posted a score of 79 (seven over par) and Michela who today played with a score of 80 equally accumulated a total score of 239 (23-over par). The winner was decided by count back, based on final day scores made by both players over a number of predetermined holes.
Ian Andrew eventually established himself as the champion of the Grand Final of the Indonesian Golf Tour presented by LINC Group in 2015, held at Imperial Klub Golf, Karawaci Tangerang. A birdie from a distance of about two meters established the 27-year-old golfer as Indonesia's best golfer this season, while Benita and Rinaldi were only able to make par.
"I intentionally attacked the pin at the third shot, because I could Benita's ball was just half a meter from the pin. But, as it turned out my ball fell in front of the pin. Therefore, I was forced to attempt to make a birdie, and it worked!" said Ian, who was determined to win this Grand Final.
Ian completed the last round with a score of 70 (two-under par), maintaining his position atop the leaderboard that he shared with Rinaldi in the second round. However, Ian admitted he was worried to see Benita's game during the final round.
"At 17 I already lost hope, when I made bogey and Rinaldi scored birdie, leaving me behind by one stroke of Benita and Rinaldi who both were at eight-under par. They had a chance (to win) at hole 18, I was just determined to make birdie on the final hole. Fortunately, they failed to birdie the hole," said Ian, who took home a cash prize of Rp 48.000.000. "But Benita was remarkable today. He should have scored at least 10-under par. Unfortunately for him some of his short putts did not go in."
It looked like Benita played flawless. Without scoring a single bogey, the winner of three titles at the IGT 2015 series could match the total score of Ian and Rinaldi after carding a round of 66 (six-under par).
"My goal today was to finish at eight-under par. Therefore my target was reached. I didn't think of becoming champion as the second day I played very poorly. That's why I did not set that target. When I could compete for the play-offs, I thought this to be my best achievement after successfully reaching my target of eight-under par," said Benita.
Rinaldi, who failed to defend his title in the Grand Final, was not too disappointed with the final result at the play-offs, although he had a great opportunity to win. He considered the Grand Final as a try out for himself before plunging to the level of the Asian Tour next season.
"This becomes my stepping stone, because my main target is the Asian Tour Q-School in Thailand. This tournament can forge me mentally as well as my game, so that I can reach my peak at the time of Q-School," said Rinaldi.
He therefore was happy that Ian could win the Grand Final. For him, this indicates that the ability of several national professional golfers started to become more evenly, so that winners are not limited to one or two people. He saw his and other golfers overall score has improved in the past year.
"In my opinion, the implementation of IGT last season started a process of which we can see the results in improvements this season. As golfer we become more mature, and our competitive spirit becomes more visible," he added.
In addition to the announcement of the winner, during the Grand Final of the 2015 Indonesian Golf Tour (IGT) presented by LINC Group awards were also to the sponsors and golf courses that have supported the smooth implementation of the IGT season 2015. Some media also received attention and awards for their coverage of IGT 2015,
In the amateur category, Cahyo Adhitomo finally won the low amateur. The excellent play Cahyo displayed the day before did not make him waste this opportunity. On the final day Bobby, as he is usually called, completed his round with a score of 71 (one-under par), for an accumulated score of 215 (one-under par). Cahyo outperformed runner-up Dicky Prionggo by seven shots.
While for the ladies amateurs, Putri Aisha Amani won the battle with Michela Tjan through count back, and won the Low Amateur for ladies. Putri, who posted a score of 79 (seven over par) and Michela who today played with a score of 80 equally accumulated a total score of 239 (23-over par). The winner was decided by count back, based on final day scores made by both players over a number of predetermined holes.
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