Jakarta, October 17 - Eye catching Inez Putri, winner of Miss Indonesia 2012, will replace crown and gown with golf clubs and caddie to compete with conviction in this week’s Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open, which starts Thursday.
The 23-year-old, a top amateur but short of practice due to her Miss Indonesia commitments, will line up alongside a host of in-form professionals in the ninth leg of this year’s Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).
Boasting prize money of US$200,000 the tournament tees-off on Thursday at Palm Hill Golf Club, just outside Jakarta, and also features a number of top players from the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Putri has been paired in the opening round with Australian star Stacey Keating, fresh from back-to-back LET wins, and Nontaya Srisawang from Thailand, who claimed the Ladies Thailand Open in February.
“I am very nervous as I have hardly played for the last five months. I just hope I don’t finish last,” said Putri.
“I have had a lot to do since winning Miss Indonesia in April including competing in Miss World. I am just aiming to have fun this week and learn from some of the best players.”
She is the first Balinese ever to win Miss Indonesia and she also made it into the top-13 at this year’s Miss World in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.
Putri is the youngest person ever to compete for the national ladies golf team and won gold and silver medals in 2004 in Indonesia’s national championships. In 2010 she claimed the ladies Singapore amateur championship.
Her golf career is on hold this year but she plans to focus on it next season.
“There is so much I want to do with golf. I really want to help promote the sport in our country and show that it is not a game only played by wealthy people. I also want to get involved in television and host a golf show. However, playing is what I love and I would still like to turn professional in a couple of years,” she said.
The Indonesian certainly will be able to learn from the best this week as playing partner Keating is currently the hottest player on the LET.
Two weeks ago the 26-year-old completed back-to-back victories in Europe to position herself as one of the favourites heading into this week’s event.
Keating claimed the French Open by one stroke shortly after having triumphed in the Tenerife Open de España Femenino.
The victory in Spain came in a sudden-death play-off and was her first success in Europe. Her breakthrough wins as a professional followed on from an impressive amateur career which saw her ranked top female amateur in Australia in 2010.
Nontaya will also be one to watch as she is currently third on the LAGT Money List and is eyeing top spot.
Said Nontaya: "Last night I was down with a high fever and I pulled out of the Pro-Am today. I had no appetite and took a couple of fever tablets to stabilise my high temperature. I guess I will be alright for tomorrow's start of play. I will play even if I'm running a slight fever.”
The professional from Chiang Mai has earned US$26,703 this year, which is US$10,497 less than leader Yu Pei-lin of Chinese Taipei. Yu is not playing this week and with four more events remaining the Thai has a chance to finish first.
“Yesterday I played well in the practice round. I'm still excited about playing tomorrow unless the fever knocks me out. But I'll certainly play if the fever is low," she said confidently.
Thailand’s Tiranan Yoopan, who triumphed in last month’s Technology Cup in Taiwan on the LAGT, and England’s Rebecca Hudson and Nikki Garrett from Australia, who boast multiple LET titles, are also competing this week.
Other fancied starters include Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, who recently secured her US LPGA Tour card, Titiya Plucksataporn and Piyathida Ployumsri, Korean Lee Eun-young, South African Connie Chen, Australia’s Alison Whitaker, Kirsty Fisher from England and France’s Cassandra Kirkland.
The Enjoy Jakarta Ladies Indonesia Open is the most lucrative women’s national Open in South East Asia with the winner earning a cheque for US$30,000.
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