Kuala Lumpur, November 7 - Talented hopefuls Jeremiah Kim of Malaysia and George Gandranata of Indonesia are taking aim at a maiden victory at the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Masters, starting Thursday.
Kim and Gandranata, both playing in their first season as a professional, are among a strong cast gathered at the RM180,000 (approximately US$60,000) event, which is the penultimate Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournament.
Peter Richardson of England, second on the Order of Merit, Ryan Bulloch of Australia and Chinese Taipei duo Hsieh Chi-hsien and Hsu Mong-nan, who finished tied second in Sarawak last week, will resume their Merit chase at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Meanwhile Kim, ranked 41st on the Order of Merit, is aware that the ADT offers more than just an Asian Tour card for 2013 as the top-15 players starting from fourth position on the Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn berths to the 2013 Qualifying School Final Stage in Thailand.
“I want to try and finish as high as I can on the Order of Merit. The goal is to earn an Asian Tour card but if I can’t do that, at least the ADT gives me the chance to skip the First Stage of Qualifying School and go straight to the Final stage,” said the 18-year-old.
With many young players earning their stripes on the Asian Tour, Kim is hopeful that he will follow in their footsteps in the future.
“I’m enjoying my time on the ADT but it is tough. There are many talented young players on the Asian Tour and I feel that I can get to their level too. All these come with experience which I’m getting on the ADT,” said Kim.
Gandranata hopes to accomplish his ultimate goal of winning an ADT title at the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Masters.
“The goal hasn’t changed. I hope I can win one tournament but it isn’t as easy as it sounds. All these guys are good. In terms of goals, I’m still gunning for the win and an Asian Tour card,” said the 26-year-old.
Like Kim, the Indonesian has seen vast improvements in his game and was rewarded with two top-20s on the ADT this season.
“At the start of the year, I was gunning to make the cut but now I’m trying for top-10 or even to win. I’ve seen a lot of improvement. My scoring average is lower so there’s definitely an improvement,” added the Indonesian, who holds a Masters in economics from the University of Berkeley in California.
The ADT has grown from five events since its inauguration in 2010 and has expanded to a record of 13 events this year. The ADT will also be afforded with Official World Golf Ranking status in 2013 which is a huge boost for the development of the game in Asia.
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