JAKARTA, March 29 - Unheralded Korean Song Young-han kept his cool in sweltering heat with a six-under-par 66 on Friday to grab the lead after two rounds of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship.
Song, 22, had a share of the overnight lead after an opening round 65, but moved to 13 under with a one stroke advantage over Japan's Yoshinori Fujimoto (66), Toshinori Muto (65) and Australian Aaron Townsend, who posted a brilliant 63.
"I don't know how I feel as I have never been in this position before," said Song, who squeezed into the field of the U.S. $1 million tournament by virtue of finishing 50th on the OneAsia Order of Merit last year and grabbing the last available tour card.
"I'm happy to be in this position and I really hope I can keep it up over the weekend.. But it is so hot out there! I haven't played in conditions like this before. Unbelievable."
The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is sanctioned by both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, bringing together one of the most powerful Asia-Pacific fields ever assembled. Earnings count towards both money lists, and a win at Emeralda Golf Club gives the champion status on both tours.
The baby-faced Song finished runner-up at OneAsia's Q-School in 2012 and his best result since turning professional just before then has been 18th on a Korean domestic tour event.
He could have had an even tidier advantage on Friday had he not three-putted the last for a bogey, but he leads a classy field including joint overnight leader Shingo Katayama, who is three shots off the pace after a second-round 69.
"Not bad for today’s round," said Katayama, winner of an astonishing 26 titles on the Japan tour with earnings of over 1.5 billion yen (U.S.$ 16 million). "It is very difficult to play six under every day, so I’m satisfied for today’s round -- and we still have two more days."
Townsend finished with three birdies in-a-row -- including a wickedly curling 40-footer on the last -- but feels he may have to shoot even more birdies over the weekend.
"Compared to last year it's playing a lot easier, so I think I am going to have to be aggressive tomorrow. Hopefully more of the same," he said.
"I'm ecstatic. To be honest I generally haven't played very well in Southeast Asia in the past, so to shoot that today feels really good. My ball striking has been very good, and I've just been putting them close and giving myself the birdie opportunities. That last putt was a real bonus though."
Also lurking at 10 under is defending champion Andre Stolz, while fellow OneAsia Order of Merit winners Scott Strange (67) and Liang Wenchong (69) are a shot further back.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh (70), making his debut in a OneAsia event, is four under, while England's Simon Dyson (70), a winner on this course in 2006, a shot better off.
Home favorite Rory Hie missed the cut set at three under after shooting level par for a second day. He's joined by all other local players except Andik Mauludin, who added a round of 71 to a 70 from yesterday, and will be the only Indonesian playing during the weekend.
Scores after round two of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being played at the par 72, 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) Emeralda Golf Club course:
131 - SONG Young-han (KOR) 65-66
132 - Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 66-66, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 67-65, Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS) 69-63
134 - Kaname YOKOO (JPN) 68-66, Andre STOLZ (AUS) 67-67, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 65-69, Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN) 68-66, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 66-68
135 - Scott STRANGE (AUS) 68-67, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 67-68, LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 66-69, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 65-70
Selected:
141 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 70-71
Cut
143 - Indra HERMAWAN (INA) 74-69, Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA) 71-72
144 - Rory HIE (INA) 72-72, Jamel ONDO (INA) 74-70, Maan NASIM (INA) 72-72, Benny KASIADI (INA) 74-70
145 - Johannes DERMAWAN (INA) 71-74, Ian ANDREW (INA) 74-71
147 - Hendry NASIM (INA) 74-73, George GANDRANATA (INA) 73-74
148 - Ramadhan ALWIE (INA) 73-75
150 - Denny A. WIDJADYA (INA) 74-76
151 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA) 80-71
152 - ILYASSYAK (INA) 74-78
153 - I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA) 78-75
154 - Roby SUGARA (INA) 74-80, Sandro BERNAD (INA) 74-80
156 - Dede IDRIS (INA) 80-76, Ade SEBUL (INA) 78-78
159 - Heri KL (INA) 77-82
160 - Andi YATMO (INA) 81-79, HARDJITO (INA) 83-77
163 - RUDIANTO (INA) 78-85
166 - JOKO (INA) 86-80
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Local Heroes Fail To Impress On First Day Of Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship
JAKARTA, March 28 - Japanese superstar Shingo Katayama birdied the last two holes for a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the lead after the opening round of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship at Emeralda Golf Club on Thursday.
Katayama joined countrymen Katsumasa Miyamoto and Kazuhiro Yamashita, Canadian rookie Richard T. Lee and Koreans Song Young-han and Lee Kyong-hoon atop the leaderboard at the U.S. $1 million event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
Showing the sort of form that has seen him win 26 times on the Japan Tour, Katayama started like a bullet train with six birdies on his outward nine. A bogey on the par three 13th was the only blot on his scorecard, but he finished with a birdie-birdie flourish in pursuit of his first victory since 2008.
"I was very satisfied with my first nine, but the wind picked up on the back which made it a bit more difficult," said the 40-year-old, who has won the Japan Order of Merit five times and boasts career earnings of over 1.5 billion yen (U.S. $16 million).
"I saw that seven under was the lead before I started, so my aim was to match that," said Katayama, a big supporter of burgeoning relationship between OneAsia and the JGTO.
"I am pleased with my effort."
Playing the course back-to-front in the morning, Miyamato eagled the par five 17th and the first, continuing the excellent form he produced at the season opening Thailand Open two weeks ago where he equaled the course record with a third-round 63 at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
Miyamoto, an eight-time winner on the Japan Tour, said he abandoned his usually conservative strategy in order to take on the Arnold Palmer-designed course.
"I feel you have to be aggressive here," he said, after stiffing a three-iron 210 meters (235 yards) to six metres on the 17th for an eagle putt and then a five iron 180 meters (200 yards) to two meters on the first.
"In terms of shots, I actually played better in Thailand," Miyamoto said. "I am going a bit left, so I need to work on that."
Yamashita meanwhile credited a new driver for his bogey-free 65 and a share of the lead -- as well as a familiarity with the course, having arrived last week in a bid to get used to the sweltering conditions.
"I'm very satisfied with today's game, my shot accuracy and putting are good," he said.
"Since Monday I've been using a new Srixon driver -- it has a smaller head -- and it is working very well. I'm very relaxed as I have got used to the course."
Lee, who earned his place in the field by finishing runner-up at Q-School in Malaysia in January, was also at home around the rolling 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) course having set lofty goals for the week.
"I really want to do well," he said. "Look, I don't mind saying I try to win every tournament I enter and I think that is a positive mindset to have, but there is a long way to go."
The big names kept in touch with the leaders with Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh, competing in a OneAsia event for the first time, posting 70, and England's Simon Dyson, a winner on this course in 2006, a shot better.
Nick Cullen, winner of the Indonesian Open at this venue last year, continued his romance of the course with a solid 68, while Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant finished with a 71.
Defending champion Andre Stolz from Australia, who won the title when it was last played in 2011, was well in the hunt with a 67, while China's Liang Wenchong, a four-time winner on OneAsia, went a stroke better.
Home favorite Rory Hie, runner-up to Stolz in 2011, had four birdies and four bogeys for a topsy-turvy 72. Countryman Andik Mauludin scored two more birdies which put him as best local player in a share of 54th place posting 70. Rinaldi Adiyandono and Johannes Dermawan are the only other local players under par with both a 71.
Scores after round one of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being played at the par 72, 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) Emeralda Golf Club course:
65 - Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN), Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN), Richard T LEE (CAN), SONG Young-han (KOR), Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN), LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR)
66 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN), Akinori TANI (JPN), Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN), LIANG Wen-chong (CHN)
67 - Tadahiro TAKAYAMA (JPN), Azuma YANO (JPN), CHOI Ho-sung (KOR), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Andre STOLZ (AUS), PARK Sang-hyun (KOR), Toshinori MUTO (JPN), Matthew MILLAR (AUS)
Selected:
70 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
71 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA), Johannes DERMAWAN (INA)
72 - Maan NASIM (INA), Rory HIE (INA)
73 - George GANDRANATA (INA), Ramadhan ALWIE (INA)
74 - ILYASSYAK (INA), Benny KASIADI (INA), Roby SUGARA (INA), Indra HERMAWAN (INA), Jamel ONDO (INA), Hendry NASIM (INA), Denny A. WIDJADYA (INA), Ian ANDREW (INA), Sandro BERNAD (INA)
77 - Heri KL (INA)
78 - Ade SEBUL (INA), RUDIANTO (INA), I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA)
80 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Dede IDRIS (INA)
81 - Randy MAWUNTO (INA), Andi YATMO (INA)
83 - HARDJITO (INA)
86 - JOKO (INA)
Katayama joined countrymen Katsumasa Miyamoto and Kazuhiro Yamashita, Canadian rookie Richard T. Lee and Koreans Song Young-han and Lee Kyong-hoon atop the leaderboard at the U.S. $1 million event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
Showing the sort of form that has seen him win 26 times on the Japan Tour, Katayama started like a bullet train with six birdies on his outward nine. A bogey on the par three 13th was the only blot on his scorecard, but he finished with a birdie-birdie flourish in pursuit of his first victory since 2008.
"I was very satisfied with my first nine, but the wind picked up on the back which made it a bit more difficult," said the 40-year-old, who has won the Japan Order of Merit five times and boasts career earnings of over 1.5 billion yen (U.S. $16 million).
"I saw that seven under was the lead before I started, so my aim was to match that," said Katayama, a big supporter of burgeoning relationship between OneAsia and the JGTO.
"I am pleased with my effort."
Playing the course back-to-front in the morning, Miyamato eagled the par five 17th and the first, continuing the excellent form he produced at the season opening Thailand Open two weeks ago where he equaled the course record with a third-round 63 at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
Miyamoto, an eight-time winner on the Japan Tour, said he abandoned his usually conservative strategy in order to take on the Arnold Palmer-designed course.
"I feel you have to be aggressive here," he said, after stiffing a three-iron 210 meters (235 yards) to six metres on the 17th for an eagle putt and then a five iron 180 meters (200 yards) to two meters on the first.
"In terms of shots, I actually played better in Thailand," Miyamoto said. "I am going a bit left, so I need to work on that."
Yamashita meanwhile credited a new driver for his bogey-free 65 and a share of the lead -- as well as a familiarity with the course, having arrived last week in a bid to get used to the sweltering conditions.
"I'm very satisfied with today's game, my shot accuracy and putting are good," he said.
"Since Monday I've been using a new Srixon driver -- it has a smaller head -- and it is working very well. I'm very relaxed as I have got used to the course."
Lee, who earned his place in the field by finishing runner-up at Q-School in Malaysia in January, was also at home around the rolling 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) course having set lofty goals for the week.
"I really want to do well," he said. "Look, I don't mind saying I try to win every tournament I enter and I think that is a positive mindset to have, but there is a long way to go."
The big names kept in touch with the leaders with Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh, competing in a OneAsia event for the first time, posting 70, and England's Simon Dyson, a winner on this course in 2006, a shot better.
Nick Cullen, winner of the Indonesian Open at this venue last year, continued his romance of the course with a solid 68, while Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant finished with a 71.
Defending champion Andre Stolz from Australia, who won the title when it was last played in 2011, was well in the hunt with a 67, while China's Liang Wenchong, a four-time winner on OneAsia, went a stroke better.
Home favorite Rory Hie, runner-up to Stolz in 2011, had four birdies and four bogeys for a topsy-turvy 72. Countryman Andik Mauludin scored two more birdies which put him as best local player in a share of 54th place posting 70. Rinaldi Adiyandono and Johannes Dermawan are the only other local players under par with both a 71.
Scores after round one of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being played at the par 72, 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) Emeralda Golf Club course:
65 - Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN), Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN), Richard T LEE (CAN), SONG Young-han (KOR), Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN), LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR)
66 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN), Akinori TANI (JPN), Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN), LIANG Wen-chong (CHN)
67 - Tadahiro TAKAYAMA (JPN), Azuma YANO (JPN), CHOI Ho-sung (KOR), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Andre STOLZ (AUS), PARK Sang-hyun (KOR), Toshinori MUTO (JPN), Matthew MILLAR (AUS)
Selected:
70 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
71 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA), Johannes DERMAWAN (INA)
72 - Maan NASIM (INA), Rory HIE (INA)
73 - George GANDRANATA (INA), Ramadhan ALWIE (INA)
74 - ILYASSYAK (INA), Benny KASIADI (INA), Roby SUGARA (INA), Indra HERMAWAN (INA), Jamel ONDO (INA), Hendry NASIM (INA), Denny A. WIDJADYA (INA), Ian ANDREW (INA), Sandro BERNAD (INA)
77 - Heri KL (INA)
78 - Ade SEBUL (INA), RUDIANTO (INA), I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA)
80 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Dede IDRIS (INA)
81 - Randy MAWUNTO (INA), Andi YATMO (INA)
83 - HARDJITO (INA)
86 - JOKO (INA)
Monday, March 25, 2013
3M New Atmosphere PGS Tournament At PG Sukajadi Batam
"3M New Atmosphere PGS" Tournament will be held on Sunday, 21 April 2013 Shot Gun 08.30am at Padang Golf Sukajadi Batam.
Guest : Rp. 800.000,-
Inclusive : Green fee, Caddy & buggy sharing, Goodie bag, Lunch, Lucky Draw, Grand Lucky Draw , HIO Cash Money 100jt, 1 Unit Car, 1 Term Membership PGS
Tlp. 0778 8073008 Fax : 0778 8073088
Email: smm@padanggolfsukajadi.com or sales@padanggolfsukajadi.com
Tournament fees
Member: Rp. 475.000,-Guest : Rp. 800.000,-
Inclusive : Green fee, Caddy & buggy sharing, Goodie bag, Lunch, Lucky Draw, Grand Lucky Draw , HIO Cash Money 100jt, 1 Unit Car, 1 Term Membership PGS
Further Information & registration:
Padang Golf Sukajadi BatamTlp. 0778 8073008 Fax : 0778 8073088
Email: smm@padanggolfsukajadi.com or sales@padanggolfsukajadi.com
Number Ones To Battle For Glory At Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship
JAKARTA, March 25 - A parade of past and present number ones are heading to this week’s Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship, the second stop on OneAsia’s exciting 2013 schedule.
All four previous winners of OneAsia’s Order of Merit -- Korea’s Kim Bi-o, Australians Andre Stolz and Scott Strange and China’s Liang Wenchong -- will join money list kings Thaworn Wiratchant, Juvic Pagunsan, Jeev Milkha Singh and Simon Dyson at the Arnold Palmer-designed Emeralda Golf Club from March 28-31.
With the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation for the first time, two former number ones from the Land of the Rising Sun -- the iconic Shingo Katayama and Korea’s Kim Kyung-tae -- will also compete in the U.S. $1 million tournament.
Further strengthening the field are several players with recent success in Indonesia under their belts, including the in-form duo of Michael Hendry of New Zealand and Australia’s Nick Cullen.
Kim Bi-o, who won the Caltex Maekyung Open and SK Telecom Open back-to-back last season, will be making his seasonal debut in the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship after missing the Thailand Open two weeks ago.
The ultra-talented Kim is the youngest player ever to win a OneAsia event -- the then 20 year old lifting the 2011 Nanshan China Masters in a playoff -- and was also the youngest to win playing rights for the PGA Tour that year.
Former PGA Tour winner Stolz was victorious twice in 2011 -- including the Indonesia PGA Championship -- en-route to topping the Order of Merit and Strange, runner up to Prayad Marksaeng in the season-opening Thailand Open, lifted the title in the first ever OneAsia tournament in 2009, the Volvo China Open.
The trailblazing Liang Wenchong, third in the European Tour joint sanctioned Avantha Masters two weeks ago, is the only player to have topped the money lists on both OneAsia and the Asian Tour, in 2010 and 2007 respectively.
Thaworn was top dog in Asia for a second time last season matching Singh, who was Asian number one in 2006 and 2008. England’s Dyson topped the money list in 2000 with Pagunsan becoming the first Filipino winner in 2011.
Katayama has won the Japan Tour Order of Merit a remarkable five times in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 while Kim became the first Korean to win the crown in 2010 after three victories.
Cullen, victorious in the 2012 Indonesia Open at Emeralda Golf Club, is riding a wave of confidence into the tournament after finishing third in the Thailand Open while Hendry has a score to settle with this week’s venue.
The 2010 Indonesia Open winner was disqualified from last year’s tournament in bizarre circumstances.
His caddie pulled the flag stick from the hole after Hendry played a chip shot on the ninth green and the ball found the cup. The breach would normally result in a two-shot penalty, but Hendry did not realise his error and signed for a three-over 75 before being disqualified.
In early March, Hendry edged Strange in a playoff to win the New Zealand PGA Championship, a result he is hoping to repeat in the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship.
“I have played well over there before and conditions wise I can cope with the heat and grass types,” he said. “It is a matter of hitting good shots and I will have a chance of winning again ... and get my own back on Emeralda.”
“I believe in the winning feeling,” added-the-33 year old, who gave up a promising cricketing career to become a golf professional in 2005.
“It was great to retain the trophy in New Zealand. When you go into the week you are the one who owns it with the feeling ‘this is mine I am not going to give it to anybody else’.
“I have been playing so much good golf lately with 10 top-10s in the last 12 events. The win was due -- I will be honest I was getting frustrated that it had not happened earlier but I was absolutely rapt that I had a good week and managed to get a win.
All four previous winners of OneAsia’s Order of Merit -- Korea’s Kim Bi-o, Australians Andre Stolz and Scott Strange and China’s Liang Wenchong -- will join money list kings Thaworn Wiratchant, Juvic Pagunsan, Jeev Milkha Singh and Simon Dyson at the Arnold Palmer-designed Emeralda Golf Club from March 28-31.
With the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation for the first time, two former number ones from the Land of the Rising Sun -- the iconic Shingo Katayama and Korea’s Kim Kyung-tae -- will also compete in the U.S. $1 million tournament.
Further strengthening the field are several players with recent success in Indonesia under their belts, including the in-form duo of Michael Hendry of New Zealand and Australia’s Nick Cullen.
Kim Bi-o, who won the Caltex Maekyung Open and SK Telecom Open back-to-back last season, will be making his seasonal debut in the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship after missing the Thailand Open two weeks ago.
The ultra-talented Kim is the youngest player ever to win a OneAsia event -- the then 20 year old lifting the 2011 Nanshan China Masters in a playoff -- and was also the youngest to win playing rights for the PGA Tour that year.
Former PGA Tour winner Stolz was victorious twice in 2011 -- including the Indonesia PGA Championship -- en-route to topping the Order of Merit and Strange, runner up to Prayad Marksaeng in the season-opening Thailand Open, lifted the title in the first ever OneAsia tournament in 2009, the Volvo China Open.
The trailblazing Liang Wenchong, third in the European Tour joint sanctioned Avantha Masters two weeks ago, is the only player to have topped the money lists on both OneAsia and the Asian Tour, in 2010 and 2007 respectively.
Thaworn was top dog in Asia for a second time last season matching Singh, who was Asian number one in 2006 and 2008. England’s Dyson topped the money list in 2000 with Pagunsan becoming the first Filipino winner in 2011.
Katayama has won the Japan Tour Order of Merit a remarkable five times in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 while Kim became the first Korean to win the crown in 2010 after three victories.
Cullen, victorious in the 2012 Indonesia Open at Emeralda Golf Club, is riding a wave of confidence into the tournament after finishing third in the Thailand Open while Hendry has a score to settle with this week’s venue.
The 2010 Indonesia Open winner was disqualified from last year’s tournament in bizarre circumstances.
His caddie pulled the flag stick from the hole after Hendry played a chip shot on the ninth green and the ball found the cup. The breach would normally result in a two-shot penalty, but Hendry did not realise his error and signed for a three-over 75 before being disqualified.
In early March, Hendry edged Strange in a playoff to win the New Zealand PGA Championship, a result he is hoping to repeat in the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship.
“I have played well over there before and conditions wise I can cope with the heat and grass types,” he said. “It is a matter of hitting good shots and I will have a chance of winning again ... and get my own back on Emeralda.”
“I believe in the winning feeling,” added-the-33 year old, who gave up a promising cricketing career to become a golf professional in 2005.
“It was great to retain the trophy in New Zealand. When you go into the week you are the one who owns it with the feeling ‘this is mine I am not going to give it to anybody else’.
“I have been playing so much good golf lately with 10 top-10s in the last 12 events. The win was due -- I will be honest I was getting frustrated that it had not happened earlier but I was absolutely rapt that I had a good week and managed to get a win.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Junior Golf Community Of Surabaya Tournament
Sunday 21 April 2013 Serie 1 of the Tournament AMA 3 Series of the Junior Golf Community of Surabaya (JGCS) will be held at at Pakuwon Golf & Family Club in Surabaya, East Java.
The tournament is open to all juniors under the age of 18 years old.
Winarto Wijono JGCS, BNI KCP Tg Perak account no. 871 234 5870
Winarto Wijono, BCA account no. 256 998 7789
For further information contact Indarso Tjandra at 0878 545 88899 or Winarto Wijono at 0812 303 4630 and visit www.facebook.com/JGCSurabaya.
The tournament is open to all juniors under the age of 18 years old.
Age Divisions For Boys & Girls
A: 15-17 years
Boys and Girls blue teeB: 13-14 years
Boys and Girls blue teeC: 11-12 years
Boys and Girls blue teeD: 9-10 years
Boys and Girls white teeBeginner Divisions:
(white tee)9-10 years
8 years & under
Tournament details
Tee Off
12.00 noon. Format is 18 holes individual stroke play.Entry Fee
Rp. 250.000/18 Holes (inclusive caddy fee and dinner, exclude caddy tips)Awards
Award certificates will be presented to top 3 in each age division (boys and girls combined)Registration
Registration by email to jgcs27@yahoo.com or sms to 0812 303 4630.Payment
Transfer toWinarto Wijono JGCS, BNI KCP Tg Perak account no. 871 234 5870
Winarto Wijono, BCA account no. 256 998 7789
Deadline
Closing date for registration and payment is Thursday 19 April 2013.For further information contact Indarso Tjandra at 0878 545 88899 or Winarto Wijono at 0812 303 4630 and visit www.facebook.com/JGCSurabaya.
Chopra Returns To His Roots At Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship
JAKARTA, March 20 - Daniel Chopra, a two-time winner on the U.S. PGA Tour, returns to his roots next week when he competes in the U.S. $1 million Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship at Emeralda Golf Club.
He is one of a host of big name players competing in the tournament along with Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, Thaworn Wiratchant from Thailand, Englishman Simon Dyson, Japan’s Shingo Katayama and Kim Kyung-tae from Korea.
The OneAsia event tees-off from March 28 to 31 and is fully joint sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation for the first time as part of a blossoming relationship between the two major regional circuits.
Much interest will focus on Chopra who has claimed 14 international titles and grew up playing tournaments in Indonesia between the age of 14 and 21. He normally spent a month each season in the country over a seven year period, from 1989 to 1995, as his coach was based there.
He played his golf at Pondok Indah Golf Club and actually finished second in the Indonesia Open at Jagorawi Golf & Country Club in 1995 -- which was the last time he visited Jakarta.
“It will really be a sentimental trip for me. I have so many great memories of playing golf in Indonesia and of course I played there at a time when I just turned professional in 1992,” said Chopra.
“I remember loving the golf courses and the food. I played many great courses but never Emeralda. I am really looking forward to playing Emeralda, especially as the course was designed by Arnold Palmer. He is a good friend of mine and my first win on the U.S. PGA Tour was on a Palmer course.”
His first victory on the US PGA Tour came in the Ginn sur Mer Classic in 2007 and the following season he claimed the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii.
“I have been putting some good results together recently and I am looking forward to a good season. The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is definitely on my radar,” added Chopra, who lives in Orlando, Florida.
In addition, he has triumphed in three Nationwide Tour events -- the most recent being in the 2011 Fresh Express Classic.
Chopra has also won three events in Europe, and six tournaments in Asia (two each in India, Malaysia, and Taiwan).
The talented golfer was born in Sweden but moved to Delhi when he was seven where he was raised by his grandparents.
The young Chopra, whose mother is Swedish and father Indian, excelled at golf and won the All India Junior championships three times.
His early golfing years saw him travel much of Southeast Asia and as well as Indonesia he also trained and played tournaments in Malaysia.
Next week will mark his first appearance on OneAsia.
Also competing are defending champion Andre Stolz from Australia and Indonesian number one Rory Hie, who came second to Stolz when the event was last played in 2011.
The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is the second event of the season on OneAsia.
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng claimed the season-opening U.S. $1 million Thailand Open last week, to become only the third Thai to win the title in the 44 year history of the event.
He is one of a host of big name players competing in the tournament along with Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, Thaworn Wiratchant from Thailand, Englishman Simon Dyson, Japan’s Shingo Katayama and Kim Kyung-tae from Korea.
The OneAsia event tees-off from March 28 to 31 and is fully joint sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation for the first time as part of a blossoming relationship between the two major regional circuits.
Much interest will focus on Chopra who has claimed 14 international titles and grew up playing tournaments in Indonesia between the age of 14 and 21. He normally spent a month each season in the country over a seven year period, from 1989 to 1995, as his coach was based there.
He played his golf at Pondok Indah Golf Club and actually finished second in the Indonesia Open at Jagorawi Golf & Country Club in 1995 -- which was the last time he visited Jakarta.
“It will really be a sentimental trip for me. I have so many great memories of playing golf in Indonesia and of course I played there at a time when I just turned professional in 1992,” said Chopra.
“I remember loving the golf courses and the food. I played many great courses but never Emeralda. I am really looking forward to playing Emeralda, especially as the course was designed by Arnold Palmer. He is a good friend of mine and my first win on the U.S. PGA Tour was on a Palmer course.”
His first victory on the US PGA Tour came in the Ginn sur Mer Classic in 2007 and the following season he claimed the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii.
“I have been putting some good results together recently and I am looking forward to a good season. The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is definitely on my radar,” added Chopra, who lives in Orlando, Florida.
In addition, he has triumphed in three Nationwide Tour events -- the most recent being in the 2011 Fresh Express Classic.
Chopra has also won three events in Europe, and six tournaments in Asia (two each in India, Malaysia, and Taiwan).
The talented golfer was born in Sweden but moved to Delhi when he was seven where he was raised by his grandparents.
The young Chopra, whose mother is Swedish and father Indian, excelled at golf and won the All India Junior championships three times.
His early golfing years saw him travel much of Southeast Asia and as well as Indonesia he also trained and played tournaments in Malaysia.
Next week will mark his first appearance on OneAsia.
Also competing are defending champion Andre Stolz from Australia and Indonesian number one Rory Hie, who came second to Stolz when the event was last played in 2011.
The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is the second event of the season on OneAsia.
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng claimed the season-opening U.S. $1 million Thailand Open last week, to become only the third Thai to win the title in the 44 year history of the event.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Thaworn Looks To Master Indonesia PGA Championship
JAKARTA, March 18 - Masters-bound Thaworn Wiratchant says winning next week’s Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship on OneAsia would be the perfect send off to Augusta.
The veteran Thai received an invitation to the Masters in early April on the back of a glorious 2012 season that saw him take the number one spot in Asia for the second time after winning four international titles to bring his career tally to 20.
“I am looking forward to playing the tournament and a victory would be great for my confidence just ahead of the Masters,” said Thaworn, a two-time winner of the Indonesia Open including the 2011 title on OneAsia.
“I have won two tournaments in Indonesia and hopefully I can make it three.”
Before heading to the United States, Thaworn will be one of the headline acts in the Indonesia PGA Championship, which is making a welcome return to the OneAsia schedule after a one-year absence.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European Tour, former OneAsia money list winner Liang Wenchong of China, Kim Kyung-tae, the first Korean to win the Japan Tour Order of Merit, Japanese legend Shingo Katayama, defending champion Andre Stolz of Australia and local hope Rory Hie, runner up two years ago, feature in the impressive line-up at Emeralda Golf Club from March 28-31.
England’s Simon Dyson, who won the Indonesia Open at Emeralda in 2006, and two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra will also challenge for honors in the tournament which will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) with prize money counting on both money lists.
Although neither of Thaworn’s victories in Indonesia have come at Emeralda Golf Club, he likes the course.
“I have a good feeling playing at Emeralda. It is a difficult course, and that is good for me -- I play well on courses that are set up hard,” said the 46 year old, who recorded a top-20 finish in a OneAsia event at Emeralda last year.
A free spirit and self-confessed golfaholic, Thaworn has spread his wings across the whole spectrum of the sport.
He placed in the top-50 on OneAsia from three starts last year and triumphed in the Luang Prabang Lao Open, his second title on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
Thaworn equalled the course record of 63 at Thana City Golf & Sports Club on Sunday to claim joint 12th spot in the Thailand Open, the season-opening event on OneAsia.
“I just want to play golf and win tournaments,” he said. “I am a professional golfer and play wherever I can.
“I see myself as an ambassador for Thai golf. When I win, the trophy is for me, the reputation is for Thailand.”
Thaworn flew the flag high at the WGC - Cadillac Championship at Doral’s famed TPC Blue Monster two weeks ago with opening back-to-back 69s showing that he can score well on the toughest of courses in the toughest of company.
“I am getting old but I am still in good condition,” he commented. “With the equipment that it is available these days, I am probably hitting the ball as far as I did 10 years ago.
“It was a great start for me at Doral and I was proud to hold my own in such an elite field. The wind got up on the last two days and I was hitting longer irons into greens that were harder than at the start of the week,” said Thaworn, who closed with a pair of 77s.
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital's tourism portal, are an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and are delighted to be title sponsoring the Indonesia PGA Championship for the first time.
“These are exciting times for golf in our region and so we at Enjoy Jakarta are thrilled to be associated with a new event that has a quality line up of players,” said Bapak Arie Budhiman, head of the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office.
“Our golf sponsorship programme and the regional television coverage that comes with it allows us to achieve our objective of promoting Jakarta as a tourism hub for golfers and holiday makers alike. We have no doubt that the exposure will be even greater this year as the tournament is part of both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.”
The veteran Thai received an invitation to the Masters in early April on the back of a glorious 2012 season that saw him take the number one spot in Asia for the second time after winning four international titles to bring his career tally to 20.
“I am looking forward to playing the tournament and a victory would be great for my confidence just ahead of the Masters,” said Thaworn, a two-time winner of the Indonesia Open including the 2011 title on OneAsia.
“I have won two tournaments in Indonesia and hopefully I can make it three.”
Before heading to the United States, Thaworn will be one of the headline acts in the Indonesia PGA Championship, which is making a welcome return to the OneAsia schedule after a one-year absence.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European Tour, former OneAsia money list winner Liang Wenchong of China, Kim Kyung-tae, the first Korean to win the Japan Tour Order of Merit, Japanese legend Shingo Katayama, defending champion Andre Stolz of Australia and local hope Rory Hie, runner up two years ago, feature in the impressive line-up at Emeralda Golf Club from March 28-31.
England’s Simon Dyson, who won the Indonesia Open at Emeralda in 2006, and two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra will also challenge for honors in the tournament which will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) with prize money counting on both money lists.
Although neither of Thaworn’s victories in Indonesia have come at Emeralda Golf Club, he likes the course.
“I have a good feeling playing at Emeralda. It is a difficult course, and that is good for me -- I play well on courses that are set up hard,” said the 46 year old, who recorded a top-20 finish in a OneAsia event at Emeralda last year.
A free spirit and self-confessed golfaholic, Thaworn has spread his wings across the whole spectrum of the sport.
He placed in the top-50 on OneAsia from three starts last year and triumphed in the Luang Prabang Lao Open, his second title on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
Thaworn equalled the course record of 63 at Thana City Golf & Sports Club on Sunday to claim joint 12th spot in the Thailand Open, the season-opening event on OneAsia.
“I just want to play golf and win tournaments,” he said. “I am a professional golfer and play wherever I can.
“I see myself as an ambassador for Thai golf. When I win, the trophy is for me, the reputation is for Thailand.”
Thaworn flew the flag high at the WGC - Cadillac Championship at Doral’s famed TPC Blue Monster two weeks ago with opening back-to-back 69s showing that he can score well on the toughest of courses in the toughest of company.
“I am getting old but I am still in good condition,” he commented. “With the equipment that it is available these days, I am probably hitting the ball as far as I did 10 years ago.
“It was a great start for me at Doral and I was proud to hold my own in such an elite field. The wind got up on the last two days and I was hitting longer irons into greens that were harder than at the start of the week,” said Thaworn, who closed with a pair of 77s.
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital's tourism portal, are an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and are delighted to be title sponsoring the Indonesia PGA Championship for the first time.
“These are exciting times for golf in our region and so we at Enjoy Jakarta are thrilled to be associated with a new event that has a quality line up of players,” said Bapak Arie Budhiman, head of the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office.
“Our golf sponsorship programme and the regional television coverage that comes with it allows us to achieve our objective of promoting Jakarta as a tourism hub for golfers and holiday makers alike. We have no doubt that the exposure will be even greater this year as the tournament is part of both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.”
No Glory For Rory Hie At Thailand Open
BANGKOK, March 17 - Prayad Marksaeng ended a near decade-long drought by home players and became only the third Thai to win their national championship with a two-stroke victory in OneAsia's U.S. $1 million Thailand Open at Thana City Golf & Sports Club on Sunday.
Prayad had rounds of 68, 67, 65 and 64 for a 24 under-par total of 264, to claim the winner's purse of $180,000 and the coveted King's Trophy, donated by the country's revered monarch.
"This means so much to me," an emotional Prayad said moments after signing his scorecard.
"Yes I cried a bit … I am happy the King's Trophy will stay in Thailand."
Urged on by his fellow professionals, Prayad took a celebratory jump into the lake adjoining the 18th green after the prize presentation.
"I have waited so long for this. It is something that I have dreamed about, but I have tried so many times and failed. This time it was my turn. I am so happy," he said.
Australian Scott Strange (67) pushed Prayad all the way, but a bogey on the last left him two strokes adrift. Countryman Nick Cullen (65) was a shot further behind while six players shared fourth place -- including defending champion Chris Wood (70).
Overnight leader Lucas Lee of Brazil struggled to get his round together and had to settle for a share of 12th after carding a 73, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington (66) couldn't recover from a disastrous third-round 75 and finished at 14 under.
Despite producing a generation of some of Asia's finest golfers, only two Thais have won the national open -- Suthep Meesawat (1991) and Boonchu Ruangkit (1992, 2004).
Two shots off the pace overnight and starting in the second last group of the day, Prayad, 47, had an early inkling the planets were correctly aligned with a birdie-birdie-birdie start -- although a bogey on the easy par-five fifth briefly halted his progression.
Four birdies in-a-row straddling the turn put him back in the driver's seat, and an audacious chip-in birdie from the fringe on the 16th meant the chasing pack had it all to do.
Strange, winner of OneAsia's Order of Merit in 2009 on the back of victory at the Volvo China Open, went bogey-free until the last, while Cullen was pleased with his effort for a top-three finish.
"I gave myself every chance, but it just wasn't to be. Look, I'm not too unhappy," said Strange.
"I'll get over the disappointment but I feel my game has come together and just a putt here or there and it could have been completely different."
"I had a few problems with my back earlier in the week but today felt great," said Cullen, a hot favorite now for the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship in two weeks time at Emeralda Golf Club, where he won the Indonesia Open title a year ago.
Other favorites for the Jakarta title are defending champion Andre Stolz and home boy Rory Hie, who both had little success here ending in joined 60th place after final rounds of 71 and 70 respectively.
The Thailand Open and Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship are both co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, meaning this victory is Prayad's fourth Japan Tour success. He has also won six times on the Asian Tour and came into the tournament as one of the form players after winning the Singha Esan Open on the ASEAN PGA Tour in February.
The rounds of the day belonged to Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant and Koreans Kim Do-hoon and Hwang Jun-gon, who equalled the course record of 63 set by Welshman Ian Woosnam in 1997 and matched five times this week.
Scores after the final round of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
264 - Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67-65-64.
266 - Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65-68-67.
267 - Nick CULLEN (AUS) 69-67-66-65.
268 - HWANG Jung-gon (KOR) 65-68-72-63, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68-69-66, David McKENZIE (AUS) 65-68-68-67, Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69-64-69, Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66-65-70, HU Mu (CHN) 67-67-64-70.
269 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 67-67-70-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64-68-69.
270 - KIM Do-hoon 752 (KOR) 70-68-69-63, Brad KENNEDY (AUS) 69-70-66-65, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-68-69-63, Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 70-67-66-67, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66-69-68, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66-66-68, David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66-66-69, Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67-65-73.
Selected:
280 - Andre STOLZ (AUS) 69-69-71-71, Rory HIE (INA) 67-70-73-70.
Prayad had rounds of 68, 67, 65 and 64 for a 24 under-par total of 264, to claim the winner's purse of $180,000 and the coveted King's Trophy, donated by the country's revered monarch.
"This means so much to me," an emotional Prayad said moments after signing his scorecard.
"Yes I cried a bit … I am happy the King's Trophy will stay in Thailand."
Urged on by his fellow professionals, Prayad took a celebratory jump into the lake adjoining the 18th green after the prize presentation.
"I have waited so long for this. It is something that I have dreamed about, but I have tried so many times and failed. This time it was my turn. I am so happy," he said.
Australian Scott Strange (67) pushed Prayad all the way, but a bogey on the last left him two strokes adrift. Countryman Nick Cullen (65) was a shot further behind while six players shared fourth place -- including defending champion Chris Wood (70).
Overnight leader Lucas Lee of Brazil struggled to get his round together and had to settle for a share of 12th after carding a 73, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington (66) couldn't recover from a disastrous third-round 75 and finished at 14 under.
Despite producing a generation of some of Asia's finest golfers, only two Thais have won the national open -- Suthep Meesawat (1991) and Boonchu Ruangkit (1992, 2004).
Two shots off the pace overnight and starting in the second last group of the day, Prayad, 47, had an early inkling the planets were correctly aligned with a birdie-birdie-birdie start -- although a bogey on the easy par-five fifth briefly halted his progression.
Four birdies in-a-row straddling the turn put him back in the driver's seat, and an audacious chip-in birdie from the fringe on the 16th meant the chasing pack had it all to do.
Strange, winner of OneAsia's Order of Merit in 2009 on the back of victory at the Volvo China Open, went bogey-free until the last, while Cullen was pleased with his effort for a top-three finish.
"I gave myself every chance, but it just wasn't to be. Look, I'm not too unhappy," said Strange.
"I'll get over the disappointment but I feel my game has come together and just a putt here or there and it could have been completely different."
"I had a few problems with my back earlier in the week but today felt great," said Cullen, a hot favorite now for the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship in two weeks time at Emeralda Golf Club, where he won the Indonesia Open title a year ago.
Other favorites for the Jakarta title are defending champion Andre Stolz and home boy Rory Hie, who both had little success here ending in joined 60th place after final rounds of 71 and 70 respectively.
The Thailand Open and Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship are both co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, meaning this victory is Prayad's fourth Japan Tour success. He has also won six times on the Asian Tour and came into the tournament as one of the form players after winning the Singha Esan Open on the ASEAN PGA Tour in February.
The rounds of the day belonged to Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant and Koreans Kim Do-hoon and Hwang Jun-gon, who equalled the course record of 63 set by Welshman Ian Woosnam in 1997 and matched five times this week.
Scores after the final round of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
264 - Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67-65-64.
266 - Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65-68-67.
267 - Nick CULLEN (AUS) 69-67-66-65.
268 - HWANG Jung-gon (KOR) 65-68-72-63, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68-69-66, David McKENZIE (AUS) 65-68-68-67, Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69-64-69, Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66-65-70, HU Mu (CHN) 67-67-64-70.
269 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 67-67-70-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64-68-69.
270 - KIM Do-hoon 752 (KOR) 70-68-69-63, Brad KENNEDY (AUS) 69-70-66-65, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 70-68-69-63, Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 70-67-66-67, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66-69-68, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66-66-68, David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66-66-69, Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67-65-73.
Selected:
280 - Andre STOLZ (AUS) 69-69-71-71, Rory HIE (INA) 67-70-73-70.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Rory Hie Slips Further Back At Thailand Open
BANGKOK, March 16 - Brazilian Lucas Lee drained an eight-foot birdie putt on the last on Saturday to snatch a one-stroke lead over defending champion Chris Wood of England and China's Hu Mu after three rounds of the U.S. $1 million Thailand Open at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
Lee's rounds of 65, 67 and 65 leave him 19 under for the tournament, which is jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation with earnings to count for both Orders of Merit.
Thai-based Scot Simon Yates celebrated his 43rd birthday with a 64, to share fourth place at 17 under with overnight leader Scott Strange of Australia who carded a 68.
Born in Brazil to émigré Korean parents, Lee finished seventh at Q-School in 2012 and parlayed that into a top 50 finish on the OneAsia Order of Merit last year.
Although he has won a couple of one-day professional tournaments and finished second four times on the Canadian Tour, the 25-year-old is still seeking his breakthrough victory on a major circuit.
He refused to be intimidated on Saturday despite playing with defending champion Wood (65) and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington -- who slipped out of contention with a 75.
"After the first hole you try to forget who they are and try to beat them like any other of the guys, but they do hit the ball very well," said Lee, who is fluent in English, Korean and Portuguese.
"It was a good learning experience. Tomorrow I'm just going to try and be as positive as possible, while also keeping it simple."
Wood, who made his breakthrough professional victory at this tournament last year and followed it up with victory at the European Tour's Qatar Masters in January, said he was delighted so far with his defense of the title.
"I'm really pleased with my efforts so far. I came here to put in a good defense," he said.
"It will take something in the mid 60s to win."
Hu, another OneAsia regular but with victory under his belt from China's domestic tour, credited an improved tournament strategy for his performance.
"I have been playing quite awful on the last days of tournaments, so what I have been doing recently is try to make a game plan for the entire week and then stick to it," he said.
"I've been doing quite well on that, and so hopefully I can do the same tomorrow."
Best of the local challengers was Prayad Marksaeng, who started with five birdies in-a-row for his 65 and shares sixth place at 16 under.
Indonesia's Rory Hie lost more ground with a round of 73, leaving him in a tie for 53rd place with a 3-round total of 210.
The round of the day belonged to Japan's Katsumasa Miyamoto, who equaled the course record with a 63 after making the turn in 29.
Scores after the third round of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course.
197 - Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67-65.
198 - HU Mu (CHN) 67-67-64, Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66-65.
199 - Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69-64, Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65-68.
200 - Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64-68.
201 - David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66-66, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 67-67-67, David McKENZIE (AUS) 65-68-68.
202 - Nick CULLEN (AUS) 69-67-66, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66-66, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 67-69-66, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 73-66-63, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68-69, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66-69.
Selected:
210 - Rory HIE (INA) 67-70-73.
Lee's rounds of 65, 67 and 65 leave him 19 under for the tournament, which is jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation with earnings to count for both Orders of Merit.
Thai-based Scot Simon Yates celebrated his 43rd birthday with a 64, to share fourth place at 17 under with overnight leader Scott Strange of Australia who carded a 68.
Born in Brazil to émigré Korean parents, Lee finished seventh at Q-School in 2012 and parlayed that into a top 50 finish on the OneAsia Order of Merit last year.
Although he has won a couple of one-day professional tournaments and finished second four times on the Canadian Tour, the 25-year-old is still seeking his breakthrough victory on a major circuit.
He refused to be intimidated on Saturday despite playing with defending champion Wood (65) and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington -- who slipped out of contention with a 75.
"After the first hole you try to forget who they are and try to beat them like any other of the guys, but they do hit the ball very well," said Lee, who is fluent in English, Korean and Portuguese.
"It was a good learning experience. Tomorrow I'm just going to try and be as positive as possible, while also keeping it simple."
Wood, who made his breakthrough professional victory at this tournament last year and followed it up with victory at the European Tour's Qatar Masters in January, said he was delighted so far with his defense of the title.
"I'm really pleased with my efforts so far. I came here to put in a good defense," he said.
"It will take something in the mid 60s to win."
Hu, another OneAsia regular but with victory under his belt from China's domestic tour, credited an improved tournament strategy for his performance.
"I have been playing quite awful on the last days of tournaments, so what I have been doing recently is try to make a game plan for the entire week and then stick to it," he said.
"I've been doing quite well on that, and so hopefully I can do the same tomorrow."
Best of the local challengers was Prayad Marksaeng, who started with five birdies in-a-row for his 65 and shares sixth place at 16 under.
Indonesia's Rory Hie lost more ground with a round of 73, leaving him in a tie for 53rd place with a 3-round total of 210.
The round of the day belonged to Japan's Katsumasa Miyamoto, who equaled the course record with a 63 after making the turn in 29.
Scores after the third round of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course.
197 - Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67-65.
198 - HU Mu (CHN) 67-67-64, Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66-65.
199 - Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69-64, Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65-68.
200 - Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64-68.
201 - David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66-66, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 67-67-67, David McKENZIE (AUS) 65-68-68.
202 - Nick CULLEN (AUS) 69-67-66, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66-66, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 67-69-66, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 73-66-63, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68-69, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66-69.
Selected:
210 - Rory HIE (INA) 67-70-73.
Rain Interupts Rory Hie's Game In Thailand Open
BANGKOK, March 15 - Australian Scott Strange, winner of OneAsia's first-ever tournament five years ago, shot a seven-under par 65 on Friday to grab the clubhouse lead after a rain-interrupted second-round of the U.S.$ 1 million Thailand Open at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
Scott, winner of the Volvo China Open in 2009 when he also claimed OneAsia's first Order of Merit title, went one better than his opening round and is 13 under around the relatively short 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Greg Norman-designed course.
Japan's Azuma Yano (67, 65), Brazilian Lucas Lee (65, 67), and Australian Terry Pilkadaris (68, 64) had a share of second place in the clubhouse, with eight others a shot further behind -- including some still to complete their rounds.
Defending champion Chris Wood (67, 66), three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (67, 66), Koreans Hwang Jung-gon (65, 68), Lee Kyoung-hoon (67, 66) and Cho Min-gyu (65,68) and Thailand's Thanyakon Khrongpha (70, 63) finished on 11 under.
The second round will resume on Saturday with 36 players still to finish and a cut hovering around minus five. Stakes are high as this event -- and the upcoming Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship from March 28 - 31 -- is co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, and earnings count to both tour Orders of Merit.
Strange, who lost his European Tour card last year, credited the lifestyle change for allowing him to spend more time with his family, and he relished the opportunity to play closer to home on OneAsia and the Japan Tour.
"A few things have changed in my life," he said. "I'm not playing as much overseas, and we've got another daughter so I'm trying to be home a bit more. The mind is relaxed and refreshed.
"I think the Japanese Tour is a great fit -- especially for family life in Australia. You're not flying to Europe for six or seven months of the year and then coming back, so if I'm fortunate enough to win this week, I'll be in Japan and that would be great."
Yano, a three-time winner on the Japan Tour since turning professional in 2000, is also coming back into form after a lean stretch.
"I have not been playing well for the past two years (but) I have been making some swing changes and they are slowly starting to work," the 35-year-old said.
"I hit every fairway and hit my irons pure. This golf course is for players who draw the ball and I was able to do that today as well."
Pilkadaris came out strong after the rain delay to put his name on the leaderboard for the first time in a while.
"I was on fire when I went out after the rain break with five birdies and I left one in the jaws on eight -- one more roll and it was in," he said.
Still, he acknowledges there is a lot of golf to play.
"Whatever you shoot (on the first two days) you have got to double on the weekend to give yourself a chance. It is set up to make birdies. Greens are great and fairways are in good condition. You just go out and play golf, that’s it."
Defending champion Chris Wood (67, 66), three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (67, 66), Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon (67, 66) and Thailand's Thanyakon Khrongpha (70, 63) were 11 under.
Paul McGinley, recently named captin of Europe's Ryder Cup team, was forced to withdraw mid-way through the second round with a bad back.
Englishman Wood said he battled tiredness midway through his second round, but a glance at the scores was all it took to shake him out of his lethargy.
"I was looking at the leader board and using that as motivation, because you've obviously got someone like Harrington, who'll take some chasing, but all the top players on the Japan and OneAsia Tours as well," he said.
Harrington was happy with his second-round effort as he continued experimenting with different glasses in a bid to find his putting touch.
"These glasses are pair number five. I also have six and seven with me this week, but pair number five seems to be the one making it at the moment," he said.
"They're all different frames and different lenses. These are a little bit shorter and the screw is a bit long, but they seem to be winning."
The round of the day belonged to Thai youngster Thanyakon, who equalled the course record 63 set by Welshman Ian Woosnam during the Johnnie Walker Super Tour in 1996.
"I hit it close all day as it is a fairly easy course," said the 22-year-old, who only turned pro two years ago but has won twice on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
"I am starting to think about winning the tournament now as there are going to be a lot of low scores and I have to be aggressive."
Other Thais in the hunt include Prayad Marksaeng (68, 67) and Thaworn Wiratchant (70, 68). Wisut Artjanawat is eight under with four holes to play.
Overnight leader Koumei Oda slipped to a second round 73 after his sizzling 64 on Thursday.
Indonesia's number one player Rory Hie was one of the other players whose round was interrupted because of rain. After play resumed he finished his round in 2-under 70, causing him to drop down the rankings to a share of 31st.
Scores after round 2 of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
131 - Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65.
132 - Azuma YANO (JPN) 67-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64, Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67.
133 - Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66, Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 67-66, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 70-63, HWANG Jung-gon (KOR) 65-68, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68.
134 - David OH (USA) 69-65, HU Mu (CHN) 67-67, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 67-67.
135 - Masamichi UEHIRA (JPN) 70-65, Michael HENDRY (NZL) 71-64, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67, David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66, Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69, Scott LAYCOCK (AUS) 71-64.
136 - PARK Il-hwan (KOR) 70-66, S K HO (KOR) 68-68, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 65-71, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 67-69, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66, PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 68-68.
137 - PARK Eun-shin (KOR) 70-67, Tomohiro KONDO (JPN) 70-67, Kiyoshi MIYAZATO (JPN) 71-66, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 72-65, Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 69-68, Koumei ODA (JPN) 64-73, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 70-67, Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 70-67, Rory HIE (INA) 67-70, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 66-71, Young-han SONG (KOR) 70-67
Scott, winner of the Volvo China Open in 2009 when he also claimed OneAsia's first Order of Merit title, went one better than his opening round and is 13 under around the relatively short 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Greg Norman-designed course.
Japan's Azuma Yano (67, 65), Brazilian Lucas Lee (65, 67), and Australian Terry Pilkadaris (68, 64) had a share of second place in the clubhouse, with eight others a shot further behind -- including some still to complete their rounds.
Defending champion Chris Wood (67, 66), three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (67, 66), Koreans Hwang Jung-gon (65, 68), Lee Kyoung-hoon (67, 66) and Cho Min-gyu (65,68) and Thailand's Thanyakon Khrongpha (70, 63) finished on 11 under.
The second round will resume on Saturday with 36 players still to finish and a cut hovering around minus five. Stakes are high as this event -- and the upcoming Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship from March 28 - 31 -- is co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, and earnings count to both tour Orders of Merit.
Strange, who lost his European Tour card last year, credited the lifestyle change for allowing him to spend more time with his family, and he relished the opportunity to play closer to home on OneAsia and the Japan Tour.
"A few things have changed in my life," he said. "I'm not playing as much overseas, and we've got another daughter so I'm trying to be home a bit more. The mind is relaxed and refreshed.
"I think the Japanese Tour is a great fit -- especially for family life in Australia. You're not flying to Europe for six or seven months of the year and then coming back, so if I'm fortunate enough to win this week, I'll be in Japan and that would be great."
Yano, a three-time winner on the Japan Tour since turning professional in 2000, is also coming back into form after a lean stretch.
"I have not been playing well for the past two years (but) I have been making some swing changes and they are slowly starting to work," the 35-year-old said.
"I hit every fairway and hit my irons pure. This golf course is for players who draw the ball and I was able to do that today as well."
Pilkadaris came out strong after the rain delay to put his name on the leaderboard for the first time in a while.
"I was on fire when I went out after the rain break with five birdies and I left one in the jaws on eight -- one more roll and it was in," he said.
Still, he acknowledges there is a lot of golf to play.
"Whatever you shoot (on the first two days) you have got to double on the weekend to give yourself a chance. It is set up to make birdies. Greens are great and fairways are in good condition. You just go out and play golf, that’s it."
Defending champion Chris Wood (67, 66), three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (67, 66), Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon (67, 66) and Thailand's Thanyakon Khrongpha (70, 63) were 11 under.
Paul McGinley, recently named captin of Europe's Ryder Cup team, was forced to withdraw mid-way through the second round with a bad back.
Englishman Wood said he battled tiredness midway through his second round, but a glance at the scores was all it took to shake him out of his lethargy.
"I was looking at the leader board and using that as motivation, because you've obviously got someone like Harrington, who'll take some chasing, but all the top players on the Japan and OneAsia Tours as well," he said.
Harrington was happy with his second-round effort as he continued experimenting with different glasses in a bid to find his putting touch.
"These glasses are pair number five. I also have six and seven with me this week, but pair number five seems to be the one making it at the moment," he said.
"They're all different frames and different lenses. These are a little bit shorter and the screw is a bit long, but they seem to be winning."
The round of the day belonged to Thai youngster Thanyakon, who equalled the course record 63 set by Welshman Ian Woosnam during the Johnnie Walker Super Tour in 1996.
"I hit it close all day as it is a fairly easy course," said the 22-year-old, who only turned pro two years ago but has won twice on the ASEAN PGA Tour.
"I am starting to think about winning the tournament now as there are going to be a lot of low scores and I have to be aggressive."
Other Thais in the hunt include Prayad Marksaeng (68, 67) and Thaworn Wiratchant (70, 68). Wisut Artjanawat is eight under with four holes to play.
Overnight leader Koumei Oda slipped to a second round 73 after his sizzling 64 on Thursday.
Indonesia's number one player Rory Hie was one of the other players whose round was interrupted because of rain. After play resumed he finished his round in 2-under 70, causing him to drop down the rankings to a share of 31st.
Scores after round 2 of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
131 - Scott STRANGE (AUS) 66-65.
132 - Azuma YANO (JPN) 67-65, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-64, Lucas LEE (BRA) 65-67.
133 - Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-66, Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 67-66, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 67-66, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 70-63, HWANG Jung-gon (KOR) 65-68, CHO Min-gyu (KOR) 65-68.
134 - David OH (USA) 69-65, HU Mu (CHN) 67-67, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 67-67.
135 - Masamichi UEHIRA (JPN) 70-65, Michael HENDRY (NZL) 71-64, Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 68-67, David SMAIL (NZL) 69-66, Simon YATES (SCO) 66-69, Scott LAYCOCK (AUS) 71-64.
136 - PARK Il-hwan (KOR) 70-66, S K HO (KOR) 68-68, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 65-71, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 67-69, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 70-66, PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 68-68.
137 - PARK Eun-shin (KOR) 70-67, Tomohiro KONDO (JPN) 70-67, Kiyoshi MIYAZATO (JPN) 71-66, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 72-65, Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 69-68, Koumei ODA (JPN) 64-73, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 70-67, Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 70-67, Rory HIE (INA) 67-70, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 66-71, Young-han SONG (KOR) 70-67
Fahmi Reza Winner At Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
Shenzhen, China, 15 March 2013 - Luo Xue-Wen was crowned the first Faldo Series Champion from China in the seventh Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen. Winners also hailed from Indonesia, The Philippines, Scotland and Chinese Taipei.
“Our first Chinese Champion is a historic moment and important for golf,” said Sir Nick Faldo. “We celebrated Guan Tianlang’s trip to Augusta earlier this week and then saw Xue-Wen beat a record field. In the world’s effort to grow golf, I’m proud of the week we spent with golfers from 17 different countries and really enjoyed the spirit these kids brought to Mission Hills.”
“I am very proud to be the first winner from my country,” said 16-year-old Luo from Haikou in Hainan. “This week has been a very special experience and I have really enjoyed learning from Sir Nick Faldo.”
Luo fired a three-under-par round of 69 to finish on seven under par, one ahead of Girls’ Champion Cheng Ssu-Chi, 15, from Chinese Taipei. Both players qualify for the 2013 Europe Grand Final along with Boys’ Under-21 winner Fahmi Reza of Indonesia, Scotland’s Ewan Scott (Boys’ Under-18) and Marvi Monsalve (Girls’ Under-21) from The Philippines.
From the Indonesian players Fahmi finished 4th overall, Jordan Irawan in a tie for 12th, Victoria Chandra had a share of 34th, Ika Woro Palupi tied the 51th place, and Kevin Akbar had sole 56th position.
The largest-ever field for a Faldo Series Asia Grand Final was with Faldo at Mission Hills with 83 golfers from 17 countries competing for the 2013 title.
Golfers aged 12 to 22 played over three rounds on the Faldo Course for the World Amateur Golf Ranking event. Off the course they spent time with the six-time Major Champion, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
Luo also beat 16 Faldo Series competitors to the Mission Hills Trophy, presented to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. The 14-year-old was at Mission Hills earlier in the week to receive a Special Achievement Award from Faldo and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his debut at Augusta National next month.
Leading final scores:
217 – Shinichi Mizuno (HKG) 75-69-73, Robert Busher (ENG) 74-69-74
214 – Joshua Gibbons (ENG) 67-74-73, Marc Ong (SIN) 66-72-76
218 - Jordan Irawan (INA) 68-75-75
210 – Jack Singh-Brar (ENG) 70-70-70
214 – Wo-Cheng Ye (CHN) 69-79-66
234 - Kevin Akbar (INA) 75-83-76
224 – Isabella Leung (HKG) 76-77-71
226 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN) 74-79-73
233 - Ika Woro Palupi (INA) 84-76-73
216 – Clare Legaspi (PHI) 72-72-72
218 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE) 72-76-70
228 - Victoria Chandra (INA) 74-78-76
“Our first Chinese Champion is a historic moment and important for golf,” said Sir Nick Faldo. “We celebrated Guan Tianlang’s trip to Augusta earlier this week and then saw Xue-Wen beat a record field. In the world’s effort to grow golf, I’m proud of the week we spent with golfers from 17 different countries and really enjoyed the spirit these kids brought to Mission Hills.”
“I am very proud to be the first winner from my country,” said 16-year-old Luo from Haikou in Hainan. “This week has been a very special experience and I have really enjoyed learning from Sir Nick Faldo.”
Luo fired a three-under-par round of 69 to finish on seven under par, one ahead of Girls’ Champion Cheng Ssu-Chi, 15, from Chinese Taipei. Both players qualify for the 2013 Europe Grand Final along with Boys’ Under-21 winner Fahmi Reza of Indonesia, Scotland’s Ewan Scott (Boys’ Under-18) and Marvi Monsalve (Girls’ Under-21) from The Philippines.
From the Indonesian players Fahmi finished 4th overall, Jordan Irawan in a tie for 12th, Victoria Chandra had a share of 34th, Ika Woro Palupi tied the 51th place, and Kevin Akbar had sole 56th position.
The largest-ever field for a Faldo Series Asia Grand Final was with Faldo at Mission Hills with 83 golfers from 17 countries competing for the 2013 title.
Golfers aged 12 to 22 played over three rounds on the Faldo Course for the World Amateur Golf Ranking event. Off the course they spent time with the six-time Major Champion, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
Luo also beat 16 Faldo Series competitors to the Mission Hills Trophy, presented to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. The 14-year-old was at Mission Hills earlier in the week to receive a Special Achievement Award from Faldo and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his debut at Augusta National next month.
Leading final scores:
Boys’ Under-21:
211 – Fahmi Reza (INA) 72-70-69217 – Shinichi Mizuno (HKG) 75-69-73, Robert Busher (ENG) 74-69-74
Boys’ Under-18:
212 – Ewan Scott (SCO) 69-72-71214 – Joshua Gibbons (ENG) 67-74-73, Marc Ong (SIN) 66-72-76
218 - Jordan Irawan (INA) 68-75-75
Boys’ Under-16:
209 – Xue-Wen Luo (CHN) 72-68-69210 – Jack Singh-Brar (ENG) 70-70-70
214 – Wo-Cheng Ye (CHN) 69-79-66
234 - Kevin Akbar (INA) 75-83-76
Girls’ Under-21:
222 – Marvi Monsalve (PHI) 77-71-74224 – Isabella Leung (HKG) 76-77-71
226 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN) 74-79-73
233 - Ika Woro Palupi (INA) 84-76-73
Girls’ Under-16:
210 – Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE) 65-73-72216 – Clare Legaspi (PHI) 72-72-72
218 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE) 72-76-70
228 - Victoria Chandra (INA) 74-78-76
Champion Stolz Hoping To Enjoy Jakarta Return
JAKARTA, March 15 - Former OneAsia number one Andre Stolz is aiming to kick-start his season by successfully defending the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship title he snatched from the grasp of home hero Rory Hie two years ago.
The veteran Australian, whose impressive CV includes victories on the PGA, Nationwide and Japan Tours as well as OneAsia, shot a closing 68 to pip Indonesia’s Hie by a stroke and complete a remarkable comeback from a wrist injury that kept him out of the game for nearly three years.
The U.S. $1 million Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is making a welcome return to the OneAsia schedule after a one-year absence and a world-class field will tee up at the Emeralda Golf Club from March 28 to 31.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European Tour, Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant, former OneAsia money list winner Liang Wenchong of China, Kim Kyung-tae, the first Korean to win the Japan Tour Order of Merit, Japanese legend Shingo Katayama and local hope Hie feature in the line-up.
England’s Simon Dyson, who won the Indonesia Open at Emeralda in 2006, and two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra will also challenge for honours in the tournament which will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) with prize money counting on both money lists.
Stolz won the title at the Imperial Klub Golf and has been warned by fellow players that Emeralda poses a stiff test.
“I have not played at Emeralda Golf Club but I hear it is brutal and there is a premium on hitting fairways,” said the 42-year-old.
“The guys have told me that the rough was horrendous there last year for the OneAsia event. I have been driving it long and pretty straight, although the rest of my game has not been as good.”
Putting has been Stolz’s Achilles heel for much of his career and he is practicing hard to re-find the touch that helped him to victories in the Indonesia PGA Championship and Thailand Open en route to the 2011 OneAsia Order of Merit title.
“My form has been okay -- I am sort of happy with what I am working on -- but just a couple of errant shots around, a little bit untidy and my putting has been a bit cold,” he said. “I have been working really hard, putting some extra time into my putting lately.”
Stolz is excited by the tie-up with the JGTO which presents new opportunities for players from both tours and increases the number of world ranking points on offer at the Indonesia PGA Championship.
“It adds new life to the Tour,” he said. “It is a great step in the right direction and it is good that prize money now counts to both Order of Merits. And it has helped boost the world ranking points.
“The standard of play on the Japan Tour is fantastic and they have a high quota from their money list playing in Jakarta.”
Stolz added that although his title defense was coming after two years, and the tournament was being staged at a different course, he expected there to be some good vibes in Jakarta.
“It should be interesting heading back there,” he said. “We are staying at the same hotel (as in 2011) and my mate has a restaurant 10 minutes away, so good vibes there. I am sure turning up I will have good memories.
“Hopefully I can tidy up my play a bit and make a go of defending the title.”
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital's tourism portal, are an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and are delighted to be title sponsoring the Indonesia PGA Championship for the first time.
“These are exciting times for golf in our region and so we at Enjoy Jakarta are thrilled to be associated with a new event that has a quality line up of players,” said Bapak Arie Budhiman, head of the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office.
“Our golf sponsorship programme and the regional television coverage that comes with it allows us to achieve our objective of promoting Jakarta as a tourism hub for golfers and holiday makers alike. We have no doubt that the exposure will be even greater this year as the tournament is part of both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.”
The veteran Australian, whose impressive CV includes victories on the PGA, Nationwide and Japan Tours as well as OneAsia, shot a closing 68 to pip Indonesia’s Hie by a stroke and complete a remarkable comeback from a wrist injury that kept him out of the game for nearly three years.
The U.S. $1 million Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is making a welcome return to the OneAsia schedule after a one-year absence and a world-class field will tee up at the Emeralda Golf Club from March 28 to 31.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European Tour, Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant, former OneAsia money list winner Liang Wenchong of China, Kim Kyung-tae, the first Korean to win the Japan Tour Order of Merit, Japanese legend Shingo Katayama and local hope Hie feature in the line-up.
England’s Simon Dyson, who won the Indonesia Open at Emeralda in 2006, and two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra will also challenge for honours in the tournament which will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) with prize money counting on both money lists.
Stolz won the title at the Imperial Klub Golf and has been warned by fellow players that Emeralda poses a stiff test.
“I have not played at Emeralda Golf Club but I hear it is brutal and there is a premium on hitting fairways,” said the 42-year-old.
“The guys have told me that the rough was horrendous there last year for the OneAsia event. I have been driving it long and pretty straight, although the rest of my game has not been as good.”
Putting has been Stolz’s Achilles heel for much of his career and he is practicing hard to re-find the touch that helped him to victories in the Indonesia PGA Championship and Thailand Open en route to the 2011 OneAsia Order of Merit title.
“My form has been okay -- I am sort of happy with what I am working on -- but just a couple of errant shots around, a little bit untidy and my putting has been a bit cold,” he said. “I have been working really hard, putting some extra time into my putting lately.”
Stolz is excited by the tie-up with the JGTO which presents new opportunities for players from both tours and increases the number of world ranking points on offer at the Indonesia PGA Championship.
“It adds new life to the Tour,” he said. “It is a great step in the right direction and it is good that prize money now counts to both Order of Merits. And it has helped boost the world ranking points.
“The standard of play on the Japan Tour is fantastic and they have a high quota from their money list playing in Jakarta.”
Stolz added that although his title defense was coming after two years, and the tournament was being staged at a different course, he expected there to be some good vibes in Jakarta.
“It should be interesting heading back there,” he said. “We are staying at the same hotel (as in 2011) and my mate has a restaurant 10 minutes away, so good vibes there. I am sure turning up I will have good memories.
“Hopefully I can tidy up my play a bit and make a go of defending the title.”
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital's tourism portal, are an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and are delighted to be title sponsoring the Indonesia PGA Championship for the first time.
“These are exciting times for golf in our region and so we at Enjoy Jakarta are thrilled to be associated with a new event that has a quality line up of players,” said Bapak Arie Budhiman, head of the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office.
“Our golf sponsorship programme and the regional television coverage that comes with it allows us to achieve our objective of promoting Jakarta as a tourism hub for golfers and holiday makers alike. We have no doubt that the exposure will be even greater this year as the tournament is part of both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.”
Rory Hie Off To A Good Start At Thailand Open
BANGKOK, March 14 - Japan's Koumei Oda fired 11 birdies for an eight-under-par 64 on Thursday to grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the U.S. $1 million Thailand Open at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
The pride of OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation Tour (JGTO) tamed the relatively short 6,336 metre (6,930-yard) Greg Norman-designed course on the eastern outskirts of the capital, with six players sharing second place and nearly 100 under par.
This tournament, and the upcoming Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship (March 28-31), is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the JGTO and earnings count towards both Orders of Merit.
The field is one of the strongest Asia-Pacific line-ups ever gathered outside Japan, with over 40 tournament winners boasting more than 200 titles between them.
Oda, a five-time winner on the Japan Tour -- although not since 2011 -- parred the first and then went on a six-hole birdie blitz before bogeying the eighth and making the turn at 31. Five birdies on the way home were offset by a double bogey on the 15th for one of the best rounds of his career.
"I have had 10 birdies before, but not 11," said Oda, 34, who started playing golf as a seven-year-old.
"The secret is I putted very well -- just 26 putts for the round."
Behind him, the chasing pack represented the young and the old, the experienced and the novices of both tours.
Koreans Hwang Jung-gon and Cho Min-gyu, good friends who train together on the Japan Tour, set the pace from the first flight of the day in blistering style.
Hwang, a two-time winner in Japan despite being only 19, birdied the first four holes and added three more on the back for a bogey-free round, while Cho, 24, a winner in Japan in 2011 had eight birdies and a bogey.
"It was very hot, but I was patient and made no big mistakes. Bogey free is always good," said Hwang.
"I managed to hit my tee shots very well and it is important to be on the fairway here if you want to make birdies," added Cho.
Australian Matthew Griffin, a OneAsia regular who made his professional breakthrough with victory at the Charity High1 Resort Open last year, made a cold start by contrast, but recovered with a hot putter to be one shot off the pace.
"I made some really long putts to stay in it, and and then on the back nine I played a lot better, hitting it close," he said.
"I have a lot more confidence now because I know I am capable of winning -- but there is a long way to go."
Defending champion Chris Wood of England, Irishman Padraig Harrington and Rory Hie from Indonesia were well-placed in joint 11th place, three shots off the lead.
"I shot five under in the first round last year, so hopefully that is a good sign," said Wood, playing the course without the benefit of a practice round.
"The good thing is that everything is in front of you, so you can see the hole unfold from off the tee. That makes it a little bit easier."
Harrington was ruing dropped shots on a course he said was "there for the taking".
"Five under is a good start but it could have been better," said the three-time Major winner who double-bogeyed the 17th. "I'm a bit disappointed, but you can't win a tournament on Thursday.
Others one shot of the lead include Brazilian Lucas Lee, a OneAsia Q-School graduate from 2012 who finished 43rd on the Order of Merit in his rookie season, who had two eagles and four birdies in his round, but blotted his scorecard with a bogey on the last.
"I'm definitely happy -- I'm even a little bit shocked," he said. "This is my first competitive round of the year. But I'm feeling very fresh, very good."
Australian David McKenzie, at 45 one of the older players in the field, was also surprised with his 65.
"I won a local tournament back home in January, but actually since then I haven't been playing so well," he said.
"My practice round was rubbish, so I'm really pleased to be in this position. I'm certainly not thinking about a win, but doing well would make me give some serious thoughts to the rest of the year."
At the other end of the experience spectrum, American John Young Kim, 21, who finished third at OneAsia's first-ever Q-School held in California in January, was soaking up the experience after shooting nine birdies for his 65.
"I had no expectations, so to be in this position is fantastic. I have never played in a big tournament like this, so my aim is to try to get some experience and try to get comfortable. Anything more than that is a great result."
Best of the Thais was Wisut Artjanawat, based at the Thana City course since 2006, who was kicking himself after a costly double on his last hole saw him finish at six under.
"I made a really bad mistake. I pulled my drive left and then hit out into the fairway. That bit was ok, but then I missed the green with my third shot. It was only 90 yards but I hit it into a bunker. That was so bad. I hit it out of the bunker and made two putts.
Also at six under were Australian Scott Strange, winner of the Order of Merit in OneAsia's first season in 2009, and Thailand-based Scot Simon Yates.
Scores after Round 1 of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
64 - Koumei ODA (JPN)
65 - HWANG Jung-gon (KOR), CHO Min-gyu (KOR), Lucas LEE (BRA), David McKENZIE (AUS), John Young KIM (USA), Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS)
66 - Scott STRANGE (AUS), Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA), Simon YATES (SCO)
67 - Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN), Rory HIE (INA), SU Dong (CHN), Hideto TANIHARA (JPN), Yasuharu IMANO (JPN), Chris WOOD (ENG), Azuma YANO (JPN), Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL), HU Mu (CHN), Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI), LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR)
The pride of OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation Tour (JGTO) tamed the relatively short 6,336 metre (6,930-yard) Greg Norman-designed course on the eastern outskirts of the capital, with six players sharing second place and nearly 100 under par.
This tournament, and the upcoming Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship (March 28-31), is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the JGTO and earnings count towards both Orders of Merit.
The field is one of the strongest Asia-Pacific line-ups ever gathered outside Japan, with over 40 tournament winners boasting more than 200 titles between them.
Oda, a five-time winner on the Japan Tour -- although not since 2011 -- parred the first and then went on a six-hole birdie blitz before bogeying the eighth and making the turn at 31. Five birdies on the way home were offset by a double bogey on the 15th for one of the best rounds of his career.
"I have had 10 birdies before, but not 11," said Oda, 34, who started playing golf as a seven-year-old.
"The secret is I putted very well -- just 26 putts for the round."
Behind him, the chasing pack represented the young and the old, the experienced and the novices of both tours.
Koreans Hwang Jung-gon and Cho Min-gyu, good friends who train together on the Japan Tour, set the pace from the first flight of the day in blistering style.
Hwang, a two-time winner in Japan despite being only 19, birdied the first four holes and added three more on the back for a bogey-free round, while Cho, 24, a winner in Japan in 2011 had eight birdies and a bogey.
"It was very hot, but I was patient and made no big mistakes. Bogey free is always good," said Hwang.
"I managed to hit my tee shots very well and it is important to be on the fairway here if you want to make birdies," added Cho.
Australian Matthew Griffin, a OneAsia regular who made his professional breakthrough with victory at the Charity High1 Resort Open last year, made a cold start by contrast, but recovered with a hot putter to be one shot off the pace.
"I made some really long putts to stay in it, and and then on the back nine I played a lot better, hitting it close," he said.
"I have a lot more confidence now because I know I am capable of winning -- but there is a long way to go."
Defending champion Chris Wood of England, Irishman Padraig Harrington and Rory Hie from Indonesia were well-placed in joint 11th place, three shots off the lead.
"I shot five under in the first round last year, so hopefully that is a good sign," said Wood, playing the course without the benefit of a practice round.
"The good thing is that everything is in front of you, so you can see the hole unfold from off the tee. That makes it a little bit easier."
Harrington was ruing dropped shots on a course he said was "there for the taking".
"Five under is a good start but it could have been better," said the three-time Major winner who double-bogeyed the 17th. "I'm a bit disappointed, but you can't win a tournament on Thursday.
Others one shot of the lead include Brazilian Lucas Lee, a OneAsia Q-School graduate from 2012 who finished 43rd on the Order of Merit in his rookie season, who had two eagles and four birdies in his round, but blotted his scorecard with a bogey on the last.
"I'm definitely happy -- I'm even a little bit shocked," he said. "This is my first competitive round of the year. But I'm feeling very fresh, very good."
Australian David McKenzie, at 45 one of the older players in the field, was also surprised with his 65.
"I won a local tournament back home in January, but actually since then I haven't been playing so well," he said.
"My practice round was rubbish, so I'm really pleased to be in this position. I'm certainly not thinking about a win, but doing well would make me give some serious thoughts to the rest of the year."
At the other end of the experience spectrum, American John Young Kim, 21, who finished third at OneAsia's first-ever Q-School held in California in January, was soaking up the experience after shooting nine birdies for his 65.
"I had no expectations, so to be in this position is fantastic. I have never played in a big tournament like this, so my aim is to try to get some experience and try to get comfortable. Anything more than that is a great result."
Best of the Thais was Wisut Artjanawat, based at the Thana City course since 2006, who was kicking himself after a costly double on his last hole saw him finish at six under.
"I made a really bad mistake. I pulled my drive left and then hit out into the fairway. That bit was ok, but then I missed the green with my third shot. It was only 90 yards but I hit it into a bunker. That was so bad. I hit it out of the bunker and made two putts.
Also at six under were Australian Scott Strange, winner of the Order of Merit in OneAsia's first season in 2009, and Thailand-based Scot Simon Yates.
Scores after Round 1 of the Thailand Open being played at the par 72, 6,336-metre (6,930-yard) Thana City Golf & Sports Club course:
64 - Koumei ODA (JPN)
65 - HWANG Jung-gon (KOR), CHO Min-gyu (KOR), Lucas LEE (BRA), David McKENZIE (AUS), John Young KIM (USA), Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS)
66 - Scott STRANGE (AUS), Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA), Simon YATES (SCO)
67 - Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN), Rory HIE (INA), SU Dong (CHN), Hideto TANIHARA (JPN), Yasuharu IMANO (JPN), Chris WOOD (ENG), Azuma YANO (JPN), Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL), HU Mu (CHN), Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI), LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR)
Indonesia Youngsters Losing Ground In Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
Shenzhen, China, 14 March 2013 - Marc Ong from Singapore is tied at the top with overnight leader Cheng Ssu-Chia after day two of the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final. 15-year-old Cheng from Chinese Taipei goes into tomorrow’s final round at Mission Hills Golf Club bidding to become the first girl to be crowned Faldo Series Champion.
17-year-old Ong from Singapore carded a level-par round of 72 on the Faldo Course to reach six under par and catch Cheng who bogeyed the last for a 73. Two shots behind the co-leaders are sixteen-year-olds Luo Xue-Wen from China and defending Faldo Series Europe Champion Jack Singh-Brar of England.
The largest-ever field for an Asia Grand Final finished the day at a long-game clinic with Sir Nick Faldo. 83 golfers from 17 countries are at Mission Hills to compete for the 2013 title.
Cheng from Taoyuan County is bidding to go one better than her compatriot and current ladies world number one Tseng Yani by not only claiming the girls’ title but by becoming the first female winner of a Faldo Series Grand Final.
Luo from Hainan is leading 16 Faldo Series competitors who also qualify to win the Mission Hills Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. 14-year-old Guan was at Mission Hills this week to receive a Faldo Series Special Achievement Award from Faldo and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his debut at Augusta National next month.
Singh-Brar is hoping to become only the second person to win the Europe and Asia titles since Masamichi Ito of Japan in 2010. Ito won his third crown at Mission Hills last year before turning professional.
The Indonesian contingent again had mixed results on day 2. Fahmi Reza took over as best Indonesian player after scoring a 70 and is now in 8th place, with Jordan Irawan after a round of 75 now one shot back in tenth overall at 1-under. Victoria Chandra is now in a share of 35th place after writing a 78 on her scorecard, while Kevin Akbar's 11-over dropped him down the ranks to 60th. Ika Woro Palupi meanwhile was able to improve her game and is now shared 65th place after a round of 4-over.
Golfers aged 12 to 22 are competing over three rounds for the World Amateur Golf Ranking event. Off the course they are spending time with the six-time Major Champion, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Local school children are also attending during the week to enjoy clinics with Faldo and watch the competitors in action, part of a joint drive with Mission Hills to help grow golf at the grass-roots level.
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
Leading round two scores:
142 – Fahmi Reza (INA) 72-70;
143 – Robert Busher (ENG) 74-69
141 – Ewan Scott (SCO) 69-72, Joshua Gibbons (ENG) 67-74
143 - Jordan Irawan (INA) 68-75
142 – Sen Cao (CHN) 71-71
158 - Kevin Akbar (INA) 75-83
Marvi Monsalve (PHI) 77-71
153 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN) 74-79, Isabella Leung (HKG) 76-77, Mai Arai (JPN) 77-76
160 -Ika Woro Palupi (INA) 84-76
144 – Clare Legaspi (PHI) 72-72
148 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE) 72-76
152 - Victoria Chandra (INA) 74-78
17-year-old Ong from Singapore carded a level-par round of 72 on the Faldo Course to reach six under par and catch Cheng who bogeyed the last for a 73. Two shots behind the co-leaders are sixteen-year-olds Luo Xue-Wen from China and defending Faldo Series Europe Champion Jack Singh-Brar of England.
The largest-ever field for an Asia Grand Final finished the day at a long-game clinic with Sir Nick Faldo. 83 golfers from 17 countries are at Mission Hills to compete for the 2013 title.
Cheng from Taoyuan County is bidding to go one better than her compatriot and current ladies world number one Tseng Yani by not only claiming the girls’ title but by becoming the first female winner of a Faldo Series Grand Final.
Luo from Hainan is leading 16 Faldo Series competitors who also qualify to win the Mission Hills Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. 14-year-old Guan was at Mission Hills this week to receive a Faldo Series Special Achievement Award from Faldo and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his debut at Augusta National next month.
Singh-Brar is hoping to become only the second person to win the Europe and Asia titles since Masamichi Ito of Japan in 2010. Ito won his third crown at Mission Hills last year before turning professional.
The Indonesian contingent again had mixed results on day 2. Fahmi Reza took over as best Indonesian player after scoring a 70 and is now in 8th place, with Jordan Irawan after a round of 75 now one shot back in tenth overall at 1-under. Victoria Chandra is now in a share of 35th place after writing a 78 on her scorecard, while Kevin Akbar's 11-over dropped him down the ranks to 60th. Ika Woro Palupi meanwhile was able to improve her game and is now shared 65th place after a round of 4-over.
Golfers aged 12 to 22 are competing over three rounds for the World Amateur Golf Ranking event. Off the course they are spending time with the six-time Major Champion, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Local school children are also attending during the week to enjoy clinics with Faldo and watch the competitors in action, part of a joint drive with Mission Hills to help grow golf at the grass-roots level.
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
Leading round two scores:
Boys’ Under-21:
141 – Shohei Hasegawa (JPN) 66-75;142 – Fahmi Reza (INA) 72-70;
143 – Robert Busher (ENG) 74-69
Boys’ Under-18:
138 – Marc Ong (SIN) 66-72141 – Ewan Scott (SCO) 69-72, Joshua Gibbons (ENG) 67-74
143 - Jordan Irawan (INA) 68-75
Boys’ Under-16:
140 – Jack Singh-Brar (ENG) 70-70, Xue-Wen Luo (CHN) 72-68142 – Sen Cao (CHN) 71-71
158 - Kevin Akbar (INA) 75-83
Girls’ Under-21:
148 – Chi Wang (TPE) 72-76Marvi Monsalve (PHI) 77-71
153 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN) 74-79, Isabella Leung (HKG) 76-77, Mai Arai (JPN) 77-76
160 -Ika Woro Palupi (INA) 84-76
Girls’ Under-16:
138 – Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE) 65-73144 – Clare Legaspi (PHI) 72-72
148 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE) 72-76
152 - Victoria Chandra (INA) 74-78
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Jakarta To Host 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit
Jakarta, Indonesia - The largest nation in Southeast Asia will play host to the 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS). The Summit will be staged in the bustling metropolis of Jakarta, the capital city of the vast Indonesian archipelago.
The host venue for APGS 2013 will be the world-class five-star Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, a hotel known for its exquisite ambiance and much talked about service standards.
In announcing the host nation for APGS 2013, Mike Sebastian, Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of the Summit, said: “We are absolutely excited about the selection of Indonesia as the host nation – it is a massive country that is on the move and nowhere in the region is the interest and fervor in golf more dramatic than it is in this nation, the third most populous on the planet.
“The sprawling archipelago of Indonesia is home to some of the finest golf courses in the world and it is has somehow managed to stay under the golf radar for quite some time. With the Summit, we hope to change all of this and bring Indonesia to the forefront of the golf scene in Southeast Asia.”
For those in the industry who are not at that familiar with Indonesia, it is the 15th largest economy in the world and a member of the prestigious G20 nations of the world.
It is also the largest economy in Southeast Asia registering at over US$1 trillion. “For what it’s worth, Indonesia is also the third largest democracy in the world and informed sources forecast that its economy will weigh in at US$9 trillion by 2030,” Sebastian added.
Its current population is slightly in excess of 240 million and is expected to balloon to 300 million by 2030, creating a huge middle-class segment for Indonesia.
“We are extremely delighted that the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has received us with great encouragement and we have recognized the Ministry’s desire to want to grow golf tourism in the country,” said Sebastian, referring to the fact that Indonesia has set its sights on becoming a major player in the rapidly growing golf tourism market in the region.
APGS 2013 will be staged in Jakarta from November 5-7 and will include three major events:
• 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit
• 2013 Campus On The Greens Symposium
• Inaugural Southeast Asia Club Managers’ Summit
“We expect APGS 2013 to be one of the best attended and supported in the series so far and we also expect to announce some really high quality and outstanding speakers for this year’s event,” said Sebastian.
Based on initial forecasts, some 500 delegates made up of golf course owners, operators, general managers, golf course superintendents and members of the trade are expected to register for the event.
Sebastian said: “APGS is now in its seventh year and it has matured into the best business to business and knowledge event for golf in the Asia Pacific. We have now come to a nation that is the future of golf in the region. We see a burning desire to grow the game of golf and a determination and commitment to witness the realisation of this goal.
“Together with our partners, the Ministry of Tourism, Golf Wonderful Indonesia and the various stake-holders, we are confident that APGS 2013 will set new milestones for the growth of golf in Southeast Asia.”
Inaugurated in 2007 in Singapore, the Summit was staged at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China in 2008 before moving to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in 2009. In 2010 it was the Thai capital of Bangkok that hosted the Summit with the coastal resort town of Pattaya the venue in 2011. Last year, the Summit went to Brunei’s Empire Hotel & Country Club.
Full details of APGS 2013 will be available after March 15 at www.golfconference.org
The host venue for APGS 2013 will be the world-class five-star Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, a hotel known for its exquisite ambiance and much talked about service standards.
In announcing the host nation for APGS 2013, Mike Sebastian, Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of the Summit, said: “We are absolutely excited about the selection of Indonesia as the host nation – it is a massive country that is on the move and nowhere in the region is the interest and fervor in golf more dramatic than it is in this nation, the third most populous on the planet.
“The sprawling archipelago of Indonesia is home to some of the finest golf courses in the world and it is has somehow managed to stay under the golf radar for quite some time. With the Summit, we hope to change all of this and bring Indonesia to the forefront of the golf scene in Southeast Asia.”
For those in the industry who are not at that familiar with Indonesia, it is the 15th largest economy in the world and a member of the prestigious G20 nations of the world.
It is also the largest economy in Southeast Asia registering at over US$1 trillion. “For what it’s worth, Indonesia is also the third largest democracy in the world and informed sources forecast that its economy will weigh in at US$9 trillion by 2030,” Sebastian added.
Its current population is slightly in excess of 240 million and is expected to balloon to 300 million by 2030, creating a huge middle-class segment for Indonesia.
“We are extremely delighted that the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has received us with great encouragement and we have recognized the Ministry’s desire to want to grow golf tourism in the country,” said Sebastian, referring to the fact that Indonesia has set its sights on becoming a major player in the rapidly growing golf tourism market in the region.
APGS 2013 will be staged in Jakarta from November 5-7 and will include three major events:
• 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit
• 2013 Campus On The Greens Symposium
• Inaugural Southeast Asia Club Managers’ Summit
“We expect APGS 2013 to be one of the best attended and supported in the series so far and we also expect to announce some really high quality and outstanding speakers for this year’s event,” said Sebastian.
Based on initial forecasts, some 500 delegates made up of golf course owners, operators, general managers, golf course superintendents and members of the trade are expected to register for the event.
Sebastian said: “APGS is now in its seventh year and it has matured into the best business to business and knowledge event for golf in the Asia Pacific. We have now come to a nation that is the future of golf in the region. We see a burning desire to grow the game of golf and a determination and commitment to witness the realisation of this goal.
“Together with our partners, the Ministry of Tourism, Golf Wonderful Indonesia and the various stake-holders, we are confident that APGS 2013 will set new milestones for the growth of golf in Southeast Asia.”
Inaugurated in 2007 in Singapore, the Summit was staged at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China in 2008 before moving to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in 2009. In 2010 it was the Thai capital of Bangkok that hosted the Summit with the coastal resort town of Pattaya the venue in 2011. Last year, the Summit went to Brunei’s Empire Hotel & Country Club.
Full details of APGS 2013 will be available after March 15 at www.golfconference.org
New Club House For PG Sukajadi Batam
Effective 16th March 2013 Padang Golf Sukajadi on Batam will move its operations to the NEW CLUB HOUSE at Jl. Jendral Sudirman.
Club House Golf Sukajadi
Phone (62 778) 8073008
Fax 62 778 8073088
(next to the Central Sukajadi).
Club House Golf Sukajadi
Phone (62 778) 8073008
Fax 62 778 8073088
(next to the Central Sukajadi).
Mixed Results For Indonesia's Youth On Day 1 Of Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
Shenzhen, China, 13 March 2013 - Chang Ssu-Chia fired a stunning 65 to take a first-round lead in the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China. The 15-year-old girl from Chinese Taipei is one ahead of a record field who ended the day with a short-game clinic from Sir Nick Faldo.
Chang carded seven birdies in a faultless seven-under-par round on the Faldo Course in Shenzhen. The teenager from Taoyuan County is bidding to go one better than her compatriot and current ladies world number one Tseng Yani by not only claiming the girls’ title but by becoming the first female winner of a Faldo Series Grand Final.
The largest-ever field for an Asia Grand Final is competing at Mission Hills for the 2013 title. 83 players from 17 countries are playing over three rounds in the World Amateur Golf Ranking event which concludes on March 15. Off the course they are spending time with Faldo, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
The youngest player in the field, 12-year-old Ye Wo-Cheng is leading 16 Faldo Series competitors who also qualify to win the Mission Hills Trophy. This special category is awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and was won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. 14-year-old Guan was at Mission Hills this week to receive a Faldo Series Special Achievement Award and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his departure for the US this week and his debut at Augusta National next month.
The Indonesian contingent had a mixed result on day 1. Jordan Irawan is highest placed at share of fifth overall at 4-under, Fahmi Reza played par for a share of 12th place, Victoria Chandra is at share of 19th with a round of 1-over, Kevin Akbar's 3-over puts him in a tie for 33rd, and Ika Woro Palupi is at shared 73rd place with 12-over.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Local school children are also attending during the week to enjoy clinics with Faldo and watch the competitors in action, part of a joint drive with Mission Hills to help grow golf at the grass-roots level.
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
Leading round one scores:
66 – Shohei Hasegawa (JPN)
72 – Fahmi Reza (INA)
66 – Marc Ong (SIN)
67 – Joshua Gibbons (ENG)
68 – Jordan Irawan (INA)
69 – Wo-Cheng Ye (CHN)
70 – Jack Singh-Brar (ENG)
71 – Guo-Zhen Xu (CHN), Sen Cao (CHN)
75 - Kevin Akbar (INA)
71 – Mei-Xing Wang (CHN)
72 – Chi Wang (TPE)
74 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN)
84 - Ika Woro Palupi (INA)
65 – Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE)
72 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE), Clare Legaspi (PHI), Mimi Ho (HKG)
74 - Victoria Chandra (INA)
Chang carded seven birdies in a faultless seven-under-par round on the Faldo Course in Shenzhen. The teenager from Taoyuan County is bidding to go one better than her compatriot and current ladies world number one Tseng Yani by not only claiming the girls’ title but by becoming the first female winner of a Faldo Series Grand Final.
The largest-ever field for an Asia Grand Final is competing at Mission Hills for the 2013 title. 83 players from 17 countries are playing over three rounds in the World Amateur Golf Ranking event which concludes on March 15. Off the course they are spending time with Faldo, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
The youngest player in the field, 12-year-old Ye Wo-Cheng is leading 16 Faldo Series competitors who also qualify to win the Mission Hills Trophy. This special category is awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer and was won last year by Guangzhou’s Guan Tianlang. 14-year-old Guan was at Mission Hills this week to receive a Faldo Series Special Achievement Award and spend time with the three-time Masters winner ahead of his departure for the US this week and his debut at Augusta National next month.
The Indonesian contingent had a mixed result on day 1. Jordan Irawan is highest placed at share of fifth overall at 4-under, Fahmi Reza played par for a share of 12th place, Victoria Chandra is at share of 19th with a round of 1-over, Kevin Akbar's 3-over puts him in a tie for 33rd, and Ika Woro Palupi is at shared 73rd place with 12-over.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Local school children are also attending during the week to enjoy clinics with Faldo and watch the competitors in action, part of a joint drive with Mission Hills to help grow golf at the grass-roots level.
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
Leading round one scores:
Boys’ Under-21:
66 – Shohei Hasegawa (JPN)
72 – Fahmi Reza (INA)
Boys’ Under-18:
66 – Marc Ong (SIN)
67 – Joshua Gibbons (ENG)
68 – Jordan Irawan (INA)
Boys’ Under-16:
69 – Wo-Cheng Ye (CHN)
70 – Jack Singh-Brar (ENG)
71 – Guo-Zhen Xu (CHN), Sen Cao (CHN)
75 - Kevin Akbar (INA)
Girls’ Under-21:
71 – Mei-Xing Wang (CHN)
72 – Chi Wang (TPE)
74 – Zi-Yi Wang (CHN)
84 - Ika Woro Palupi (INA)
Girls’ Under-16:
65 – Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE)
72 – Yu-Hsin Chang (TPE), Clare Legaspi (PHI), Mimi Ho (HKG)
74 - Victoria Chandra (INA)
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Top Ten Finish For George Gandranata At PGM Northport Glenmarie Masters
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, March 9 - Danny Chia reinforced his reputation as Malaysia’s top golfer when he birdied the last hole to win the PGM Northport Glenmarie Masters by one shot over Nicholas Fung on Saturday.
Holding a three-shot lead heading into the final day, Chia posted a one-under-par 71 to complete a sensational wire-to-wire victory and became the first Malaysian to win an Asian Development Tour (ADT) event this season.
Highly rated Fung battled to a 69 courtesy of three straight birdies from hole two but had to settle for second at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) ADT event staged at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.
James Bowen of the United States extended his lead on the ADT Order of Merit with a third place result while Malaysian M. Sasidaran and Lindsay Renolds of Canada shared fourth.
After turning in 35, Chia had to endure a nervous closing seven holes when he had a double bogey on 12 which was later erased with two birdies. He was tied with Fung when he bogeyed 17 but calmly held his nerve to sink the winning birdie putt from six-feet.
“It was a fantastic feeling (making birdie on last)! Of all my wins, this is probably the hardest I had to fight for. Nicholas was really giving me a run,” said the 40-year-old, who totalled eight-under-par 280 and won US$11,375.
“This win means a lot to me because it shows that what I’ve been working on has paid off. It also shows that Malaysians can contend and win in an international event. The feeling is really great and every department of my game has improved,” said Chia.
“This year has been good to me so far and my confidence is high. The only thing I need to control is my expectations. It happened to me before when I had such high expectations and achieved nothing. Now, I just want to concentrate on playing well and let the outcome take care of itself,” he added.
Fung, who struggled with a back injury earlier in the week, was in position to edge Chia after a hot start but his title hopes faded when the birdies dried up.
“I had a bad first round because of my back injury. But I slowly recovered and so did my scores. Danny played well so I didn’t really feel that I could win. He was hitting the ball really good and close to the pin. He deserves to win,” said Fung.
Indonesian player George Gandranata finished one over for the tournament for a commendable share of 8th place, while countrymen Benny Kasiadi and Ian Andrew both had missed the cut by 2 shots earlier in the week.
The top three players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season earn an Asian Tour card for 2014. The ADT will also offer World Golf Ranking points starting from this season.
Leading final round scores (Par 72):
280 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 67 68 74 71
281 - Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73 69 70 69
285 - James BOWEN (USA) 68 71 76 70
287 - Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 73 73 70 71, M. Sasidaran (MAS) 74 71 70 72288 - Jakraphan PREMSIRIGORN (THA) 73 68 74 73, Mohamad Azman BASHARUDIN (MAS) 71 70 71 76
289 - Grant JACKSON (ENG) 70 71 77 71, George GANDRANATA (INA) 71 73 74 71
290 - Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 71 74 72 73, PARK Il-hwan (KOR) 71 71 73 75, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70 72 73 75
Holding a three-shot lead heading into the final day, Chia posted a one-under-par 71 to complete a sensational wire-to-wire victory and became the first Malaysian to win an Asian Development Tour (ADT) event this season.
Highly rated Fung battled to a 69 courtesy of three straight birdies from hole two but had to settle for second at the RM200,000 (approximately US$65,000) ADT event staged at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.
James Bowen of the United States extended his lead on the ADT Order of Merit with a third place result while Malaysian M. Sasidaran and Lindsay Renolds of Canada shared fourth.
After turning in 35, Chia had to endure a nervous closing seven holes when he had a double bogey on 12 which was later erased with two birdies. He was tied with Fung when he bogeyed 17 but calmly held his nerve to sink the winning birdie putt from six-feet.
“It was a fantastic feeling (making birdie on last)! Of all my wins, this is probably the hardest I had to fight for. Nicholas was really giving me a run,” said the 40-year-old, who totalled eight-under-par 280 and won US$11,375.
“This win means a lot to me because it shows that what I’ve been working on has paid off. It also shows that Malaysians can contend and win in an international event. The feeling is really great and every department of my game has improved,” said Chia.
“This year has been good to me so far and my confidence is high. The only thing I need to control is my expectations. It happened to me before when I had such high expectations and achieved nothing. Now, I just want to concentrate on playing well and let the outcome take care of itself,” he added.
Fung, who struggled with a back injury earlier in the week, was in position to edge Chia after a hot start but his title hopes faded when the birdies dried up.
“I had a bad first round because of my back injury. But I slowly recovered and so did my scores. Danny played well so I didn’t really feel that I could win. He was hitting the ball really good and close to the pin. He deserves to win,” said Fung.
Indonesian player George Gandranata finished one over for the tournament for a commendable share of 8th place, while countrymen Benny Kasiadi and Ian Andrew both had missed the cut by 2 shots earlier in the week.
The top three players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season earn an Asian Tour card for 2014. The ADT will also offer World Golf Ranking points starting from this season.
Leading final round scores (Par 72):
280 - Danny CHIA (MAS) 67 68 74 71
281 - Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73 69 70 69
285 - James BOWEN (USA) 68 71 76 70
287 - Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 73 73 70 71, M. Sasidaran (MAS) 74 71 70 72288 - Jakraphan PREMSIRIGORN (THA) 73 68 74 73, Mohamad Azman BASHARUDIN (MAS) 71 70 71 76
289 - Grant JACKSON (ENG) 70 71 77 71, George GANDRANATA (INA) 71 73 74 71
290 - Mitsuhiko HASHIZUME (JPN) 71 74 72 73, PARK Il-hwan (KOR) 71 71 73 75, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70 72 73 75
Friday, March 8, 2013
ASDP Charity Golf Tournament At Royale Jakarta GC
The ASDP Charity Golf Tournament is back again this year, please sign up to play in this fun event and help to improve Indonesian children's education.
Date: 17 March 2013
ShotgunL 07.00 WIB
Location: Royale Jakarta Golf Club
Registration fee: IDR 2,500,000
There will be lots of attractive prizes, goodies and special lunch buffet.
Hole In One: Mercedes-Benz C AVG250, VW Touran 1.4AT
Register yourself now, space is limited.
For more information call:
Awi: 0818 88 6759
Lita: 0877 7462 0669
Payment can be made by transfer to:
Panitia HUT ASDP 2013
Bank BRI, Cabang Kantor Kas ASDP Jakarta
Account number: 1721-01-000208-50-0
Account name: Christine Hutabarat qq Panitia HUT ASDP 2013
Date: 17 March 2013
ShotgunL 07.00 WIB
Location: Royale Jakarta Golf Club
Registration fee: IDR 2,500,000
There will be lots of attractive prizes, goodies and special lunch buffet.
Hole In One: Mercedes-Benz C AVG250, VW Touran 1.4AT
Register yourself now, space is limited.
For more information call:
Awi: 0818 88 6759
Lita: 0877 7462 0669
Payment can be made by transfer to:
Panitia HUT ASDP 2013
Bank BRI, Cabang Kantor Kas ASDP Jakarta
Account number: 1721-01-000208-50-0
Account name: Christine Hutabarat qq Panitia HUT ASDP 2013
Indonesian Masters Continues Its Support For Habitat For Humanity
Jakarta, 7 March 2013 - With the recent flooding that has plagued many parts of Indonesia, sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 have decided to focus its charity initiatives this year towards building homes for flood victims in the nation together with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia.
George Chandra (Royale Jakarta GC, 2nd left), Agus Triyono (PGA Indonesia, 3rd left), Gatot Subagio (CIMB Niaga, 4ht left), James Tumbuan (Habitat, 4th right) and Irfan Hamid (Asian Tour, 3rd right) amidst models wearing the new Indonesia Masters apparel.
“2013 has seen severe flooding in Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia, causing much damage. With this in mind, we feel our charity efforts should be turned to helping flood victims and helping selected families get their feet back on the ground with our assistance. Professional Golf Tournaments like the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters provide a great platform to raise funds to help people in need and CIMB Niaga is very happy to be associated with an event that has made giving back part of its agenda since its inauguration in 2011.” said Gatot Subagio, Head of Corporate Communications of PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (Title Sponsor).
Gatot also explained that CIMB Niaga has been providing aid to flood victims in areas like Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and some other flood-affected areas such as in West Sulawesi, West Java, Central Java, and Banten since 2012. Assistance is given in the form of basic necessities such as food, drugs, supplies for women and babies as well as sanitary equipment aimed to ease the burden on the residents in the various areas. Our aid is distributed through the flood-aid posts which are specially built to serve the area.
With a strong family of sponsors and partners, the Asian Tour and PGA Indonesia (Indonesian Professional Golf Association) affiliated professional golf tournament will take place at Royale Jakarta Golf Club from May 2nd – 5th 2013. The star studded field includes big hitters Ernie Els, John Daly, Darren Clarke, Michael Campbell and Simon Dyson.
The charity drive for the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 will include all ticket sales proceeds being donated directly to effort as well as the auctioning of sports memorabilia and direct donations from sponsors and partners.
"We are excited to once again be part of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters initiative that builds homes and builds lives for families in need in Indonesia. We have managed to serve 25 families over the past two years through the efforts of this great international golf event and look forward to helping victims of flooding for 2013. All the sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters should be commended for their efforts to give back to the community through the event. Habitat for Humanity is proud to be part of an event that demonstrates — with actions more than words — alleviating poverty in Indonesia one home at a time," said James Tumbuan, National Director, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia. He added that 4 to 5 Billion Rupiahs (around $400k-$500k) would allow the goals set for this year to be achieved, a target that is certainly achievable.
The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will have 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 on the Live, 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 to the golf industry and overall economy of Indonesia.
Partners include Title Sponsor CIMB Niaga, Salonpas by Hisamitsu (Main Partner), BMW (Official Car), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Telkomsel (Official Communications Partner), Sari Pan Pacific Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Rolex (Official Time Keeper), SvingGolf (Official Apparel) and San Miguel (Official Beer).
George Chandra (Royale Jakarta GC, 2nd left), Agus Triyono (PGA Indonesia, 3rd left), Gatot Subagio (CIMB Niaga, 4ht left), James Tumbuan (Habitat, 4th right) and Irfan Hamid (Asian Tour, 3rd right) amidst models wearing the new Indonesia Masters apparel.
“2013 has seen severe flooding in Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia, causing much damage. With this in mind, we feel our charity efforts should be turned to helping flood victims and helping selected families get their feet back on the ground with our assistance. Professional Golf Tournaments like the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters provide a great platform to raise funds to help people in need and CIMB Niaga is very happy to be associated with an event that has made giving back part of its agenda since its inauguration in 2011.” said Gatot Subagio, Head of Corporate Communications of PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (Title Sponsor).
Gatot also explained that CIMB Niaga has been providing aid to flood victims in areas like Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and some other flood-affected areas such as in West Sulawesi, West Java, Central Java, and Banten since 2012. Assistance is given in the form of basic necessities such as food, drugs, supplies for women and babies as well as sanitary equipment aimed to ease the burden on the residents in the various areas. Our aid is distributed through the flood-aid posts which are specially built to serve the area.
With a strong family of sponsors and partners, the Asian Tour and PGA Indonesia (Indonesian Professional Golf Association) affiliated professional golf tournament will take place at Royale Jakarta Golf Club from May 2nd – 5th 2013. The star studded field includes big hitters Ernie Els, John Daly, Darren Clarke, Michael Campbell and Simon Dyson.
The charity drive for the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 will include all ticket sales proceeds being donated directly to effort as well as the auctioning of sports memorabilia and direct donations from sponsors and partners.
"We are excited to once again be part of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters initiative that builds homes and builds lives for families in need in Indonesia. We have managed to serve 25 families over the past two years through the efforts of this great international golf event and look forward to helping victims of flooding for 2013. All the sponsors and partners of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters should be commended for their efforts to give back to the community through the event. Habitat for Humanity is proud to be part of an event that demonstrates — with actions more than words — alleviating poverty in Indonesia one home at a time," said James Tumbuan, National Director, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia. He added that 4 to 5 Billion Rupiahs (around $400k-$500k) would allow the goals set for this year to be achieved, a target that is certainly achievable.
The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters will have 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 on the Live, 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 to the golf industry and overall economy of Indonesia.
Partners include Title Sponsor CIMB Niaga, Salonpas by Hisamitsu (Main Partner), BMW (Official Car), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Telkomsel (Official Communications Partner), Sari Pan Pacific Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Rolex (Official Time Keeper), SvingGolf (Official Apparel) and San Miguel (Official Beer).
Matoa Members & Guests Tournament
"Matoa Members & Guests Tournament" and Club Championship Qualification will be held on:
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Shotgun Start: 07:00 am
(Limited to 144 players)
Hole-in-one Prizes:
Nissan March
Garuda Air Tickets (JKT – BKK - JKT)*
Garuda Air Tickets (JKT – TYO - JKT)*
Membership Matoa Golf
*If no hole-in-one made, GA Tickets will be drawn as lucky draw prizes
Grand Lucky Draw:
Motorcycle
Fee:
Member: Rp. 450.000
Guest: Rp. 1.300.000
(Price incl. Tournament fee, Goody Bag, Golf Cart, B’fast & Lunch)
Lots of lucky draw prizes including: LED TV, Blackberry, Netbook, Garuda Tickets, and many more...
Payment through bank transfer to:
PT. Saranagraha Adisentosa
Bank Mandiri : 101.00000.84689
or
Bank BCA : 267.3000.363
*Payment must be made by March 14th , 2013
Please send the transfer receipt by email: ernita@matoanasional.net or fax : 021 727 0422
Reservation at 786 3535, 787 0864-6 ext.107
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Shotgun Start: 07:00 am
(Limited to 144 players)
Hole-in-one Prizes:
Nissan March
Garuda Air Tickets (JKT – BKK - JKT)*
Garuda Air Tickets (JKT – TYO - JKT)*
Membership Matoa Golf
*If no hole-in-one made, GA Tickets will be drawn as lucky draw prizes
Grand Lucky Draw:
Motorcycle
Fee:
Member: Rp. 450.000
Guest: Rp. 1.300.000
(Price incl. Tournament fee, Goody Bag, Golf Cart, B’fast & Lunch)
Lots of lucky draw prizes including: LED TV, Blackberry, Netbook, Garuda Tickets, and many more...
Payment through bank transfer to:
PT. Saranagraha Adisentosa
Bank Mandiri : 101.00000.84689
or
Bank BCA : 267.3000.363
*Payment must be made by March 14th , 2013
Please send the transfer receipt by email: ernita@matoanasional.net or fax : 021 727 0422
Reservation at 786 3535, 787 0864-6 ext.107
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Faldo To Host Record Field At Asia Grand Final
Shenzhen, China, 7 March 2013 - The largest-ever field for a Faldo Series Asia Grand Final will join Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in China on March 13-15. A total of 84 golfers from 17 countries will compete for the 2013 title.
“We have an exciting week planned as we aim to give opportunity to golfers both on and off the course,” said the six-time Major winner. “My team and I look forward to spending time with competitors, sponsors and younger children from the local community as we celebrate another season of growth for the Faldo Series in Asia and across the globe.”
“We share Sir Nick’s passion for growing golf and welcome him back to Mission Hills,” added Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group. “We were proud to become a founding partner of the Faldo Series Asia in 2006 and it is encouraging to see a record number of finalists benefiting from the unique Grand Final experience for the seventh consecutive year.”
17 competitors will have one eye on the Mission Hills Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer together with an invitation to the 2013 Europe Grand Final. Last year’s inaugural winner, 14-year-old prodigy Guan Tianlang from Guangzhou recently won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship to qualify for the 2013 US Masters Tournament.
Reigning Faldo Series Europe Champion Jack Singh-Brar will be hoping to become only the second person to win both titles since Masamichi Ito of Japan in 2010. Ito won his third Faldo Series crown at Mission Hills last year but has since turned professional so will not defend. 16-year-old Englishman Singh-Brar is one of five qualifiers from the 2012 Europe Grand Final.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking event will see golfers aged 12 to 22 compete over three rounds on the Faldo Course in Shenzhen. Off the course they will spend time with Faldo, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Indonesia will be represented in the boys divisions by Fahmi Reza (Boys U21), Jordan Irawan (Boys U18) and Kevin Akbar (Boys U16), and in the girls division by Ika Woro Palupi (Girls U21) and Victoria Chandra (Girls U16).
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
“We have an exciting week planned as we aim to give opportunity to golfers both on and off the course,” said the six-time Major winner. “My team and I look forward to spending time with competitors, sponsors and younger children from the local community as we celebrate another season of growth for the Faldo Series in Asia and across the globe.”
“We share Sir Nick’s passion for growing golf and welcome him back to Mission Hills,” added Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group. “We were proud to become a founding partner of the Faldo Series Asia in 2006 and it is encouraging to see a record number of finalists benefiting from the unique Grand Final experience for the seventh consecutive year.”
17 competitors will have one eye on the Mission Hills Trophy, awarded to the highest-placed Chinese golfer together with an invitation to the 2013 Europe Grand Final. Last year’s inaugural winner, 14-year-old prodigy Guan Tianlang from Guangzhou recently won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship to qualify for the 2013 US Masters Tournament.
Reigning Faldo Series Europe Champion Jack Singh-Brar will be hoping to become only the second person to win both titles since Masamichi Ito of Japan in 2010. Ito won his third Faldo Series crown at Mission Hills last year but has since turned professional so will not defend. 16-year-old Englishman Singh-Brar is one of five qualifiers from the 2012 Europe Grand Final.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking event will see golfers aged 12 to 22 compete over three rounds on the Faldo Course in Shenzhen. Off the course they will spend time with Faldo, his personal coach Keith Wood and experts from Edel Golf and TrackMan.
With the field at Mission Hills divided into five age-categories, three boys and two girls will each receive a trophy and an exemption into the seventeenth Europe Grand Final later this year. The leading boy and girl will also be invited to play in a professional Tour event and the title of Faldo Series Asia Champion will go to the player with the lowest gross score, regardless of age or gender.
Indonesia will be represented in the boys divisions by Fahmi Reza (Boys U21), Jordan Irawan (Boys U18) and Kevin Akbar (Boys U16), and in the girls division by Ika Woro Palupi (Girls U21) and Victoria Chandra (Girls U16).
Established in 1996, 40 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 30 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include current world number ones Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
In September 2013, Faldo will begin taking students at a full-time residential academy for education and golf development in America. The first ever Faldo Series Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona is also home to the Faldo Series USA and marks the next significant step in the programme’s history.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule featured a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour, the Asia Pacific Golf Federation and the Guangdong Golf Association.
Cullen Looking For Repeat Win At Emeralda
JAKARTA, March 7 - He may not be the defending champion, but Australian Nick Cullen will still be a hot favorite when the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship tees off at Emeralda Golf Club later this month.
The pristine course was the scene of Cullen's breakthrough professional victory last year at the Indonesia Open, and the 27-year old is relishing a return to happy hunting ground -- albeit for a different tournament.
"It's almost a year since I won in Indonesia and I've had some good finishes since, but not good enough," said Cullen.
"My goal for this year is to win again. My ball striking is great so if I can get the putter working I won't be far away."
To win, Cullen will have to take on one of the strongest Asia-Pacific fields ever assembled as the tournament is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation and includes over three dozen champions boasting more than 200 titles between them.
Fellow Australian Andre Stolz will be defending his title from 2011, while Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh is a star attraction making his debut in a OneAsia event.
"It's great," Cullen said of the burgeoning relationship between OneAsia and the JGTO.
Last year's Indonesia Open was the first collaboration between the two bodies, but that partnership is taken to a new level with the Thailand Open (March 14-17) and Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship (March 28 - 31) opening both seasons -- with earnings from the U.S. $1 million tournaments to count towards both Orders of Merit.
A win by a OneAsia player at either event would give them full status in Japan.
"It's really exciting to have the opportunity to gain status on a tour as big as the JGTO," said Cullen. "I played three events there last year and loved every minute of it. I would be ecstatic if I could play there full time."
Cullen, a left-hander from Adelaide, got last year off to a flying start by qualifying for The Open Championship (he missed the cut by a stroke) before winning at Emeralda by a shot from New Zealander David Smail.
He lost his way a bit in mid-season, but found some form at the brutally tough Emirates Australian Open for a joint 18th finish to end up fifth on the OneAsia Order of Merit with earnings of nearly U.S. $210,000.
"I did take a break over Christmas -- I went to Canada for 10 days," said Cullen, an avid NFL fan who supports the Atlanta Falcons.
"But since I got back its been all go -- working on the game and playing Australian events."
Cullen, who has been troubled by back problems in the past, is also paying more attention to his conditioning this year.
"I started working with a new trainer to get stronger and my body more balanced while helping my back issues," he said.
"It's been great so far -- feeling stronger on and off the course. Everything else is pretty much the same, but I've been doing a little more on the bio-mechanics side which has been good."
His career has also been given a boost by being named this week in Golf Australia's Rookie Professional Squad -- a national initiative that gives wide-ranging support to select individuals.
"At the moment I'm just focusing on playing as good as I can, and if I play well the rest will follow," said Cullen.
The pristine course was the scene of Cullen's breakthrough professional victory last year at the Indonesia Open, and the 27-year old is relishing a return to happy hunting ground -- albeit for a different tournament.
"It's almost a year since I won in Indonesia and I've had some good finishes since, but not good enough," said Cullen.
"My goal for this year is to win again. My ball striking is great so if I can get the putter working I won't be far away."
To win, Cullen will have to take on one of the strongest Asia-Pacific fields ever assembled as the tournament is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation and includes over three dozen champions boasting more than 200 titles between them.
Fellow Australian Andre Stolz will be defending his title from 2011, while Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh is a star attraction making his debut in a OneAsia event.
"It's great," Cullen said of the burgeoning relationship between OneAsia and the JGTO.
Last year's Indonesia Open was the first collaboration between the two bodies, but that partnership is taken to a new level with the Thailand Open (March 14-17) and Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship (March 28 - 31) opening both seasons -- with earnings from the U.S. $1 million tournaments to count towards both Orders of Merit.
A win by a OneAsia player at either event would give them full status in Japan.
"It's really exciting to have the opportunity to gain status on a tour as big as the JGTO," said Cullen. "I played three events there last year and loved every minute of it. I would be ecstatic if I could play there full time."
Cullen, a left-hander from Adelaide, got last year off to a flying start by qualifying for The Open Championship (he missed the cut by a stroke) before winning at Emeralda by a shot from New Zealander David Smail.
He lost his way a bit in mid-season, but found some form at the brutally tough Emirates Australian Open for a joint 18th finish to end up fifth on the OneAsia Order of Merit with earnings of nearly U.S. $210,000.
"I did take a break over Christmas -- I went to Canada for 10 days," said Cullen, an avid NFL fan who supports the Atlanta Falcons.
"But since I got back its been all go -- working on the game and playing Australian events."
Cullen, who has been troubled by back problems in the past, is also paying more attention to his conditioning this year.
"I started working with a new trainer to get stronger and my body more balanced while helping my back issues," he said.
"It's been great so far -- feeling stronger on and off the course. Everything else is pretty much the same, but I've been doing a little more on the bio-mechanics side which has been good."
His career has also been given a boost by being named this week in Golf Australia's Rookie Professional Squad -- a national initiative that gives wide-ranging support to select individuals.
"At the moment I'm just focusing on playing as good as I can, and if I play well the rest will follow," said Cullen.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Can Hie Go One Better In Indonesia?
JAKARTA, March 5 - Rory Hie is hoping an upgrade in clubs will help turn his obvious potential into his first victory on OneAsia -- and where better to start than at home at the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship later this month.
Hie has twice come close to winning a OneAsia million-dollar tournament -- both times in Indonesia -- and he clearly thrives in the steamy tropical conditions in front of a home crowd.
"I am very excited about my equipment this year with the new R1 driver and Rocketbladez irons which are going to help me with my mis-hits," said Hie.
"I also look forward to gaining distance with the new Lethal ball."
Hie, however, knows more than anyone that the secret to winning is not just about the latest equipment, but also improving technique and getting in shape both physically and mentally.
"Technique-wise I am going to be more consistent with how I approach each event," said the 24-year-old, runner-up to Andre Stolz the last time the Indonesia PGA Championship was held in 2011.
That year he also finished joint-runner up to Thaworn Wiratchant at the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open.
"I feel that I am evolving as a player and I am far better than I was in 2011," said Hie, one of the world's top amateurs when he attended the University of Southern California and arguably the best player ever to emerge from Indonesia.
Asked what goals he has set himself for 2013, and the answer is simple: "To win!".
"My putter was cold all last season," he said. "I figured out a good way to putt during the off season and won by nine at a local event. I hope to bring that out this year."
With the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship played at Emeralda Golf Club this year -- where Hie plays most of his golf when not on tour -- there will be extra pressure on the young man to succeed.
"I think it's fun to play at home because there will be a lot of support, and it helps me focus when people pay attention to what I do."
Hie has some status on the Asian Tour this year via Q-School, but he intends to focus on the big money at OneAsia's million-dollar tournaments in search of that elusive breakthrough.
"I will play a mixed schedule this year," he said.
"I will try to better my ranking on the Order of Merit from 12th last year and try to break into the top 10 on OneAsia. I think the key is to have a big week and really contend, and I will be up there."
While Hie has his sights set on the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship from March 28 - 31, his first event on OneAsia this year will be the Thailand Open from March 14 - 17.
Hie has twice come close to winning a OneAsia million-dollar tournament -- both times in Indonesia -- and he clearly thrives in the steamy tropical conditions in front of a home crowd.
"I am very excited about my equipment this year with the new R1 driver and Rocketbladez irons which are going to help me with my mis-hits," said Hie.
"I also look forward to gaining distance with the new Lethal ball."Hie, however, knows more than anyone that the secret to winning is not just about the latest equipment, but also improving technique and getting in shape both physically and mentally.
"Technique-wise I am going to be more consistent with how I approach each event," said the 24-year-old, runner-up to Andre Stolz the last time the Indonesia PGA Championship was held in 2011.
That year he also finished joint-runner up to Thaworn Wiratchant at the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open.
"I feel that I am evolving as a player and I am far better than I was in 2011," said Hie, one of the world's top amateurs when he attended the University of Southern California and arguably the best player ever to emerge from Indonesia.
Asked what goals he has set himself for 2013, and the answer is simple: "To win!".
"My putter was cold all last season," he said. "I figured out a good way to putt during the off season and won by nine at a local event. I hope to bring that out this year."
With the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship played at Emeralda Golf Club this year -- where Hie plays most of his golf when not on tour -- there will be extra pressure on the young man to succeed.
"I think it's fun to play at home because there will be a lot of support, and it helps me focus when people pay attention to what I do."
Hie has some status on the Asian Tour this year via Q-School, but he intends to focus on the big money at OneAsia's million-dollar tournaments in search of that elusive breakthrough.
"I will play a mixed schedule this year," he said.
"I will try to better my ranking on the Order of Merit from 12th last year and try to break into the top 10 on OneAsia. I think the key is to have a big week and really contend, and I will be up there."
While Hie has his sights set on the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship from March 28 - 31, his first event on OneAsia this year will be the Thailand Open from March 14 - 17.
Monthly Medal Golf Tournament At Pakuwon
MARCH MONTHLY MEDAL GOLF TOURNAMENT at PAKUWON GOLF & FAMILY CLUB
| Day/Date | : | Sunday, 31 March 2013 |
| Tee-off Time | : | 07.30 am |
Participation Fee for this Golf Event
| Member | : | Rp. 360.000 net/person |
| Non Member | : | Rp. 450.000 net/person |
| Format | : | Individual Stroke Play |
| Trophies | : | Overall Best Gross and Best Net Flight A Best Gross, Best Net Flight B Best Gross, Best Net |
| Novelty – Nearest To The Pin | ||
| Course Prizes | : | Hole In One: 1 (one) Golf Set Ping G15, 1 (one) 1 Year Individual Pakuwon Golf Membership |
| Grand Prize | : | Refrigerator |
PRICE INCLUDE:
COFFEE BREAK, BUFFET LUNCH, LUCKY DRAW, GREEN FEE, CADDY FEE & TAX
Monday, March 4, 2013
Junior Golf Community of Surabaya Tournament
Sunday 17 March 2013 Series 3 of the JPM 3 Tournament Series of the Junior Golf Community of Surabaya (JGCS) will be held at at Ciputra Golf, Club & Hotel in Surabaya, East Java.
The tournament is open to all juniors under the age of 18 years old.
Winarto Wijono JGCS, BNI KCP Tg Perak account no. 871 234 5870
Winarto Wijono, BCA account no. 256 998 7789
For further information contact Indarso Tjandra at 0878 545 88899 or Winarto Wijono at 0812 303 4630 and visit www.facebook.com/JGCSurabaya.
The tournament is open to all juniors under the age of 18 years old.
Age Divisions For Boys & Girls
A: 15-17 years
Boys blue tee / Girls white teeB: 13-14 years
Boys blue tee / Girls white teeC: 11-12 years
Boys white tee / Girls red teeD: 9-10 years
Boys and Girls red teeBeginner Divisions:
(Forward tee and may ride golf cart)9-10 years
8 years & under
Tournament details
Tee Off
12.00 noon. Format is 18 holes individual stroke play.Entry Fee
Rp. 410.000/18 Holes (inclusive caddy fee and dinner, exclude caddy tips)Awards
Awards will be presented to top 3 in each age division (boys and girls combined)Trophies
Trophies will be presented to top 3 in each division for the total lowest scores in JPM SeriesRegistration
Registration by email to jgcs27@yahoo.com or sms to 0812 303 4630.Payment
Transfer toWinarto Wijono JGCS, BNI KCP Tg Perak account no. 871 234 5870
Winarto Wijono, BCA account no. 256 998 7789
Deadline
Closing date for registration and payment is Thursday 14 March 2013.For further information contact Indarso Tjandra at 0878 545 88899 or Winarto Wijono at 0812 303 4630 and visit www.facebook.com/JGCSurabaya.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Charity Golf Tournament At Sukajadi Batam
Saturday 16 March 2013 Padang Golf Sukajadi Batam is hosting a Charity Golf Tournament with tee off at 13.00pm.
Tournament fees: IDR 1,000,000/pax | USD 110/pax
Hole in one prizes: Nissan Juke, Kawasaki Ninja, 1 Year Padang Golf Sukajadi Membership.
Lucky Draw: Ipad and many more.
The event is organized by Kingdom Executive Network International.
For more information:
Yohanes Kristanto +62 8127080061, email: yoh8188@gmail.com
Receptionist Padang Golf Sukajadi (0778) 7372001-2006, email: receptionist@padanggolfsukajadi.com
Tournament fees: IDR 1,000,000/pax | USD 110/pax
Hole in one prizes: Nissan Juke, Kawasaki Ninja, 1 Year Padang Golf Sukajadi Membership.
Lucky Draw: Ipad and many more.
The event is organized by Kingdom Executive Network International.
For more information:
Yohanes Kristanto +62 8127080061, email: yoh8188@gmail.com
Receptionist Padang Golf Sukajadi (0778) 7372001-2006, email: receptionist@padanggolfsukajadi.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
