Indra Hermawan Leads After First Day At Halim II

Jakarta, 27 May 2015 - The 3rd round of the 2015 season of the Indonesian Golf Tour (IGT) is on at Padang Golf Halim II, with a total purse of 200 million. The tournament, held from May 27 to 29, sees a total of 102 golfers, 20 of whom have amateur golfer status, participate in this national professional golf series, that goes into its second year in 2015.

Indra Hermawan was the surprise leader at the end of the first day, after posting six birdies combined with two bogeys for a total score of 68 (4 under par). "My A game was starting to show at the last seven holes. Because there was encouragement to play fast from the marshal, I got into a fast tempo game with no time no doubt," he said.

Indra admitted that his score today was supported by everything from his long- to his short game. "My drives are nice and straight, my irons pretty good, and my putting was nice," said Indra. For the second day, Indra asserted that he had to aim for a low score in order to strengthen its position at the top. "Preparing for tomorrow, I have to play my best and score many birdies," he added.

But Indra's position is far from secure., as Ian Andrew is only one stroke (stroke) behind Indra. Though the golfer from Bali acknowledged that the condition of the pitch is good enough, his game on the green was messy. "The greens are becoming a problem for me," said the winner of the second round of the 2015 IGT.

The small difference in scores makes Ian optimistic he can chase Indra. He's ambitious to score consecutive titles after winning the IGT second eound in February. "My target this time is to become champion. I hope this could provide a boost for me to be able to play well in the Asian Development Tour tournament in Bali in June," he explained.

Threatening Indra's position is also Asep Saefulloh. The golfer from Bandung posted a score of 2 under par (70). He said that this is pay off for his hard work after his poor performances at CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. "After the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters I realized that my iron game is bad. Back in Bandung I immediately worked on improving my long iron shots. Today I was very confident with my game," said the champion of the 2010 West Java Governor Cup Amateur Golf Tournament.

Elky Kow, one of 20 amateur golfers in the tournament, was able to nestle himself in the top five of the standings. With a score of 71 (1 under par) Elky is in a tie for fourth, sharing this place with two professional golfers, Maman Suherman and Agusnam. "My game today is quite good. Only the last ten hole went not so well. At yesterday's practice round I felt that I had to play brave in my short games," he said.

Looking forward to the match tomorrow, Elky does not prepare a special strategy. "I will rest as much as possible for tomorrow. I will do the same as today and we'll see what happens later," he added.

Leading scores after the first round:

68 - Indra Hermawan

69 - Ian Andrew

70 - Asep Saefulloh

71 - Elky Kow (A), Maman Suherman, Agusnam

72 - Mahpudin, Fajar Win Nuryanto

Laguna Bintan Member & Guest Golf Tournament

For those in Bintan or planning to go there, write this down in your agenda:

What: "MEMBER & GUEST GOLF TOURNAMENT"
Where: Laguna Bintan Golf Club
When: Sunday, 14 June 2015

Tournament fees:
MEMBER- LOCAL Rp. 400.000
GUEST – LOCAL Rp. 650.000
SINGAPORE GUEST – S$160 or Rp. 1.550.000
Inclusive of Green fee, Caddy & Buggy sharing, Snack Box, Lunch, Trophies & Lucky Draw, Hole In One

Shotgun I : 09.00am (Bintan time)
Format : System 36 Handicapping Stroke Play
Contact : Laguna Bintan Golf Club at +62 770 693188/89
or email : golf-bintan@banyantree.com

HAPPY GOLFING....!!

Jordan Irawan Just Misses Out On Top 10 In PGM Sabah Championship

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 9 - Thai youngster Nirun Sae-Ueng claimed his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the PGM Sabah Championship on Saturday after defeating reigning Order of Merit champion and countryman Pavit Tangkamolprasert on the first play-off hole.

The 20-year-old Thai, who closed with a stunning seven-under-par 65, edged out Pavit on the 18th hole sudden-death shoot-out with a par after the duo tied on eight-under-par 280 in regulation play at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.

Phachara Khongwatmai, the youngest winner on the ADT, ensured a strong Thai presence on the final leaderboard when he carded a 67 to share third place on 281 with overnight leader Danthai Boonma, who registered a 71, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) ADT event, which is the 10th leg of the ADT this season.

One-time Asian Tour winner Ben Leong, who hails from Sabah, fired a 66 to emerge as the top Malaysian in fifth place on 284 while two other Thais, Pasamet Pogamnerd (68) and Sutijet Kooratanapisan (72) were a further shot back in a share of sixth place.

In the final round all the Indonesians were able to significantly climb on the leaderboard. Jordan Irawan (69) just missed out on a place in the top 10 with a total of 287, while Rory Hie (68) and William Sjaichudin (70) both finished in the top 30 with total scores of 290 and 291 respectively.

Nirun needed only 25 putts in his round of eight birdies, nine pars and one bogey which would have matched the course record set by compatriot Thammanoon Sriroj in 1997 if not for the preferred lies ruling being in effect.

“I am very happy. I played solid. My putting was good and I hit my tee shots very well. Everything just seemed to be in place for me. The playing conditions were pretty similar to the last few rounds. The course was still playing tough but I just stuck to my game plan and didn’t think much out there,” said Nirun.

He stumbled with his only bogey on the first hole but recovered swiftly with a birdie on the second before charging ahead with four straight birdies from the fourth hole and adding three more birdies on his way home.

“Pavit is a good friend of mine and we played together during our practice rounds earlier this week. I know he is a good player and has won a lot of times on the ADT but I did not to put pressure on myself. No matter what happens, I am happy with how I played and I have enjoyed my game. With this win, I can now aim to finish in top-five on the Merit rankings,” added Nirun.

Nirun earned US$9,730 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his victory at the PGM Sabah Championship, which was his second professional win since joining the play-for-pay ranks in 2014. He won on his domestic circuit earlier this year.

Pavit, who shot a bogey-free 66, was delighted to cap a ‘perfect’ round despite being denied a record fifth victory. “I can’t complain. I played really good and I would say it was a perfect game for me. I managed to keep the bogeys off the card. I am happy to give myself a chance by forcing my way into the play-off,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.

“I knew I had to make the birdie on the last to get into the play-off. I told myself I have to make it and I managed to putt in from 10-feet for birdie. I had earlier saved par from 10-feet on the 17th hole so I was pretty confident that I can do it,” added Pavit.

Since it was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 21 tournaments in both 2014 and 2015.

The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.

Leading final round scores:

280 – Nirun SAE-UENG (THA) 73-69-73-65, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75-66

281 – Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74-67, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69-71

284 – Ben LEONG (MAS) 75-71-72-66

285 – Pasamet POGAMNERD (THA) 74-71-72-68, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73-72

286 – Charles HONG (PHI) 73-73-70-70, Brett MUNSON (USA) 74-71-70-71, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74-72

287 – Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73-69, Gyeongjun LEE (KOR) 72-69-75-71, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 74-71-73-69, Rizal AMIN (MAS) 74-72-70-71, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72-74, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66-75, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72-76

Selected:

290 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74-68

291 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81-70

Heavy Setback For William Sjaichudin At PGA Sabah Championship

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 8 - Thai teenager Danthai Boonma continued his imperious form by carding a second straight three-under-par 69 to take over the lead in the penultimate round of the PGM Sabah Championship on Friday.

The 19-year-old Thai mixed his card with six birdies against three bogeys for a three-day total of six-under-par 210 to stay one shot ahead of Malaysia’s Danny Chia, who signed for a second consecutive 72, at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.

Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj returned with a flawless 66 to surge into third place on 212 in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.

Singapore’s Koh Deng Shan, Thailand’s Sutijet Kooratanapisan and 2013 Order of Merit champion Nicholas Fung of Malaysia stayed a further shot back in fourth place following rounds of 72, 73 and 73 respectively.

Indonesian William Sjaichudin, who started the day in a tie for 4th, dropped back dramatically after carding a lowly 81 in a round with 2 double bogeys and a triple bogey on hole 6, while compatriots Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (74) lost ground as wellPGM .

Danthai, who started the day with a three-shot deficit, credited his driver for playing a pivotal role in securing the pole position heading into the final round.

“I hit the ball good. My tee shots were good and I hit a lot of fairways today. I have been working on my swing prior to this week. I’m glad the efforts are starting to pay off,” said Danthai, who earned his 2015 Asian Tour card after finishing inside top-40 at the Qualifying School in January.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t putt as well. I missed a few short putts today but overall, I am happy with how I’ve played so far. Hopefully I can hang in there to win tomorrow,” added Danthai, a double South East Asia (SEA) Games gold medalist in 2012.

The 42-year-old Chia, who held the first round lead, conceded that he would need to rediscover some magic in his putter should he wish to take home the winner’s trophy tomorrow.

“My putting hasn’t been good these two days but I’m still hitting the ball well. I’ll stick to the same game plan and hopefully get some putts to drop tomorrow,” said the two-time ADT winner, who traded three birdies against three bogeys.

Leading third round scores:

210 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 72-69-69

211 – Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72-72

212 – Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 74-72-66

213 – KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-71-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70-73, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67-73

214 – Nils FLOREN (SWE) 72-71-71, Tyler EKENBERG (USA) 78-69-67, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72-74, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68-74, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69-75, Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68-76

Selected:
218 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71-73

221 - William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66-81

222 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75-74

Top 5 For William Sjaichudin At Midpoint Of PGM Sabah Championship

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 7 - Local prospect Zen Dharmaratne took over the reins from compatriot and overnight leader Danny Chia after carding a four-under-par 68 to lead at the halfway stage of the PGM Sabah Championship on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Malaysian, who opened his campaign with a 70, fired five birdies against a lone bogey to grab a slender one-shot lead over Chia on six-under-par 138 total at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.

Chia battled to a 72 to settle for second place with reigning Order of Merit champion Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand, who returned with a 69, in the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.

A total of six players including Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung (67), Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai (72) and William Syaichudin (66) of Indonesia - who played lowest round of the day -, shared fourth place on 140s while Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei signed for a disappointing 77 to slipped from tied-third to tied-38th position.

Dharmaratne, who is chasing for a first professional win, got off to a strong start, sinking three consecutive birdies from the first hole before dropping a shot on the seventh. He recovered strongly by picking up two more birdies on the 12th and 13th holes on his way home.

“I had a great start to the round. I kept to my routine and hung in there. I was just focused on hitting the greens and fairways out there and I am glad I was able to keep myself in it,” said Dharmaratne, who joined the play-for-pay ranks in 2013.

“I played with no expectations and I didn’t think about the scores. I just played shot by shot. I like this golf course. I always feel good coming here. It’s a golf course that suits my game a lot,” added the young Malaysian, who has not missed a single cut in all three attempts at the PGM Sabah Championship held at the Sabah Golf and Country Club.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert of ThailandPavit, who enjoyed a third-place finish last year, is relishing his prospects of securing a record fifth ADT title as he heads into the weekend rounds in a favorable position on the leaderboard.

The four-time ADT winner currently shares the record of having the most number of victories on the region’s burgeoning Tour with Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang.

“I managed to get up and down in a couple of holes today which gave me a bit of confidence in my game. The greens are very firm and it’s difficult to control the ball. I’ve played well here last year but the conditions are really different now. It was rainy last year but this week, it’s dry and windy,” said the 26-year-old Pavit.

“This is only my third ADT event this year and I feel like it’s getting a lot tougher out here compared to how it was last year. It’s so much more competitive now. I’ve been playing good so far this season so hopefully I can stay consistent in game and get my first win of the season soon,” added Pavit, who mixed his card with four birdies against one bogey.

A total of 50 players, including Indonesians Jordan Irawan (71) and Rory Hie (75), made the halfway cut at the PGM Sabah Championship which was set at four-over-par 148.

Leading second round scores

138 – Zen DHARMARATNE (MAS) 70-68

139 – Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 70-69, Danny CHIA (MAS) 67-72

140 – Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 73-67, Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 72-68, William SJAICHUDIN (INA) 74-66, YE Jian-feng (CHN) 71-69, Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 68-72, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-70

Selected:

145 - Jordan IRAWAN (INA) 74-71

148 - Rory HIE (INA) 73-75

Indonesia PGA Championship Returns To BSD

Jakarta, May 5 = The Indonesia PGA Championship will showcase the leading players from OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) when it returns to the award-winning Damai Indah Golf – Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) this year.

The tournament, which was inaugurated with great success in 2011, will be jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the JGTO for the third successive year and form part of an exciting swing on both circuits.

Damai Indah Golf – BSD Course, which boasts the first Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Indonesia, will host the tournament from July 30 to August 2.

Japan’s Michio Matsumura birdied the last three holes to win the Indonesia PGA Championship March last year. The 31-year-old posted rounds of 65, 67, 67 and 68 to finish 21-under-par and claim the US$180,000 first prize.

“This will be the fourth staging of the Indonesia PGA Championship under the OneAsia banner and we have seen it grow in stature during that time,” said Johannes Dermawan, Chairman of the PGA Tour of Indonesia.

“We witnessed a thrilling finish last year involving players from Japan, Australia, the Philippines and China reflecting the cosmopolitan makeup of the field. The Indonesia PGA Championship also affords several local players the opportunity to test themselves against Australasia’s finest and gives fans the chance to see top-quality golf.”

OneAsia Commissioner and Chairman Sung Y. Chun said that the partnership with the JGTO had borne fruit at the Indonesia PGA Championship.

“The presence of leading players from the JGTO at the Indonesia PGA Championship has taken the tournament to a new level and bred a healthy rivalry with our members,” he said.

“I am confident that the Indonesia PGA Championship will once again play an important role in the OneAsia season.”

Damai Indah Golf, the brainchild of well-known Indonesian real estate developer and business baron, Ir. Ciputra, consists of two international championship courses in completely different and challenging surroundings: BSD Course, located in the West Java satellite city of BSD; and PIK Course, located along the Java Sea in North Jakarta.

Among Jakarta golfers the BSD Course is commonly referred to as BSD. It is situated alongside the impressive Cisadane River that is back-dropped by the up-market housing estates of Bumi Serpong Damai.

Korean Choi Ho-sung drained an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a two-stroke victory in the Indonesian PGA Championship at Emeralda Golf Club in 2013.

And in 2011, Australian Andre Stolz beat Indonesian number one Rory Hie by one shot at Imperial Klub Golf.

Tanjung Lesung Golf Tournament

In conjunction with the Pre-Launch of Golf and Golf Boutique Hotel the Jababeka Group is holding the:

Tanjung Lesung Golf Tournament

Date/Time Wednesday 13 May 2015 at 11.00am
Location : Jababeka Golf & Country Club

Entry fee:
Jababeka Golf member: Free (T's & C's apply)
Guest: IDR 1 million

Hole-in-One Prize: Tanjung Lesung Boutique Hotel