Jakarta, December 15: Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, dubbed the ‘assassin’ by Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, will have another chance to take down the Major winner when they are paired together in the final group of the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri on Sunday.

Poom caused one of the one of the biggest upsets early in the year when he defeated Stenson at the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia at the start of the year.

The 25-year-old Thai is looking for another repeat after he held on to his overnight lead by posting a two-under-par 70 to take a three-shot advantage over his idol, Stenson.

Playing in Indonesia for the first time, Stenson carded the lowest round of the day with a 68 to take second place with his three-day total of 13-under-par 203 at the Asian Tour season-ending event.

The Major winner is ready to put up another gallant fight to deny Poom of having bragging rights over him again at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond snatched the outright third place after returning with a 69 to put himself within sights of ending his year inside the top-10 on the Habitat for Humanity standings.

Panuphol, who earned his Asian Tour breakthrough in Indonesia last year, was pleased with his third round efforts after signing for a 70 that placed him in a share of fourth place with defending champion Justin Rose and compatriot Jakraphan Premsirigorn.

With seven shots separating him and Poom heading into the final 18 holes, Panuphol is aware of the challenges ahead and is determined to surmount a late charge.

Did you know?

• Poom Saksansin met his golf idol Henrik Stenson at the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia in January this year. Together with his teammate Sunghoon Kang of Korea, they caused one of the biggest upsets of the week by defeating the Swede and Alexander Levy 5&4 in the opening fourball match.
• He broke his previous lowest round (65) at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club with a 63 during the second round on Friday.
• Poom claimed his breakthrough at the Indonesian Masters in 2016. He went on to claim a wire-to-wire victory for his second Asian Tour title in India last year.
• Poom is ranked the second-best putter in the field so far this week. He averaged 1.42 putts per greens in regulations.
• Poom is chasing to become the second player following Lee Westwood to win the Indonesian Masters more than once.
• Poom won by five strokes with a winning total of 18-under-par 270 two years ago.
• Henrik Stenson last won on the Asian Tour at the 2006 Qatar Masters.
• The 42-year-old Stenson is playing for the time in Indonesia. His third round 68 is the lowest 18-hole score of the day.
• Stenson is the first male Swedish Major champion, having won the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon with a major championship record score of 264.
• In his 20-year professional career, Stenson has won more than 20 titles worldwide.
• Stenson is a natural left-hander but he learned to play golf right-handed.
• Jazz Janewattananond won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open and claimed his second win at the Queen’s Cup on home soil in June.
• His breakthrough victory in Bangladesh was especially sweet as he had finished outside the top-60 on the 2016 Order of Merit and missed the grade at the 2017 Qualifying School.
• He sits in a career-high 11th place on the current Habitat for Humanity Standings where he finished 13th last year.
• In 2018, he came in tied-fourth at the season-opening SMBC Singapore Open and earned a coveted spot at The Open where he made his Major debut.
• Jazz first played his way into the history books of the Asian Tour in 2010 when he became the youngest ever player to make the halfway cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok at the age of 14 years and 71 days.
• Panuphol Pittayarat is playing in his eighth season on the Asian Tour and has won twice.
• He finished in tied-51st place at the Indonesian Masters last year.
• He broke into the world’s top-200 for the first time in his career after claiming a one-shot victory on his home course at the Thai Country Club.
• That win was his second victory on the Asian Tour after his breakthrough at the Indonesia in 2017.
• Panuphol turned professional in 2007 at a young age of 14 and was nicknamed ‘Coconut’ by his parents.
• Only 12 players broke par on a wind-swept day at the BNI Indonesian Masters.

Players’ Quotes

Poom Saksansin (Tha) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 200 (-16)

I am happy with the way I played today. It was really windy and very difficult out there. I tried my best to keep the ball in play. I think I played good today.  I have been playing this course for the past five years and I have won here in 2016. I think I know this golf course pretty well. That will give me the advantage tomorrow. I think it’s good enough that I am playing with Henrik Stenson tomorrow. I am happy to be able to play with him again. He gave me an autographed shirt earlier this year when we met in Malaysia and I still keep that properly at home.

Henrik Stenson (Swe) – Third round 68 (-4), Total 203 (-13)

I had a good practice yesterday afternoon. It was very similar conditions to what I played the last seven or eight holes in yesterday so I guess when the breeze came up at the middle of the front nine today I was kind of used to it. I tried to make the right decisions and hit committed shots. I left myself some good birdie chances and holed some lovely putts on seven and eight to grab a couple of birdies there. And on the back nine there was a lot of fighting and a lot of par saves. It was nice to finish with a good up and down on the last. We (Justin Rose and I) had a good day out there. You still focus hard on your own game but it was certainly a bit more relaxed. We had a bit more conversation than you would with someone you don’t know well. He obviously has a lot to play for tomorrow to regain that world number one title. Not at all, not if I have a chance. We will see if he can go easy on the old guy instead. He played fantastic in our first match at the EurAsia Cup, him and his partner put up a string of eight straight birdies and we did not have chance. I know he is a very capable player and he has shown that for the first three days here.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) – Third round 69 (-2), Total 206 (-10)

I gave myself a good chance for eagle on the last. I tried to go for it but fell short. It was a tough round today. Everyone struggled. You see only a couple of good scores, like Stenson. He is playing pretty good. Poom still got the big lead as well. Overall, I am pretty happy with myself. Tough day today. Poom is dropping putts out there. If he continues to do that tomorrow, I don’t think anyone can catch him. But having said that, it’s a brand-new day tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes. I would say this year is pretty similar to last year. I had one win each. I am hoping for a good finish this week as that would help me break into top-10 on the final Habitat for Humanity Standings.

Panuphol Pittayarat (Tha) – Third round 70 (-2), Total 207 (-9)

It was a windy day. I managed to keep the ball under the wind for most of the round. You gonna make some and missed some. I dropped one shot today which was caused by the wind I think but I am happy to put myself in a great position heading into the final day.

I’m really happy to see Poom up on the leaderboard. I am happy to see someone from my country flying our flag up there. I won my first Asian Tour win in Indonesia two years ago. Feels great to be great here, although it’s a different course. The weather and environment are different. It’s been an on and off season for me actually. I played a little bit in Japan as well. It’s great to have a win at my National Open earlier. I really like my game.

Leading Scores after round 3 of the BNI Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7361 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (am – denotes amateur):

200 – Poom Saksansin (THA) 67-63-70.

203 – Henrik Stenson (SWE) 67-68-68.

206 – Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 68-69-69.

207 – Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 71-66-70, Justin Rose (ENG) 68-68-71, Jakraphan Premsirigorn (THA) 68-65-74.

208 – Sihwan Kim (USA) 69-69-70, Shiv Kapur (IND) 71-66-71, Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 67-66-75.

210 – Jarin Todd (USA) 68-70-72.

211 – Anirban Lahiri (IND) 68-72-71, Lin Wen-tang (TPE) 69-70-72, Sungho Lee (KOR) 66-71-74, Thitiphun Chuayprakong (THA) 67-70-74.

212 – Jarryd Felton (AUS) 67-76-69, Chapchai Nirat (THA) 69-67-76.

Jakarta, December 14: Thailand’s Poom Saksansin believed he got lucky on the golf course when he broke his personal best record at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club with a flawless nine-under-par 63 to take the second round lead at the the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri on Friday.

The second round of the BNI Indonesian Masters was suspended due to fading light at 5.50pm on Friday before resuming on Saturday morning. A total of 66 players made the halfway cut set at even-par 144.

The 25-year-old Poom, who won the Indonesian Masters in 2016, emerged as the man to catch after compiling a two-day total of 14-under-par 130 in the morning to take a three-shot lead over compatriots Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Jakraphan Premsirigorn who signed for a 66 and 65 respectively at the US$750,000 Asian Tour season-ender.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha)

Henrik Stenson’s hopes of closing the gap with Poom were dashed when he dropped two shots in his last four holes to head into the weekend rounds five shots back of Poom in outright fourth place.

Since his breakthrough at the Indonesian Masters in 2016, Poom has gone on to secure another Asian Tour title in India the following year. The Thai is now seeking to win a title every year and is on course to achieving that at the final Asian Tour event of the year.

Jakraphan meanwhile found the form that led him to a tied-second finish in Pakistan two months ago by firing eight birdies against a lone bogey on 11 to surge into contention and bringing back that much-needed confidence.

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha)

Suradit, who finished in a share of second place, five shots behind Poom when the latter won the Indonesian Masters in 2016, is hoping to get the better of his countryman when the weekend rounds begin.

Defending champion Justin Rose of England remains six shots back of Poom after he signed for a 68. Rose had to return early this morning to complete his remaining four holes from his disrupted first round.

He dropped two shots in his closing three holes to sign for a 68 and after an hour’s rest, the world number two went back to the tee and would go on to mark his card with six birdies and two bogeys for another 68 to share fifth place with Australia’s Josh Younger and Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat.

Did you know?

• Poom Saksansin’s previous lowest round at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club was a 65, recorded during the third round of the Indonesian Masters in 2016.
• He is currently in 29th place on the Habitat for Humanity standings and has enjoyed four top-10s this year including a runner-up finish in Thailand Open.
• Poom found 10 fairways and missed only two greens today. He needed only 25 putts for his superb round of 63. He has only dropped one shot so far this week.
• Jakraphan Premsirigorn earned his Tour card from Qualifying School this year. He missed the cut in six straight events before finishing tied-second in Pakistan in October.
• Jakraphan has won once on the Asian Development Tour and finished tied-third at Qualifying School this year.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai finished tied-second behind Poom Saksansin when he made his debut at the Indonesian Masters in 2016. He posted a tied-17th result in 2017.
• Suradit has finished inside the top-five three times this year and is currently in 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity standings.
• Henrik Stenson is the first male Swedish Major champion, having won the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon.
• He is ranked 27th in the world this week but reached a career high of second place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in 2014.
• Stenson won the silver medal, finishing two shots behind gold medalist Justin Rose at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
• Nicknamed ‘Iceman’ for his demeanour, Stenson is playing in Indonesia for the first time in his career.

Players’ Quotes

Poom Saksansin (Tha) Second round 63 (-9) Total, 130 (-14)

The aim is just to keep playing under-par. This is not an easy course for me. I was just lucky today. I think I like this course. I won here before two years ago. My putting was very good today. My iron-play was good too but my iron-play was the best. I missed two birdies on the second and ninth holes today actually. But otherwise, I managed to make birdies in all the opportunities that I gave myself today. I hope I can continue to play like how I did today but it will be tough. I will just keep playing and stick to my strategy and routine and see how it goes. My putting was key today, really. My driver was not too bad. Just managed to hit a few good ones coming back.  At the start of the year, my target was to keep my card on the Asian Tour first. So next year I can still have tournaments to play. After I retained my card, I went to try and play on the Japan Tour. I didn’t keep my card there and had to go back to Qualifying School.

Jakraphan Premsirigorn (Tha) Second round 65 (-7), Total 133 (-11)

I’m playing on this golf course for the first time and to be able to post a 65 today is a really good achievement. It’s refreshing to see yourself able to play well especially when I missed so many cuts this year. I made some swing changes and I’m feeling a lot better physically now. Doing well in Pakistan also brought back a lot of confident. Maybe that’s why I’m doing okay this week. I played 24 holes today and I told myself to just stay relaxed and hydrated.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha) Second round 66 (-6) Total 133 (-11)

I’m hoping to do better than what I did in 2016. I’m feeling very good about my game. I drove the ball very well and managed to find most of the fairways. My iron-play was very satisfying too. It helped I putted well too. It has been a long day for me as I had to complete four holes from my first round. The weather is very hot here and it’s very important to know how to take care of your body. I had a good season this year. Although I did not win, I had some good results in India and Pakistan this year. But I may have a chance to win this week.

Henrik Stenson (Swe)

Henrik Stenson (Swe) Second round 68 (-4), Total 135 (-9)

It started off with nice conditions. I got a great start, I birdied one, two and three. Had a couple of chances and birdied nine. I hit the turn in four under which was great. I hit two really nice shots on 11 and 12 which set up short birdie putts that I made so it was great. But when we came to the 10th it started blowing and it got worse and worse and it was a bit strange we had the thunderstorm hanging around and the wind was bumping like that, but it never got to us, which I think for the score it was bad. Would have been better to get off the course and finish better.  We had to play in the weather we had and it was tough. I hit a couple of poor iron shots in the gusty conditions.  I don’t know how much it was blowing, maybe 20 or 30 mph. The last six or seven holes were really tough, I dropped two shots. I am little disappointed in that but overall we are in a decent position.  I prefer to be three back rather than five back.

Justin Rose (Eng)

Justin Rose (Eng) Second round 68 (-4), Total 136 (-8)

For sure today it was a struggle early in my round. I was one over par through eight holes. It was a bit more windy today. Today was tough to make birdies, I wasn’t quite on my game.

I kind of bounced back pretty well. I birdied 18, my ninth hole, then had four more birdies on the front. Just the three putt on 18 (for par) was the problem. Made things not taste quite as good. At three under par I did not think I was quite in the tournament so it was nice to get myself to eight under and get myself into the tournament. I tend to play the front nine here better than the back nine anyway. I knew I had some chances coming. That is the way it proved to be again today. This is definitely a tough finish to the year everyone is starting to think about holiday time and put their feet up. But there is a lot on my mind this week, there is always something to play for. It is keeping me focused keeping me hungry. Sometimes you have to win to get to number one … it is an easier equation. My goal now is to play free golf at the weekend and chase the leader.

Jakarta, December 13: American John Catlin emerged tops in his marquee pairing by opening with a six-under-par 66 to share the first round clubhouse lead with Qualifying school graduate Sungho Lee of Korea at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri on Thursday.

Lightning activities around the Royale Jakarta Golf Club led to the suspension of play at close to 4pm (local time) before officials decided to call off play for round one about an hour later.

62 players including defending champion Justin Rose of England will resume their first round at 6.20am (local time) on Friday morning. Rose is at five-under through 14 holes.

Playing alongside Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and India’s Anirban Lahiri, Catlin showed the form that led him to three Asian Tour wins this season when he marked his card with seven birdies and one bogey to set the early pace at the Asian Tour’s season-ending event.

With only his tied-14th finish in Chinese Taipei as his best result on the Asian Tour this year, Lee is determined to put up a strong showing to end his year on a high at the US$750,000 event.

The 31-year-old Korean is currently in 95th place on the Habitat for Humanity standings and will need a huge lift to finish inside the top-62 and save his Tour card for the 2019 season.

Philippines’ Angelo Que meanwhile returned to familiar surroundings in the best of form after playing in Japan for a large part of this year.

Apart from a bogey-five on 16, the three-time Asian Tour winner showed his commanding form by signing for a 67 to stay one shot back of Catlin and Lee.

Like Que, tournament drawcard Stenson also posted a 67 to put himself in contention in his tournament debut.

Did you know?

• John Catlin is the first player to have won three times on the Asian Tour in 2018. His three victories came at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China, Sarawak Championship in Malaysia and the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei.
• After winning twice on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), Catlin finished in third place on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit in 2017 to earn his Tour card for the 2018 season.
• Catlin found 14 fairways and missed only three greens in his solid round of 66.
• Henrik Stenson is the first Swede to win the 2016 Open Championship. He is ranked 27th in the world this week but reached a career high of second place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in 2014.
• Stenson won the silver medal, finishing two shots behind gold medalist Justin Rose at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
• He is playing in Indonesia for the first time in his career.
• Sungho Lee earned his Asian Tour card from Qualifying School this year. He has made eight starts including this week’s BNI Indonesian Masters and his best result came at the Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei in October where he finished tied for 14th.
• Lee needed only 24 putts around the greens today and is playing at the BNI Indonesian Masters for the first time.
• Angelo Que won for the first time in Japan when he lifted the Top Cup Tokai Classic in September.
• Que’s last victory on the Asian Tour came in 2010 at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters in Malaysia.

Players’ Quotes:

John Catlin (Usa) First round 66 (-6)

I’m definitely pleased with my opening round. The only bogey I made was on the fourth hole where the putt lipped out from about three feet. So it was definitely a very good round. I hit a lot of good shots, it was really close on a few shots and it could have been even lower. But I’m obviously happy with a 66 on a difficult golf course. Playing with the likes of Ernie Els, Keegan Bradley, Stewart Cink gave me a lot of confidence playing with illustrious company today. Henrik’s a really nice guy and I’ve known Anirban for about four years. It was nice to play with them and see to see good shots. That definitely helped when you’re going out there and trying to make birdies. When you see other guys making birdies, that kind of pushes you. So that was more of how I was doing it today. Everyone’s was texting me and saying ‘Oh you’re playing with Henrik’. But for me, I was just more excited to watch good golf. It’ll be a huge to add a fourth win at the season-ender and it’ll be the biggest win of my career. And that’s why you tee up. Every time you’re out here, you are trying to win. That’s why you spend all those hours spent practicing to put you in this kind of position.

Sungho Lee (Kor)  First round 66 (-6)

I putted well and hit all my tee shots very well. It was very hot and I’m going to take it step- by –step as the round progresses. The key is keep myself hydrated too and stay under the shade whenever I got the chance. Course management is very important too. I got my card from Qualifying school in January and it would mean a lot to me if I can continue to keep it with a solid performance this week.

Angelo Que (Phi) First round 67 (-5)

It has been a great year for me. I had a win in Japan and everything’s good. I’ve been playing pretty solid after that win. Unfortunately, I haven’t been playing enough out here on the Asian Tour and that’s why it’s good to be back. It’s very satisfying to see yourself up there on the leaderboard, especially in the heat. You got to play well and that’s really hard to do under this kind of weather. I started pretty slow but began to hit the ball so much better and made more putts in the back-nine. The experience that I got from playing on the Asian Tour helped me to get used to the conditions in Japan which are tougher. The pin positions and tighter fairways are always challenging over there and I’m glad I can draw on my playing experience here to do well.

Henrik Stenson (Swe) First round 67 (-5)

It is my first time in Indonesia but not my first time in Asia, obviously I have played a lot of golf here. Believe it or not 17 or 18 years on the European Tour and this is my first time in Indonesia. Happy to be here and I have had a great reception. We are being looked after like royalty. I am enjoying it and the golf was pretty good today.  I hit some good shots, particularly coming in. I played better on my back nine than I did my front nine. All in all I kept it fairly tidy and did not make too many mistakes. I certainly did not play my best but I avoided making bogeys, just made one. It is a good start. Here you have to make a lot of birdies. Of course avoiding bogeys is important but looking at what Justin (Rose) did last year and seeing this course you have to keep your foot on the accelerator and make birdies. If you can make six or seven birdies a day then you will have a chance.

Leading scores after round 1 of the BNI Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7361 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (am – denotes amateur):

66 – John Catlin (USA), Sungho Lee (KOR).

67 – Angelo Que (PHI), Henrik Stenson (SWE), Thitiphun Chuayprakong (THA), Jarryd Felton (AUS), Maverick Antcliff (AUS).

68 – Rinaldi Adiyandono (INA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Khalin Joshi (IND), Danny Chia (MAS), Anirban Lahiri (IND), Scott Hend (AUS), Berry Henson (USA), Natipong Srithong (THA).

69 – John Michael O’Toole (USA), Lin Wen-tang (TPE), M Dharma (IND), Settee Prakongvech (THA), Pannakorn Uthaipas (THA), Nicholas Fung (MAS).

70 – Xiao Bowen (CHN), Casey O’Toole (USA), Mitchell Slorach (SIN), Rory Hie (INA), Siddikur Rahman (BAN), Thammanoon Sriroj (THA), Shinichi Mizuno (JPN), Lu Wei-chih (TPE).

Jakarta, December 12: It has been a breakout year on the Asian Tour for South Africa’s Justin Harding. As the season draws to a close at the BNI Indonesian Masters this week, the South African pens his thoughts on what has been a truly amazing year for him in this latest blog from Jakarta.

By Justin Harding

It’s been quite a season for me. It’s almost gone like one full circle. It’s good to come back to Indonesia as I had success here at the Indonesia Open which sparked a solid run. It’s nice to come back to a place where I have played well at. I am just hoping to finish the year off with a good result this week, make some birdies and see what happens.

Winning in Indonesia was almost like a kick-starter to like everything. It obviously gave me more opportunities to play on the Asian Tour. I am loving every minute of it, like I said to those guys week in and week out. It’s been a great new experience for me. I have never been to any of these places. I have pretty happy with the way my game has adapted to how golf should be played here in Asia. I have got a better understanding of all the grasses as well. I think my game, in general, has become a lot stronger because of this.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that as professional golfers ourselves, we have to try and push ourselves to get to the next level. The Sunshine Tour is a great Tour itself. I have had great success over there and there are a lot of good players, young and old, who have come out from there and play well on the main Tours around the world. Coming to Asia I thought was a great opportunity for me to learn. It has been an unbelievable experience and I am looking forward to see what 2019 brings.

I don’t eat quite as much in Asia compared to when I am in South Africa. It’s all pretty good. The only thing about travelling for tournaments on Tour is that you don’t get much sightseeing done. It’s usually between hotel and golf courses. I haven’t really had the opportunity to do sightseeing. It’s been too many places that we go to. I may not go home quite as much as I did this year if I were to play more in Asia next year. I haven’t been to Bali yet. I heard it’s spectacular and I am actually planning to go there next week!

It’s been a great experience. I can’t really complain. I am just enjoying the rewards now. I have made some good friends out here. Shaun Norris has been playing quite a bit in Japan. I get along with him quite well and the other South Africans as well. A couple of young players and some Indian players whom I have become friends with and a few others. It’s a friendly Tour. It’s one thing I have noticed especially this year. It’s a very welcoming part of the world. They are very friendly and hospitable.

I obviously liked to have a good result in Mauritius to move up to second place as it will make things more interesting coming down the stretch. It’s an opportunity for myself and Sanghyun Park to obviously go head to head for the second spot. He has obviously got a massive headstart this week but I got to go out and try and do my work and see if I can post a few good scores and put myself in position for the weekend. At the end of the day, starting in May when I won the Indonesia Open, I have never imagine myself in this position at the end of the year. It’s awesome to be in it and give myself that opportunity.

I have a good time in Indonesia. I quite like Thailand too and I have won there as well. I have played well about anyway in Asia which is a bonus. I am still learning and enjoying the different things out there. We’ll have some fun. I would like to try and move up the rankings in 2019 and maybe sneak in to some of the Majors. I got myself into the PGA Championship earlier.

I will have a better idea of what I can play and what I can’t play after this week. Obviously down for the Singapore Open in January to kick start the season. We will see what happens. Ultimately I want to try and broaden my focus I supposed. I have come from South Africa to play here in Asia and still going to play in Asia. There is no real game plan at the moment. I just want to focus on this week first.

Ends.

Jakarta, December 12: South Africa’s Justin Harding is ready to end his spectacular Asian Tour season with a flourish as he takes another shot at glory at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri which starts on Thursday.

The 31-year-old announced his arrival in Asia by winning his maiden Asian Tour title in what was only his first start in July.

Following his breakthrough in Indonesia, Harding would go on to clinch another back-to-back title in Thailand in his next event before going on to enjoy four other top-10s.

As his season draws to a close at the Asian Tour’s final event at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, the South African is now hoping to surmount a late challenge and take over Korea’s Sanghyun Park’s second-place position on the Habitat for Humanity standings now that India’s Shubhankar Sharma has topped the merit standings.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, who finished second at the Indonesian Masters after losing to England’s Justin Rose by eight shots last year, is determined to make amends on a golf course which he rates as one of his favourites.

Compatriot Suradit Yongcharoenchai is also banking on those ‘feel-good’ vibes at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, having shared second place with Phachara two years ago. With three top-fives this season, Suradit has set a target of finishing inside the top-30 on the Habitat for Humanity standings as the Asian Tour season comes to a close this week.

Australia’s Andrew Martin, who earned his Asian Tour card for the first time through Qualifying School this year, is also looking to create an impression at the US$750,000 event.

While he is also battling to save his Tour card for 2019, Martin is optimistic he can play true to form and continue to be rewarded with the numerous playing opportunities he has enjoyed in Asia since graduating from Qualifying School.

Did you know?

• Justin Harding won his first Asian Tour title in his first start on Tour this season at the Indonesia Open in July. He immediately took up the Tour membership on the spot after his victory.
• Harding later claimed a six-shot victory at the Royal Cup to become the first player since 2011 to win back-to-back titles on the Asian Tour.
• Phachara Khongwatmai has enjoyed a good track record at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club. He finished tied-second in 2016 and outright second last year.
• Phachara finished a career-high third place on the Merit standings in 2017, thanks to four top-five finishes which include three runner-up results.
• The Thai grabbed the last Asian Tour card on offer in 2015 when he won the season-ending Asian Development Tour (ADT) event to take the fifth spot on the ADT Order of Merit.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai is currently in 34th place on the Habitat for Humanity standings.
• He ended his 2017 season in 43rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit which allowed him to keep his card this year.
• The 20-year-old joined the play-for-pay ranks at a tender age of 16.
• Andrew Martin came through Asian Tour Qualifying School after finishing tied-20th at the final stage this year.
• The Australian is playing in his rookie year on the Asian Tour and has posted two top-10s including a tied-fifth finish at the Asia-Pacific Classic in May.
• Martin turned professional in 2006 and grew up playing and practicing with fast-rising Australian star Lucas Herbert at Neangar Park Golf Club in Bendigo, Australia.

Players’ Quotes

Justin Harding (Rsa)

I obviously liked to have a good result in Mauritius to move up to second place as it will make things more interesting coming down the stretch. It’s an opportunity for myself and Sanghyun Park to obviously go head to head for the second spot. He obviously has got a massive head start this week but I got to go out and try and do my work and see if I can post a few good scores and put myself in position for the weekend. When I won the Indonesia Open, I have never imagine myself in this position at the end of the year. It’s awesome to be in it and give myself that opportunity. It’s been quite a season for me. It’s almost gone like one full circle. It’s good to come back to Indonesia as I had success here at the Indonesia Open which sparked a solid run. It’s nice to come back to a place where I have played well at. I am just hoping to finish the year off with a good result this week, make some birdies and see what happens.

Sanghyun Park (Kor)

I don’t want to worry about all those stuff (final position on Habitat for Humanity standings). I just want to focus on my game and play well this week. It would be good if I can finish second on the Merit rankings as that will give me more playing rights in Europe next year too. Winning Shinhan Donghae Open is the highlight of my season. I played really solid that week and showed everyone that I can play good golf. It’s been a good experience coming out to play on the Asian Tour and outside of Korea. The guys have been really friendly here. They come up to talk to me and just very friendly.

Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

I like this golf course a lot. I’ve a good track record here and I hope I can get the job done this year. Things have changed and everyone’s form is different coming into this week. Justin played really well last year but I don’t think he can do it again. So let’s see. But I’m not feeling very well today. It was very hot yesterday when I played in the pro-am and my body is still trying to adjust to the heat. But I’m feeling better now so hopefully I can get off to a good start tomorrow.

Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Tha)

I feel good to be back here. It’s a course that I have played well before so it’s nice to be back. I have a lot of good memories, finishing tied-second two years ago. I have had a great season so far. This is the second straight year that I kept my card on Tour. The aim now is to finish inside top-30 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings this year. So hopefully I can play well this week. I will just stay focused on my game and see what happens. The fairways are soft and the greens are in great conditions. Good speeds on the greens too. I am looking forward to the week.

Andrew Martin (Aus)

The year has been really good as I’ve been juggling my schedule between playing in Australia and here on the Asian Tour. I’ve been playing long enough to know what I should do to keep my card. I’m not going to stress too much but just play my own game and see what happens at the end of the week. I just got to stay patient and more importantly stay cool this week. I don’t want to think too far ahead. There are probably six or seven more guys in the same position as me and it’ll be a test for all of us. It was my goal at the start of the year to finish in the top-60 on the Asian Tour. It would open a lot of doors for me next year just to have a full card again.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Jakarta, December 12: Danny Masrin tees off in the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by BTN, PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri tomorrow here at Royale Jakarta Golf Club with the hopes of a nation on his young shoulders.

As one of Indonesia’s rising stars he will attempt to make an impression on the leaderboard and indeed on the two formidable players he has been paired with in the opening two rounds … world number two and defending champion Justin Rose from England and India’s Shubhankar Sharma, the newly crowned Asian Tour number one

“I actually played in the Indonesian Masters in 2011 as an amateur and was still in senior high school. It was the year when Lee Westwood came, won and became world number one,” said Masrin.

“I came back and played in 2016 as a professional and it was a different feeling. It was my first professional tournament and obviously I was feeling nervous.”

The 26 year old missed the cut last year but tied for 54th  in 2016. A multiple winner of titles on the domestic circuit in Indonesia, he is gradually learning his trade and the results have been coming.

He showed a glimpse of his potential when he posted a career-best finish on the Asian Tour this year at the SMBC Singapore Open. He carded a five-under-par 279 to finish tied-12th.

“I have seen how this tournament has grown especially the strength of the field. I think we are having the deepest field from Asia and over the world and it’s great to see how golf has grown in Indonesia. It also brings lots of hype to the tournament and gives Asian Tour players the chance to see how we match up against these top players,” he added.

“This is a great opportunity for the juniors to see the opportunities we have in Indonesia. We have two Asian Development Tour events and two Asian Tour events in Indonesia and it’s good for the juniors who want to pursue golf as a career to know there are opportunities here.”

A total of 26 Indonesians are playing this week including the nation’s other leading golfers George Gandranata and Rory Hie.

Masrin tees off at 11.50am with his two high profile partners.

Ends.

Jakarta, December 7: The 2018 Asian Tour season will come to a close next week with the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), PT.Lautan Luas.Tbk and Bank Mandiri drawing the curtains down on what has been another unforgettable year.

While tournament draw cards Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson are expected to light up the event with their star power, all eyes will also be on India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who is widely expected to win the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.

“It’s obviously great to be able to extend my lead on the Habitat for Humanity standing after Hong Kong. But it’s not over until it’s over.  So, we just have to wait until it’s finished,” said Sharma.

South Africa’s Justin Harding, who is in third place on the Habitat for Humanity standings, still has a mathematical chance of overtaking the Indian should he win in South Africa this week and the BNI Indonesian Masters.

For Sharma, it has been a defining season where his exploits all around the world have positioned him nicely to become the fifth Indian to earn the distinction of being Asia’s number one golfer.

A two-time Asian Tour winner, Sharma won his first title in South Africa last December followed by another in Malaysia two months later in February.

He finished tied-ninth at the World Golf Championships in Mexico in March, where he led in the second and third rounds and has also enjoyed three top-10s this season.

“This year has been a huge learning curve for me. I’ve played in some of the biggest events I could ever imagine and learned a lot. I know I have the game to be among the best in the world and I just want to keep playing well and give my best shot,” said the Indian.

At the other end of the ranking, attention will also be focused on players battling to finish inside the top-60 so as to keep their full Tour cards for the 2019 season.

Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung and China’s Liu Yanwei are sitting in 62nd and 67th place respectively on the standings and are among the notable names seeking a merit lifeline at the US$750,000 event which will be played at its traditional home at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from December 13-16.

The BNI Indonesian Masters is also the final event in the world’s golfing calendar where Official World Ranking points will be afforded to players as they seek to break into the top-50 by the end of the year.

Jakarta, December 11: India’s Anirban Lahiri is back on familiar winning ground this week. The Indonesian Masters holds a special place in Lahiri’s heart as it was his win at the Royal Jakarta Golf Club in 2014 that catapulted him to further success around the world.

In his blog from Jakarta, the 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit, who holds seven Tour victories, also opens up about how he is looking forward to his reunion with his friends on the Asian Tour and his younger compatriot, who like him, has also earned the distinction of being Asia’s number one golfer.

By Anirban Lahiri

“It’s nice to come back to a golf course where I have had success before. Coming back to play a full-field event on the Asian Tour is great. I haven’t done this since 2015. It’s nice to see a lot of familiar faces out here and also some new faces who have been making waves as well.

Catching up with the Indian boys who have come up the ranks but I haven’t had much interaction with for the past few years too. It’s great fun. It’s obviously the most fun Tour in the world, without a doubt and it’s my home Tour. It’s just comfortable to come back to this part of the world. I feel at home.

My victory here in 2014 sparked everything and it’s probably the best phase of my career. I gained a lot of confidence from my win here back then. When I walk down the fairways, I feel a lot of positive vibes which gave me a lot of confidence.

My game’s been good but it hasn’t been quite good enough for four days to win. Maybe I need some of these positive vibes to get me back into that winning mode so I can get over the line.

I’m been living in the United States for the last few years. We have settled down nicely. We’ve got a house and we’ve been there for three years now. Obviously, the environment is different from what we get here, even on Tour it’s different.

Off the course in America, it’s very quiet and it’s not as busy. It’s not as hectic as what it would have been in India and that’s something which I have enjoyed, for both my wife and myself. It’s nice to be back in Asia and spend some time with my family and friends in India during this period. It’s a good time of the year and I have been looking forward to this after a long grind earlier.

I don’t think it’s a sacrifice to be away from home. It’s my choice. Every choice you make, you make for your own best interest. I made a difficult choice but it’s a choice which I made so I don’t regret it or feel bad about it. I accept it and I am very happy with the choices that I have made so far. It’s tough work to be away from home and moving out from something you grew up with. I’ve crossed that phase now and I’m comfortable with where I am now.

Shubhankar has played such amazing golf this year and late last year as well. It’s nothing like a one-tournament wonder. He has kept his performance level up and he’s been very consistent, especially in the big events. He’s a superb kid, very hardworking and smart too. Obviously has aspirations of coming to the States as well so hopefully he can achieve that and I can have some company and fun over there.”