Jakarta: Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant, Liang Wen-chong and Jyoti Randhawa, all Asian Tour Order of Merit winners, will lead an impressive line-up of stars at the Indonesia Open next week.
The quartet, who has won a combined total of seven Order of Merit crowns, will be joined by two-time Major champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, exciting Spanish talent Pablo Larrazabal and local hero Rory Hie at the Pantai Indah Kapuk course at Damai Indah Golf.
Anirban Lahiri of India, Siddikur of Bangladesh, Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, Thai duo Pariya Junhasavasdikul and Chawalit Plaphol, who have all won on the Asian Tour this season, will also feature in the US$750,000 event from November 28 to December 1.
Nicholas Fung of Malaysia and Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, who finished tied fifth at the Resorts World Manila Masters last week, Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka and Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea are among the region’s rising stars who will aim for their first Asian Tour title in Indonesia.
After an uncharacteristic slow start to the season, Thai veteran Thaworn, winner of the 2005 Indonesia Open, hit top form when he notched his 16th Asian Tour title at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Chinese Taipei in September.
Since his victory, the 46-year-old Thaworn has posted one top-10 result and a tied 13th finish in the Philippines last week to give himself a slight boost on the Order of Merit where he is ranked 19th.
“This is golf. Sometimes your form is good and sometimes you struggle with your game. You just need to continue practising and hope that your game gets better. I was very proud when I won in Chinese Taipei. I thought it would be much harder for me to win at this age but I was lucky to win!” said Thaworn.
Randhawa, an eight-time Asian Tour champion but not since 2009, believes he still has the game to end his title drought on the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its 10th season in 2013.
“There are a couple of things that’s been holding me back from getting another win. I made a few swing changes and I wasn’t feeling confident under pressure,” said the 41-year-old Randhawa, who was the first Indian to win the Order of Merit in 2002.
“You got to have at least three good rounds and one mediocre round to win. I’ve had two or one good round so it is getting there. I’m feeling very good with my swing so hopefully I can hold it until the end of the season,” he added.
Man of the moment Liang, China’s first Order of Merit winner, won his third Asian Tour title in the Philippines last week despite nursing a hand injury which he hopes will be fully recovered before the Indonesia Open.
“I was still nursing an old hand injury last week. It was actually quite bad and I thought of withdrawing from the event (Resorts World Manila Masters). Luckily it got better after my visit to the physiotherapist,” said Liang, who generously donated 50% of his winnings to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
Fans from around the world can also watch these world class golfers in action through the live broadcast on the Asian Tour Media platform. Asian Tour Media will produce 16 hours of live coverage from the event which will be seen across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America plus further coverage and distribution generated via the highlights and magazine programmes from the event, resulting in global media exposure for all the sponsors involved in this prestigious tournament.
Established in 1974, the Indonesia Open, which is making a return onto the Asian Tour schedule after a lapse of several years, boasts of a roll of honour that includes prominent names such as the late American Payne Stewart, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand, Filipino legend Frankie Minoza, Australia’s Craig Parry, Chinese Taipei’s Lu Chien-soon, Myanmar’s Mya Aye and Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, who are both Asian Tour Order of Merit champions.
The 2013 Indonesia Open is supported by some of the most recognisable domestic and international brands, which include BANK BRI, Total E&P Indonesie, Pertamina, Japfa, PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, JS Luwansa Hotel & Convention Center, Harum Energy, Bintang, Subway, Beringer, Srixon, Loewe, Danone, Hypernet, Ricoh and Maui Jim.
