January 5, 2009: The Damai Indah Golf PIK Course in Jakarta will play host to some of Indonesia’s future golfing stars when the second Faldo Series Asia Indonesia Championship tees off on the slightly later date of February 9-10, 2009.
70 of the country’s brightest prospects, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, will be bidding for a place in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at China’s Mission Hills Golf Club and the chance to spend time with its host, six-time Major winner Nick Faldo. Favourites in the field will include last year’s champion Agnes Retno Sudjasmin, plus 2007 age-group winners Rinaldi Adiandono, Dennis Fella, Ujang Zarems and Noviandra.
Faldo commented: “Indonesia is really growing in the world of golf, with some high-profile tournaments, some wonderful golf courses and some talented players starting to emerge. To take these players to the next level and develop future Asian Tour champions, I believe they need as much tournament experience as possible, and I hope the Faldo Series will play a part in providing this.”
The competitors will experience strict tournament conditions on the prestigious PIK Course, host to the Asian Tour’s 2008 Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational, while off the course they will receive expert advice from guest speakers. Children from the local community will also be attending to receive free coaching and watch the competitors in action, part of Faldo’s drive to simultaneously create access to the sport at a grass-roots level.
Supported by UBS, Mission Hills and The R&A since its launch in 2006, the Indonesia Championship is one of 12 Faldo Series Asia events in 2008/2009, including four in China plus one in each of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, over 60 competitors from across the region will qualify for the Grand Final on March 25-27, 2009. As well as spending time with Faldo, the finalists will be hoping to emulate the 2007 champion, 17-year-old Rashid Khan of India who earned himself a place in the 2008 Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil and, courtesy of the Asian Tour, a start in the 2008 Volvo Masters of Asia.
Anyone wishing to attend the Indonesia Championship, players or spectators, should contact Damai Indah Golf on jhonry@damaiindah-golf.com or visit the website at www.damaiindah-golf.com.
