Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24: George Gandranata of Indonesia hopes to get his season back on track at the PGM Northport Championship that tees off on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old’s bright start to 2018 was halted due to a bout of dengue fever in the middle of the year. Now that he has fully recovered, Gandranata is looking forward to bouncing back at the RM225,000 (approximately US$58,000) event in Glenmarie Golf and Country Club. 

“When you are healthy, you tend to take things for granted. Dengue is really bad and I’ve had a terrible experience from it. I’m happy to be practising and competing again,” explained Gandranata.

Gandranata made his career breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 when he won his first title in Langkawi, Malaysia. At the start of this year’s ADT season, he made the cut at two consecutive events before posting a top-five finish in Indonesia in March.

He is rediscovering his form after playing four competitive rounds at his National Open a fortnight ago.

“I played quite well at the Indonesia Open, except for my shots off the tee. Hopefully, the swing gets better in Malaysia. My putting and short game though, are coming together. So, I’m feeling pretty good and I’m looking forward to competing at the PGM Northport Championship.

“My main goal is to finish the ADT season in the top-seven of the money list and earn an Asian Tour card for next year. Hopefully, I can build a good momentum starting from this week’s tournament,” he added.

Johnson Poh of Singapore

The Indonesian will be one of the leading contenders in Malaysia along with Singapore’s Johnson Poh and Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij, both who have won on the ADT this year.

Other notable names in the field include Mathiam Keyser of South Africa, Josh Salah of the United States and Martin Dive of Australia.

The PGM Northport Championship is the 10th leg on the ADT’s 2018 schedule. All ADT events are afforded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status. The winner of each tournament receives a minimum of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Ends.

About Asian Development Tour

The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Web.com Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading five players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points.