Jakarta, Indonesia, August 21: Singapore veteran Mardan Mamat rolled back the years to fire a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to seize the opening round lead by one shot at the US$110,000 Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament presented by Panasonic on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old, a five-time Asian Tour winner, highlighted his flawless card with four birdies and an eagle to sit atop at the event, which is celebrating its sixth consecutive edition as one of the richest tournaments on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) this week.

American Tarik Can and Daniel Fox of Australia trail a shot behind in second spot following matching 67s at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course – BSD Course by Damai Indah Golf in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta.

Japan’s Naoki Sekito kicked off his bid for a third ADT title with a solid 68 to be tied for fourth with compatriot Ryuichi Oiwa, Sean Kelly and Brett Munson of the United States, India’s Arjun Prasad and Singapore’s Mitchell Slorach.

Defending champion and reigning Order of Merit champion Miguel Carballo of Argentina posted a 70 to lurk four shots off the pace in tied-13th.

Mardan, who finished a creditable tied-16th at the Sarawak Championship last week, was pleased to carry his fine momentum into this week’s event.

“It was a good round,  I hit the ball good. Didn’t make any bogeys. I managed to hole a lot of putts too. Last week’s results certainly gave me a lot of confidence.

“The putter has been working well for me these two weeks. Hopefully it stays hot. 

“I’ve changed my mindset a little as well. I told myself not to have high expectations. I guess that helps, ” said Mardan.

Starting off from the 10th tee, Mardan enjoyed a decent start with two birdies in his opening five holes to make the turn at 34 before gaining four more shots on is way home courtesy of an eagle on the par-five 4th and a pair of birdies on 1st and 8th.

Mardan said he took advantage of the familiarity with the course he had fond memories with.

“Coming back here to the course that I have played since my amateur days and one that I am very familiar with, I felt good.  The course is in great conditions too. 

“I had about 210 yards to the pin on the par-five 4th hole and  hit it to about eight-feet and made that putt for eagle.”

Elki Kow impressed for the local contingent by carding a 69 for a share of 10th place with former Asian Tour winner Steve Lewton of England and Joohyung Kim of Korea, the PGM ADT Tiara Melaka Championship winner last month and currently sits in third place on the ADT Order of Merit.

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. 

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered for all ADT events. The winner will earn a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale. 

Ends.

Jakarta, Indonesia, August 20: Japan’s Naoki Sekito will be a man on a mission when he competes in the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament 2019 presented by Panasonic, starting on Wednesday.

Sekito has set his sights on sealing the all-important third Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory at the BSD Course by Damai Indah Golf, in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta this week that would earn him an immediate promotion to the Asian Tour.

The 21-year-old had already claimed two titles to date, winning the PGM ADT Penang Championship in April and the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational during his last trip to Indonesia a fortnight ago.

Sekito had the opportunity to play in last week’s Sarawak Championship through a sponsor’s invitation. Despite missing the cut, the two days of golf was enough to whet his appetite for more action on the region’s premier Tour.

“I was so lucky to get invited for the tournament and I would like to thank Asian Tour for that,”

“Despite missing the cut in Sarawak, I had so much fun, and it was nothing but an eye-opening experience. I can’t wait to take on the big boys again, so I have vowed to return to Asian Tour as soon as I can,” said Sekito, also a three-time runner-up on the ADT this season.

“And the opportunity is just right there for me to make it count. One more win, I’ll get to play the remainder of the season.

“I plan to play six more tournaments, so hopefully it would come soon enough,” added the Japanese.

However, Sekito needs no reminder that winning an ADT event is not going to be a straightforward affair, despite his fantastic record.

“It’s not going to be easy. I know exactly how tough because I had to settle for second on three occasions, one of them through a playoff defeat,” he said.

“I’m quite confident with my game at the moment. As long as I play good, hitting and putting well, I should be able to get into top-10, or top-five.

“That’s what I’m always aiming for, especially do well enough in the first two days to be in contention. I will never pressure myself that I must play to win the tournament,” said Sekito.

Winning his third title or not, Sekito said it is also equally important for him to mind his gap with his closest rivals in the ADT Order of Merit race.

Sekito currently leads the standings with US$42,595, way ahead of second-place Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand (US$28,152.85) and third-place Joohyung Kim of South Korea (US$21,977.85).

“Nothing is certain until the season ends. I will not rest on my laurels just because I have a big lead,” he said.

“Winning the ADT Order of Merit is top of my agenda. Even if I don’t get my third win, I still want to qualify for Asian Tour with better exemption status as an Order of Merit champion.”

Danny Masrin, who finished a respectable tied-21st in Kuching last week, will lead the local charge alongside George Gandranata, who holds the distinction of being the first Indonesian ADT winner when he earned his breakthrough in 2016.

They will be part of the 34-man local contingent vying to become the first Indonesian to win an ADT event on home soil this week.

There is plenty to play for as the best-placed Indonesian at the end of the tournament will earn a spot at the Panasonic Open Japan in 2020.

Masrin had qualified for the event in 2017 and 2018 and he made the opportunities count by finishing creditable tied-19th and tied-fourth respectively.  

Co-sanctioned by the ADT and the Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia, the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament 2019 presented by Panasonic will be the 11th leg of the 2019 ADT season and the third event to be played in Indonesia this year.

Reigning ADT Order of Merit champion and last year’s winner Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Sweden’s Oscar Zetterwall, the 2016 champion, are also set to feature in the event this week.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season and the winner of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament will take home a prize purse of US$19,250.

Ends.

Bogor, Indonesia, August 2: Japan’s Naoki Sekito completed a convincing 11-shot victory at the inaugural Gunung Guelis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura to claim his second Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory on Friday.

The 21-year-old Sekito, who led from start to finish, entered the final round with a comfortable eight-shot lead and ran away with his second title of the season after closing with a five-under-par 65 and a winning total of 22-under-par 258 at the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club.

Thailand’s Kwanchai Tannin posted a 68 to take second place while his compatriots Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (64) and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (65) came in third and fourth place on 270 and 272 respectively at the US$75,000 event.

Sekito cemented his lead atop the ADT Order of Merit with his runaway victory, which saw him take home a winner’s prize purse of US$13,125 and receive six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

“I can’t explain how happy I am right now. I didn’t expect myself to win twice at the start of the season. I know I just need one more win on the ADT to gain playing rights on the Asian Tour for the remainder of the season so that is my next goal now.

“The ADT has been a great training ground for me. I don’t get to play a lot of four-day events back home so it’s good to be able to hone my skills on the ADT. The standard of play here is high-level too so I definitely learned and benefit a lot from playing on the ADT,” said Sekito.

Sekito set a new course record at the east course when he opened his campaign with a 62. He pulled away from the field by carding rounds of 67 and 64 before firing six birdies against a bogey for a closing 65.

“The overnight eight-shot lead did help me stay calm and composed out there today but I told myself to just focus on reaching my target of 20-under-par. I did that and it felt really good,” added Sekito.

After turning professional at the start of 2018, Sekito attempted to secure his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School but an unsuccessful bid saw him switch his focus to the ADT, where he missed only three cuts in 13 starts and notched a top-five result.

Sekito endured another futile attempt at the 2019 Qualifying School but an invite to the PGM UMW ADT Championship earlier in March turned his career around as he capped a commendable joint runner-up finish in what was his first start on the ADT this season.

He would extend his fine form to the PGM ADT Penang Championship in April where he claimed a one-shot victory for his first ADT title and the Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei Championships the following week, where he finished solo second.

Sekito continued to taste success on the region’s secondary circuit as he notched another tied-second place finish in Malaysia last month to take over the Order of Merit lead from Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat.

Sekito leads the Order of Merit now with a season’s haul of US$42,595 following his victory in Indonesia, widening the gap between him and second-placed Itthipat to more than US$14,000.

Ends.

Bogor, Indonesia, August 1: A blistering back nine 31 highlighted by five birdies in-a-row saw Japan’s Naoki Sekito romp to a massive eight-shot lead following the penultimate round of the US$75,000 Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura on Thursday.

Sekito, who had held the lead since the opening round, never let anyone come close to him as he marked the day’s lowest round with a six-under-par 64 and extended his dominance atop the leaderboard to a 17-under-par 193 total at the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club.

Thailand’s Kwanchai Tannin recorded a second straight 66 to take second place while Gregory Foo of Singapore posted a solid 65 to move to third place on 205. Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai settled a further shot back in fourth following a second straight 68.

The 21-year-old Sekito started his round in style by draining a 30-footer for birdie on the par-four first hole. He would make another birdie on seven and drop a shot on nine before setting the back nine on fire with five straight birdies from the 10^th hole.

“I got off to a good start today and that boosted my confidence heading into the round. I actually hit a bad second shot so I was really happy to make that long birdie putt on that hole,” said Sekito, the current Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader.

“I don’t want to think about winning just yet. My target is to finish 20-under-par. It’s been a great season for me so far. I will continue to do the same for tomorrow and we will see how it goes,” added Sekito, who had set a new course record with his opening 62 before carding a 67 to seize a four-shot lead heading into the third round.

Sekito took advantage of his impeccable short game which sparked his hot run with a tap-in birdie on 10^th and an eight-footer downhill birdie putt on 11^th before chipping it close to set up another birdie on the 12^th hole.

Sekito, who is chasing for his second ADT title, found the green in two shots on the par-five 13^th hole before making two putts for birdie. He would go on to roll a 10-footer in for his fifth consecutive birdie on the par-four 14^th hole.

After turning professional at the start of 2018, Sekito attempted to secure his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School but an unsuccessful bid saw him switch his focus to the ADT, where he missed only three cuts in 13 starts and notched a top-five result.

Sekito endured another futile attempt at the 2019 Qualifying School but an invite to the PGM UMW ADT Championship in March turned his career around as he capped a commendable joint runner-up finish in what was his first start on the ADT this season.

He would extend his fine form to the PGM ADT Penang Championship in April where he claimed a one-shot victory for his first ADT title and the Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei Championships the following week, where he finished solo second.

Sekito continued to taste success on the region’s secondary circuit as he notched another tied-second place finish in Malaysia last month to take over the Order of Merit lead from Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat.

The Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura is the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season and the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club is hosting an ADT event for the third time since it first opened in 1992.

Ends.

Bogor, Indonesia, July 31: Naoki Sekito of Japan remained in control at the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura as a resolute three-under-par 67 put him four strokes clear of the field at the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.

Sekito, the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader, opened up a three-shot lead after setting the course record with a spectacular 62. He returned to fire seven birdies against four bogeys under blustery conditions for a 11-under-par 129 total in the US$75,000 event.

The 21-year-old Sekito, who has claimed one victory and three runner-up finishes in just six starts on the region’s secondary circuit this season, rode on a hot putter to cap a commendable round, highlighted by four birdies in-a-row from the fourth hole.

“I putted better than I did yesterday to be honest. My iron-play wasn’t as good. It was really windy this morning and that made it really tough to score out there. But I putted well and was able to make putts from 15 to 18 feet,” said Sekito, who amassed 28 putts in total.

Starting from the 10^th hole, Sekito birdied two of his opening four holes before dropping shots on 14 and 17. A birdie on 18 saw him turn in with a 35 and he would go on to four straight birdies before closing with back-to-back bogeys.

“I made a good birdie on the 18^th hole. I hit a three-wood off the tee and had about 125 yards to the pin. From there, I hit a 50 degree to about 10 feet and made that putt for birdie. That gave me some good momentum heading into my back-nine today,” Sekito added.

Australian Shae Wools-Cobb, playing in only his third start on the ADT this season, signed for a 66 to take second place while Thai trio Poom Pattaropong, Pannakorn Uthaipas and Kwanchai Tannin shared third place on matching 135s following respective rounds of 70, 67 and 66.

The halfway cut was set at five-over-par 145 with a total of 56 players, including an amateur, progressing into the weekend rounds.

The Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura is the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season and the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club is hosting an ADT event for the third time since it first opened in 1992.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season and the winner of the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational will take home a prize purse of US$13,125.

Ends.

Bogor, Indonesia, July 30: Japan’s Naoki Sekito set a new course record at the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club after opening his campaign with a spectacular eight-under-par 62 at the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Sekito, who leads the current Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit, returned with a bogey-free round highlighted by eight birdies to grab a three-shot lead in the inaugural US$75,000 event.

Sekito, playing in his second year on the ADT, is enjoying a superb season so far with one victory and three runner-up finishes in just six starts on the region’s secondary circuit.

“I didn’t miss a single green today,” said Sekito. “I played my irons well and I hit some good drives to give myself good chances out there. I haven’t been putting well the last few weeks, so I was feeling a little nervous when I started out from the first hole today.”

“I had a six-iron off the tee but it went into the bunker. I then hit a pitching wedge to around five feet and made the birdie putt. That gave me quite a bit of confidence heading into the round.

“It feels good to be leading the Order of Merit. I know there are a lot of good players out there but I will definitely do my best to challenge for the Merit title,” added the young Japanese, who took over the Merit lead following his tied-second place finish in Malaysia last month.

George Gandranata, who holds the honour of being the first Indonesian to win on the ADT in 2016, signed for a 65 to sit in second place alongside Japan’s Shinichi Mizuno and Poom Pattaropong of Thailand.

Reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Miguel Carballo of Argentina came in a further shot back to share fifth place with Singapore’s Jesse Yap, Thailand’s Tawit Polthai and Malaysian amateur Galven Green.

Gandranata, who enjoyed a fourth-place finish when he played an ADT event on the same course last year, said: “I got off to a bad start from the 10^th but I told myself to stay composed and I kept grinding out there. The birdie on 12^th calmed me down a bit and I was able to focus better from there.

“It was nice to eagle the seventh hole. I’ve been hitting fades during my practice rounds but today, I decided to play aggressive on that hole. I drove it to about 200 yards from the pin and hit a nice draw to like nine feet before making that downhill putt,” added Gandranata, who marked his card with an eagle and five birdies against two bogeys.

Green, one of the six amateurs in the field this week, was delighted to get off to a commendable start with his father on the bag and his mother and older brother Gavin supporting him from outside the ropes.

“I played solid. I managed to keep the ball in play and I made some putts out there. I made a nice eagle on the par-five seventh. I hit a good drive to about 130m from the pin and then hit it to about 15 feet before making the eagle putt.

“It’s good support from my family out there. I’m happy to get off to a good start. The greens are really tricky here. You need to miss it in the right places to have a chance to score out there,” said the 19-year-old Green.

The Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura is the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season and the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club is hosting an ADT event for the third time since it first opened in 1992.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season and the winner of the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational will take home a prize purse of US$13,125.

Bogor, Indonesia, July 29: Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat hopes to steer himself back into the driver’s seat on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit with a fine showing at the inaugural Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura which starts on Tuesday.

Itthipat led the Order of Merit after securing his third ADT victory at the season-opening Boonchu Ruangkit Championship on home soil in January. He went on to notch two top-10 finishes in his next five starts to maintain his reign atop the money list.

A tied-32nd place finish at the ADT event in Malaysia last month, however, saw him relinquish his Merit lead for the first time this season to second place as Japan’s Naoki Sekito took over the top spot with his joint runner-up finish.

The 26-year-old Thai, who earned his 2019 Asian Tour card after finishing third at the Qualifying School last December, has been very consistent throughout the season, having not missed a single cut in seven starts on the region’s secondary circuit this season.

Itthipat is set to spearhead the talented field alongside Merit leader Sekito and Joohyung Kim of Korea at the US$75,000 event, which will take place at the highly rated Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club, located in Bogor, about 50 kilometres from the national capital of Jakarta.

“The course looks beautiful. I felt like I’m playing the Santiburi Samui Country Club in Thailand. It’s really nice out there,” said Itthipat, who is chasing to become the third Thai player, following Pavit Tangkamolprasert (2014) and Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) to lift the ADT Order of Merit crown.

“I feel well-prepared for this week. I just need to drop some putts this week. If I can do that, I should be able to play well and enjoy myself out there. It has been a great season so far. The goal is to get better in the remainder of the season.

“Regaining the lead on the ADT Order of Merit with a good result this week would give me a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season. I am definitely chasing to win the Order of Merit,” added the amiable Thai.

Danny Masrin, the highest-ranked Indonesian, will lead the local charge alongside George Gandranata, who holds the honour of being the first Indonesian to win on the ADT in 2016. They will be part of the 33-man strong local contingent vying to become the first Indonesian to win an ADT event on home soil this week.

The Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational supported by Nomura is the Tour’s second stop in Indonesia this season and the Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club will be hosting an ADT event for the third time since it first opened in 1992.

Reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Miguel Carballo of Argentina, 2017 Order of Merit winner Pannakorn Uthaipas and four-time ADT winner Panuwat Muenlek are also set to feature in the inaugural event this week.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season and the winner of the Gunung Geulis Golf Invitational will take home a prize purse of US$13,125.

Ends.