Oct 20, 2017: Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar will be bidding to become the first player to win the Indonesia Open three times when the US$300,000 full-field Asian Tour event returns with new presenting sponsors next week.
Bhullar will lead a host of stars, including Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and India’s rising star Ajeetesh Sandhu, to his winning ground at the Pondok Indah Golf Course from October 26 to 29.
“There are always positive vibes on me when I go to Indonesia. I will always end up playing well, especially at that golf course, which is one the best that I have played in a long time,” said the 29-year-old Bhullar.
Bhullar returned to complete three remaining holes on Monday last year after play was abandoned due to bad weather on Sunday. He won by three shots for his seventh Asian Tour victory which was also his second one in two months.
“I remembered playing really well from tee to green last year. The putter was hot and it gave me the opportunity to get off to a good start and eventually win the tournament.
“It wasn’t easy for me to close the deal but I was just feeling positive playing in Indonesia. I was on good form too, having just won in Korea before that. I look forward to return to Indonesia next week,” Bhullar added.
Bhullar became the fifth player after Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand, Frankie Minoza of the Philippines and Lu Hsi-chuen of Chinese Taipei to win the prestigious event twice.
While a stellar cast is set to light up the Indonesia Open next week, officials also announced, in an exciting development of the tournament, the new presenting sponsors who are supporting the event this year.
The storied event will be backed by Indonesian State owned Enterprises company, namely Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) and Telkom Indonesia.
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta Po, President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia said: “On behalf of our association, I would like to thank all the presenting sponsors for their outstanding support. Our national championship is a very important event and we are very excited with its return on the Asian Tour next week.
“We hope this event will go a long way in the development of golf not only in the country but also across the region. It will be a great opportunity for Indonesian golfers, both professionals and amateurs, as they get to compete against the best players from the Asian Tour.”
Josh Burack, CEO of the Asian Tour, expressed his appreciation: “On behalf of our talented players, I would also like to extend our deepest appreciation to all the presenting sponsors for their commitment and support.
“The Indonesia Open is one of the most popular national Opens in Asia. We believe this is a wonderful sign for the development and growth of professional golf in Asia and we are confident our players will continue to excite the local galleries next week.”
Asian Tour Release
