Seven share lead in Tugu Pratama Open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Seven players share the lead after yesterday's
\nopening round of the Tugu Pratama Golf Championship at the 7,141-
\nyard Bumi Serpong Damai Golf and Country club near here.<\/p>\n
Singaporean veteran Madasamy Murugiah might well have finished
\nthe day in sole possession of the first place if it had not been
\nfor a double bogey on the par-4 15th.<\/p>\n
"I hit an atrocious tee shot there," said Murugiah, who came
\noff his driver and watched his ball disappear into the
\nundergrowth.<\/p>\n
"The ball was unplayable so I returned to the tee and parred
\nthe hole with my second ball," he said.<\/p>\n
He birdied the next two holes for a total of eight birdies in
\nhis round.<\/p>\n
The other six golfers who finished yesterday on 7-under-par
\n65s are Sweden's Daniel Chopra, Taiwan's Li Wen-sheng, Thailand's
\nThammrnamoon Sriroj, Mars Pucay of the Philippines, South African
\nNico van Rensburgh and American Fran Quinn.<\/p>\n
Three shots back are four golfers on 68. They are Clay Devers,
\nJohn Kernohan and Charlie Wi, all from the U.S.A., and South
\nKorean Lee Joon-suk. Thirty-three other players in the fray for
\nthe US$250,000 cash prizes managed to break par at the course
\ndesigned by American golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.<\/p>\n
"It's a long course especially in these moist conditions and
\nit is also very challenging," said van Rensburg, who made three
\nbirdies and an eagle in his round.<\/p>\n
"If you can hit the ball far enough then there is plenty of
\nroom on the fairways," added the South African, who reached the
\n536-yard par-5 in two with a driver and a five iron and holed
\nfrom 20 feet.<\/p>\n
For Murugiah it was another good performance in Indonesia. The
\n32-year-old has won the tournament twice, most recently in 1994,
\nand also won the ASEAN Indonesian Championship in 1995.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia has been good to me over the years. I have had my
\nbest wins here," said Murugiah, whose 1994 PGA win was achieved
\non the same course.<\/p>\n
Chopra, a regular player in major events in Indonesia in
\nrecent years, who is dubbed the rising star of the European Tour,
\nyesterday however, managed not to drop any shots in his round
\ncontaining five birdies. The 22-year-old, who finished 36th on
\nthis year's European Tour Order of Merit, is a former winner in
\nAsia having won the 1995 Republic of China Open and the 1994
\nMalaysia PGA.<\/p>\n
Maan Naasim, Indonesia's best hope among the 12 local golfers,
\nwas among the 33 who broke par. Maan, who has played in the
\nDunhill Cup, one of the world's most prestigious tournaments,
\nyesterday carded a 1-under par-71 (36-35) with four birdies and
\nthree bogeys.<\/p>\n
The four-day event is the 19th leg of this year's Omega Tour
\nand is the tour's first ever visit to Indonesia. (rsl)<\/p>\n
Selected results:
\n 67 - Marciano Pucay (Phi), Li Wen-sheng (Tai), Thammanoon Sriroj
\n(Tha), Madasamy Murugiah (Sin), Danniel Chopra (Swe), Fran Quinn
\n(USA), Nico van Rensburg (Rsa)
\n 68 - Lee Joon-suk (Kor), Clar Devers (USA), Charlle Wi (USA)
\n 69 - Shin Yong-jin (Kor), Greg Hanflahan (USA), Prayad Marksaeng
\n(Tha), Moo Joong-kyun (Kor), Eric Rustand (USA)
\n 70 - Jerry Smith (USA), Kim Jong-duk (Kor), Jeff Senior (USA),
\nCarlos Espinosa (Mex), Jeef Milka Singh (Ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/seven-share-lead-in-tugu-pratama-open-1447893297",
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