Amateur JGC golfer wins pro Tour

Amateur JGC golfer wins pro Tour

JAKARTA: Rizal Arya from the Jakarta Golf Club became the
first amateur player to ever win a professional 2003 tournament
when he finished the two-day PGPI Mini Tour II with a total score
of 2-over 146 (72 74) on Wednesday.

The Tour, being played at the Riverside Golf and Country Club
in Cimanggis, West Java, is organized every three months by the
Association of Indonesian Professional Golfers (PGPI).

Overnight sole leader Sukamdi from Medan, North Sumatra, had
to be content with fourth place after carding a poor 6-over 78 in
the final round on Thursday for a total score of 148 (70 78).

Kasiadi from Surabaya, who became the first Indonesian golfer
to win the US$120,000 Indonesia Open in the late 1980s, tied with
Sanusi, with each carding a 147 (72 75). The two shared the top
prize and second prize, with each pocketing Rp 11 million.

Rizal, as an amateur was restricted to collecting the cash
prize total of Rp 75 million (US$9,500). --JP

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ANPAs..r..
Putbrief-Billiard-BaliOpen
Six countries join Bali billiard meet
JP/9/Brief

Six countries join Bali billiard meet

JAKARTA: Billiard participants from six Asian countries are
taking part in the A Mild Billiard Bali Open Tournament 2003,
which began in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday, according to a
report.

Malaysia, India, Singapore and Vietnam have three players each
while L. Corteza is the sole Philippines' contender in the Asian
Pocket Billiard Union (APBU)-sanctioned tournament, which will
run until Saturday at the Paradiso Billiard.

Indonesia is fielding 23 players, three of whom are past
champions. Five gained entry to the tournament after putting on
good performances in the earlier 2003 events sanctioned by the
Indonesian Billiard & Snooker Association (Pobsi).

Four of the 23 come from Pobsi's Bali chapter, while the
remaining 11 were selected from other provincial chapters, which
have one participant in the competition apiece. --JP

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Putbrief-Rally-Ford
F-1 drivers to try out rally car
JP/9/Brief

F-1 drivers to try out rally car

LONDON: Ford is to give Formula One drivers Giancarlo
Fisichella and Ralph Firman a taste of rallying before Sunday's
European Grand Prix.

A Ford spokeswoman said on Tuesday that Estonian Markko
Martin, winner of this month's Acropolis Rally, will give both
Jordan drivers a ride in last year's Focus WRC car before handing
over the wheel to them.

Martin will probably try out a Jordan Formula One car, which
has a Ford Cosworth engine, later in the year but no date has
been fixed yet.

Britain's world rally champion Colin McRae tried out a Jordan
Formula One car in a test at Silverstone in 1996. --Reuters

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Putbriefs-Award-Ronadlo
France honors Ronaldo, MacArthur
JP/9/Brief

France honors Ronaldo, MacArthur

PARIS: World Footballer of the Year Ronaldo and British
yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur were honored by France here on
Tuesday.

Two days after winning the Spanish league title with Real
Madrid, Ronaldo was at the ceremony to collect the French Academy
of Sports' Grand Prix 2002 award for the "best sporting
achievement in the world" in recognition of his top-scoring
exploits at the World Cup where he lead Brazil to a fifth title.

Ronaldo was presented with his award by International Olympic
Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge and Professor Gerard
Saillant, the Paris-based surgeon who performed the career-saving
surgery on the striker's knee injury two years ago.

The loudest round of applause of the night was reserved for
MacArthur, who reinforced her star status in France by winning
the Route du Rhum race last year. --AFP