BMW Golf Cup Int'l 1997 tees off at Jagorawi today

JAKARTA (JP): Two male and one female amateur golfers out of 2,500, will be chosen to represent Indonesia in the BMW Golf Cup International 1997 through a series of selection matches starting today.

The selection tournaments, which will be on 14 golf courses, start today at the par-72 Jagorawi course near Bogor.

The following qualification rounds will be at Ancol Golf Club in North Jakarta on June 11, Yani Golf Club in Surabaya on June 22, Pangkalan Jati in the Jakarta's southern outskirts on June 27.

"The large field of golfers are from golf clubs throughout the country and have a maximum handicap of 12 for flight A male and 28 for group B male players and for female players," a top BMW Indonesia official said yesterday.

About 65,000 golfers from 25 countries will compete in 450 qualifying rounds around the world, making the annual BMW Cup the world's biggest amateur golf event.

Five Asian countries Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia are among the 25 nations competing for three spots each for the international final round in Portugal.

Indonesia Golf Association secretary-general Taufic Aziz said "only one winner in each division from all the local qualifying rounds will be selected to play in the national selection final at the par-72 Bumi Serpong Damai on September 7".

From this national selection final three golfers, one from flight A, one from group B and one woman, will be named to represent Indonesia in the international final from Nov. 11 to Nov. 16 at Caesar Park, Penha Golf Resort, Portugal.

From Pangkalan Jati the selection rounds will move to Gunung Geulis near Puncak, West Java on June 29, Pamitran Golf Club in Medan, North Sumatra on July 6, Pantai Indah Kapuk on July 13, Bandung Giri Gahana on July 20, Modern Golf Club on July 26, Halim Golf Club on Aug. 3, Jakarta Golf Club on Aug. 9 and August 10, Pondok Cabe on Aug. 24 and finally the Pondok Indah Country Club on Aug. 31.

"The winners from the qualifying rounds outside Jakarta will proceed to Bumi Serpong Damai in Tangerang for the final round and get free air tickets from local BMW representatives in their regions," Indonesian BMW representative PT Tjahaja Sakti's Bintoro Tjitrowirjo said.

Indonesia was represented last year by Trisastra Delima from Manado, North Sulawesi, Eddie Widjaja from Bandung and the woman was Khairani from Medan. They won the team event at last year's championship in Fancourt Resort, George, South Africa. (rsl)