Kasiyadi reclaims lead in JJGF Open c'ship

BOGOR (JP): Kasiyadi regained form to reclaim the lead in the Rp 200 million (US$18,350) fifth Japan Jagorawi Golf Foundation (JJGF) Open Golf Championship on Saturday by scoring two-under- par 70 for an aggregate one-under-par 215.

"I managed to improve my putting today and did not make the same mistakes as on Friday when playing on the green. The green is very smooth, making it difficult to control the ball," Kasiyadi told reporters.

"I'll maintain my strategy and try to score under par to reach my target."

Since the tournament was staged in 1998, no winner has managed to bring home the title with an under-par score at the Jagorawi Golf and Country Club, which is known for the difficulty of its courses. The event's best score was an even-par scored by three different winners -- Buari in 1998, Maan Nasim in 1999 and Japanese Atsushi Takamatsu in 2000.

Kasiyadi, who scored three-over-par 75 on Friday, produced two bogeys at par-4 hole 4 and par-4 hole 9. Two birdies at the sixth and eighth helped him to recover the deficit for an even-par first nine holes.

Returning home, he made another bogey at par-4 hole 14 and improved his standing with three birdies at par-3 hole 11, par-4 hole 12 and par-5 hole 16.

One of the overnight four leaders Sanusi, followed closely with an even par 72, collecting a total of 216.

Another overnight leader Sumarno, was third with one-over-par 73, for an aggregate of one-over-par 217.

Malaysian Danny Chia was fourth, leading the foreign legion, with one-under-par 71, collecting two-over-par 218. Compatriot M. Rashid Ismail and Jakarta-based Swede Stephen Atako-Lindskog jointly finished fifth with four-over-par 220.

Rashid also carded the day's best score of two-under-par 70 while Atako-Lindskog slumped to four-over-par 76, after carding two-over-par 70 on Friday.

The fourth overnight leader Putu Dipta, suffered the severest set back when he produced 11-over-par 83 for an aggregate of 11- over-par 227, leaving him in 10th place together with Malaysian Johnny Wong, Japanese Shinji Hori and Indonesians Bachtiar Sanja and Soewarno.

"I don't know what happened to me. I bogeyed at almost every hole but that's golf," he told The Jakarta Post.

Among the amateurs, Inam Zarems maintained his lead although it was not his best performance, at six-over-par 78 compared with Friday's one-over-par 73.

Inam, however, collected a total of 229, together with Iin Setiawan who carded an improved even par when compared with nine- over-par 81 a day earlier.

"I don't know what happened to my game. I played safely and patiently but the result was even worse," Inam told the Post.

The leaders were followed by Indra Hermawan and Suprapto who both scored two-over-par 74 for an aggregate of 231. (nvn)

Results (Indonesian unless stated): 215 - Kasiyadi 70-75-70; 216 - Sanusi 74-70-72; 217 - Sumarno 74-70-73; 218 - Danny Chia (Mal) 75-72-71; 220 - M. Rashid Ismail (Mal) 77-73-70, Stephen Atako-Lindskog (Swe) 744-70-76; 221 - Asep Suganda 69-79-73, Tatsuya Kihara (Jpn) 75-71-75; 223 - Ilyassak 73-76-74.