Kasiyadi reclaims lead in JJGF Open c'ship

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.