Koreans dominate field for Omega Tour event

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty South Koreans dominate the field of 138 leading golfers from 20 countries due to tee off today in the Tugu Pratama PGA Championship at the par-72 Bumi Serpong Damai course.

Eighteen Indonesian golfers are participating to test their skills in the battle for the US$250,000 cash prizes on offer in the competition run in cooperation with the Asian PGA Omega Tour.

"I hope by joining the Omega Tour, the national golfers will be given chances to develop their skills and hopefully they will perform better," said Taufik Azis, the Indonesian Golf Association's secretary-general, yesterday.

Kasiyadi from Surabaya, the first local golfer to ever win a major event at home -- the Indonesia Open in 1987 -- leads the country's hopes of making another piece of golfing history. The other national players are Sjafei Asnap, Burhan Bora, B Buari, B Budiono, Asep Capri, Ilyasyak, Effendi K, Kajum K, Kamim K, Maan Nasim, Bachtiar Sanja, S Sanusi, Gemmi Subagyo, S Sudyhartono, S Sumarno and Gimin Suwiryo.

John Kernohan of the U.S.A., the 1996 Canon Singapore Open champion; Kang Wook-soon of South Korea, the 1996 Kuala Lumpur Open winner and Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, the 1996 Volvo China Open winner, are among the foreign participants.

However last year's Tugu Pratama winner, John Senden, is missing from the list of entrants.

David Parkin, an Omega Tour official, said that only 30 non- Asian players are allowed to take part in the championship. But next year, 35 non-Asian golfers will be invited to the tournament.

During yesterday's press conference, Clay Devers of U.S.A, Kernohan, M Murugiah of Singapore and Marksaeng all said that they hoped they could produce a winning score.

Devers said that he hopes he can make seven or eight under par while compatriot Kernohan wants to shoot a 10-under-par 62.

Murugiah said that he will score 12-under-par 60 but Marksaeng is sure that he will be able to card 15-under-par 57.

Parkin said that the 18 tournaments in the Omega Tour staged in Asian countries offered a total cash prize of $5 million last year.

"This year, we have 23 tournaments and the total prize is approximately $6.5 million. Hopefully we can stage 28 tournaments and the prize will increase to $10 million next year," Parkin said.

Murugiah said that local golfers' chances of winning the tournament are increasing all the time.

"Indonesian golfers know the course and I won't be surprised if Asian players can beat non-Asian this time," he said.

The tournament also offers Rp 10 million (US$4,200) prize for a hole-in-one at holes 3, 7, 11 and 13.

Those who are able to break the course record will get $1,000 from the Bumi Serpong Damai course. The present course record is seven-under-par 65.

The championship is the 21st leg of the 1996 Omega Tour, which was initiated by The Asian PGA Qualifying School in Tanjong Puteri Resort, Johor Baru, Malaysia. The tour concludes with the Volvo Asian Matchplay at the Emeralda golf course in Bogor, West Java, from Dec. 18 to Dec. 22.

The four-day event will end with a $10,000 pro-am tournament on Sunday. (yan)