Koreans dominate field for Omega Tour event

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)