Maan, Kasiadi to lock horns at Matoa golf

Maan, Kasiadi to lock horns at Matoa golf

JAKARTA (JP): Professional golfers Maan Nasim and Kasiadi top
the list of competitors at the Matoa Nasional Open championship
which tees off here on Tuesday.

The annual tournament held at Matoa Golf and Country Club in
Ciganjur, South Jakarta, boasts no less than 80 professional and
amateur local golfers who will vie for shares of a purse worth Rp
92 million (US$12,400). The winner will earn Rp 25 million.

Nia Sarinastiti of the Andersen Consulting marketing and
communications company which helped to organize the event, said
on Monday that professional golfers have been allowed to enter
this year because no other tournaments have been staged due to
the economic crisis.

The US$300,000 Tugu Pratama PGA Championship in November 1997
was the last major tournament held here.

Maan from the Sawangan Golf Club will be seeking to defend his
title at the five-day tournament. His stiffest opposition will
come in the form of Kasiadi, who learned his craft at the Yani
Golf Club in Surabaya.

Maan was unchallenged in the Matoa event last year and lead
from start to finish. Kasiadi, the 1989 Indonesia Open champion
and the country's richest golfer, managed only third place.

Both Maan and Kasiadi entered five of 10 legs on the Asia
Omega Tour last year thanks to sponsorship provided by
telecommunications company PT Satelindo. The protracted economic
crisis has prevented the company from sponsoring the pair again
this year. (yan)