Parry grabs Satelindo Open title by five shots

JAKARTA (JP): Playing more cautiously after Saturday's poor showing, Australian Craig Parry walked away yesterday with the Satelindo Indonesia Open title and a US$44,412.50 cash prize.

Parry, 31, who was in the lead until the second round Friday, was trapped in the Three Devils Corner with four bogeys on the 11th, 12th and 13th that relegated him to third place Saturday.

"I played great from tee-to-tee. I only missed one green on the back nine. It's nice not to have to rely on the short game sometimes," Parry told newsmen after the prize giving ceremony.

Parry lost six balls during the pro-am tournament Wednesday at the par-72 Jagorawi Golf and Country Club near Bogor but scored 69 and 70 in the following days before playing poorly Saturday.

"I lost six balls in the pro-am which did not do much for my confidence," said Parry. "It was, however, the first time I played the course. I wasn't too concerned."

The Sydney-based golfer fired a final 69 yesterday to finish with a four-day aggregate of 8-under par-280. He started the final round two strokes behind overnight leader American Gerry Norquist.

Parry opened the round with a birdie put and made it again in the 482-yard par-5 8th before slumping with a one shot deficit on the 9th for a 1-under 35.

The long-hitting and stocky Australian charged the back nine with three birdies and a bogey to make it a 2-under 34 for a 69, which was enough for him to grab the title as Norquist began making a series of costly mistakes.

Norquist began the final round in a convincing manner, birdieing the two holes and reaching 10-under through to the 10th. He took the lead by three shots from Parry and five from South African Des Terblanche.

Problems for Norquist began on the 383-yard par-4 9th when he was punished with a double bogey after his first shot landed on the sand trap and failed to escape from it with a wood.

Devil Corners

On the par-4 12th, one of the three holes nicknamed Three Devil Corners produced another double bogey to fall back into a tie with Parry and Terblanche on 6-under. On the 13th, Norquist slipped up again and made another bogey and led Parry to recapture the lead after birdieing the 13th.

The Australian, a regular on the U.S. PGA Tour, led Terblanche and Norquist by two strokes with five holes to play and held on to claim the title and the top cash prizes.

Terblanche carded a 2-under 70 for a 6-under par-282 to take second place and Norquist third with an aggregate total of 283.

Japan's Nozomi Kawahara ended in fourth place on three under while Australian Jeff Senior took fifth spot on two under.

The next event on the Asian PGA Omega Tour is the US$400,000 Volvo China Open at the Beijing International Golf Club from May 15 to May 18.

The 1997 Satelindo Indonesia Open was the first time the event, that has been held since 1974, became part of the Asian PGA's Omega tour.

Indonesia's Kasiyadi, who won the title in 1989, was placed 30th and bagged a cash prize of $2,928 with a four-day total of 292 (71 76 70 75).

The country's leading amateur golfer Sukamdi from North Sumatra was the champion in the amateur event after carded 295 (76 73 70 76). (rsl)

Selected results: 280 - Craig Parry (Aus) 67-70-74-69 282 - Des Terblanche (Rsa) 69-70-73-70 283 - Gerry Norquist (USA) 71-69-69-74 285 - Nozomi Kawahara (Jpn) 69-70-73-73 286 - Jeff Senior (Aus) 71-70-70-75 287 - Clay Devers (USA) 72-74-71-70, Arjun Singh (Ind) 73-73-68- 73, Charlie Wi (Kor) 70-72-70-75 288 - Mark Calcavecchia (USA) 70-73-75-69, Prayad Markasaeng (Tha) 76-71-72-69, Mo Joong-kyung (Kor) 72-72-72-72 290 - Greg Hanrahan