RI putter to compete in USA National Championships

RI putter to compete in USA National Championships

JAKARTA (JP): Becoming a professional golfer is no longer a
dream for Indonesians as they have a great chance to compete in
the 40th Annual Professional Putters Association (PPA) National
Championships at Fayetteville, North Carolina.

It may sound impossible but the public, not only golfers, can
grab the chance as long as one of them win the Indonesia Putt-
Putt Golf Championships from July 14 to July 16.

A winner from the three-leg tournaments will get Rp 4.5
million (US$515) cash prize and tickets and accommodation to
compete in the PPA championships offering $100,000 prize money,
which will be aired live by ESPN.

Participants must complete the three series; the first is on
July 14 at the Putt-Putt Goro Kelapa Gading, the second is on
July 15 at the Putt-Putt Pasar Festival, Jl. Rasuna Said South
Jakarta, and the final leg is at Putt-Putt Gelora Senayan.

Ron Mullers, CEO of PT Setiamandiri Mitratama Tbk which
manages Putt-Putt here, told a press conference Sunday that more
than 100 persons are expected to compete in the event stage for
the first time here.

Besides Indonesia, winners from Canada, Japan, Hong Kong,
China, South Korea, Australia, Lebanon and host United States
will compete in the championships from July 31 to Aug. 5.

Chairman of Gelora Senayan, Yasidi Hambali, said the
cooperation between Gelora Senayan and Putt-Putt was meant to
fulfill the ambition to create an "athletes gathering point" in
the Senayan sports complex.

"When foreign athletes are competing in a multi sports or
single event here, as long as there's a recommendation from the
National Sports Council (KONI), they are allowed to play at Putt-
Putt for free," he said at the conference.

"We don't want to make Gelora Senayan a facility only to
support our athletes achievement in international events but we
also want to make the complex a sport and leisure venue for the
public." (yan)