RI's lonely star in Asian Matchplay

RI's lonely star in Asian Matchplay

CIMANGGIS, Bogor (JP): Maan Naasim will be the sole Indonesian
golfer in the Volvo Asian Matchplay and Hugo Boss Foursomes
championships scheduled from Dec. 19 to Dec. 22 in the scenic
Emeralda golf and country club in Cimanggis, Bogor.

Indonesian Golf Association secretary Taufik Azis told
reporters at a press conference here yesterday that he opted for
Naasim not only because he is one of the country's best golfers
but also because he has collected more prize money than any other
Indonesian golfer this year.

"This is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the
Indonesian Professional Golf Association," Azis said.

The US$200,000 international championships, the first of its
kind in Indonesia, is to feature 24 top professional golfers from
the Asia-Pacific region.

Of the 24, four are top players on the Asia-Pacific Golf
Confederation's Asian Tour: Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, winner
of this year's Volvo China Open, Scotland's John Wither, winner
of this year's China Tour Volvo Ranking, India's Jeev Milkha
Singh, winner of this year's Philip Morris Asia Cup and China's
Zhang Lian-wei, winner of this year's Malaysian Masters.

American John Kernohan and Swaziland's Paul Friedlander,
winners of the two majors of the year on the Omega Tour, will
also be competing. Naasim will be the only wild-card entrant in
the tournament. Azis, however, is optimistic that Naasim will
live up to expectation and perform commendably. "Because this
event is matchplay, not strokeplay, I believe every player has
the same chance to win," he said.

In matchplay, golfers, pitted in a head-to-head duel, strive
to win holes and hence, need not be worried about their
scorecard. A sudden-death finish will be applied on the 18th hole
should draws occur.

Round one, round two and the quarterfinals will each be played
over 18 holes while the semifinals and finals will be decided
over 36 holes, all on a knockout system. Those who are eliminated
after each round will move into a pairs competition to which a
knockout format also applies.

A pro-am competition on Dec. 18 will precede the matchplay
championships. Of the two courses at the Emeralda golf and
country club, the one designed by Arnold Palmer will be used. Par
is 72 on the 7,082-yard course. The other, nearby, course
designed by Jack Nicklaus, has only nine holes. (arf)