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Champ Lahiri back to Royale to defend Indonesian Masters
Cheers: Indonesian Masters PTE LTD representative Andrew Wood (from left), CIMB president director Arwin Rasyid, Jakarta Royale Golf Club chief operating officer George Chandra, PGA Tour of Indonesia secretary-general Agus Triyono and JS Luwansa Hotel general manager Richard S
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span class="inline inline-center">Cheers: Indonesian Masters PTE LTD representative Andrew Wood (from left), CIMB president director Arwin Rasyid, Jakarta Royale Golf Club chief operating officer George Chandra, PGA Tour of Indonesia secretary-general Agus Triyono and JS Luwansa Hotel general manager Richard S. Mau pose for photographers during a media conference on the Indonesian Masters golf championship on Wednesday. The tournament will run from April 23 to 26. JP/Awo
Anirban Lahiri of India is returning to Indonesia to defend his title at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters golf championship, with two-time winner Lee Westwood of Britain another strong contender at the Jakarta Royale Golf Club.
The contenders' list for the US$750,000 tournament, which will run from April 23 to 26, also includes Ryder Cup European team member Thomas Bjorn of Denmark.
These three, currently among the world's top 100 players, will compete with a further 147 players from around the world.
Lahiri, currently ranked 71st, said through a video message that he was looking forward to coming back to Jakarta and repeating last year's success.
'2014 was a very special year but it was this tournament where it really came together and set me up for the rest of the year,' he said.
Lahiri eagled the last hole of the Masters tournament to claim a one-shot victory over Baek Seuk-hyun of South Korea and 2014 rookie of the year Cameron Smith of Australia.
He notched up a second victory in Macau and a further six top-10 finishes in a year that culminated with a second-place finish on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and being voted 2014 players' player of the year for his achievement in the Asian Tour.
Masters champion in 2011 and 2012 and veteran of 41 professional wins, Westwood, who will celebrate his 42nd birthday during the tournament, is hoping to land his third win this year.
'The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters is a tournament that I know well and I would love to make it a hat-trick of wins,' said the player ranked 29th in the world.
The veteran of six victorious European Ryder Cup campaigns, Bjorn, meanwhile, will make his debut at the tournament this year.
'I've heard good things about the tournament and look forward to lining up alongside Anirban and Lee in April,' said the world's 35th-ranked player.
'I'll be looking for a good result in Indonesia to serve as a springboard for a successful summer in Europe,' he added.
President director of CIMB Niaga Arwin Rasyid said that 2015 was a special year for the tournament.
'It marks the fifth year of the tournament as well as four years of CIMB Niaga's involvement. During that time, the tournament has grown in stature, attracting players from the Asian Tour as well as some of the most recognized names in golf.'
He said he hoped that the tournament would help nurture interest in the sport among Indonesians and enhance Indonesia's image as one of the world's best golf destinations.
Chief operating officer of the Royale Jakarta Golf Club George Chandra said that thanks to the global TV coverage of the tournament, the golf club had seen a surge in foreign golfers coming to the East Jakarta course.
'Last year we welcomed around 3,000 foreign golfers from the usual 1,000 a year. I asked one of them how he found out about Royale Jakarta and he said he watched the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters broadcast on TV.'
