JAKARTA, March 15 - Former OneAsia number one Andre Stolz is aiming to kick-start his season by successfully defending the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship title he snatched from the grasp of home hero Rory Hie two years ago.
The veteran Australian, whose impressive CV includes victories on the PGA, Nationwide and Japan Tours as well as OneAsia, shot a closing 68 to pip Indonesia’s Hie by a stroke and complete a remarkable comeback from a wrist injury that kept him out of the game for nearly three years.
The U.S. $1 million Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship is making a welcome return to the OneAsia schedule after a one-year absence and a world-class field will tee up at the Emeralda Golf Club from March 28 to 31.
Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European Tour, Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant, former OneAsia money list winner Liang Wenchong of China, Kim Kyung-tae, the first Korean to win the Japan Tour Order of Merit, Japanese legend Shingo Katayama and local hope Hie feature in the line-up.
England’s Simon Dyson, who won the Indonesia Open at Emeralda in 2006, and two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra will also challenge for honours in the tournament which will be joint sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) with prize money counting on both money lists.
Stolz won the title at the Imperial Klub Golf and has been warned by fellow players that Emeralda poses a stiff test.
“I have not played at Emeralda Golf Club but I hear it is brutal and there is a premium on hitting fairways,” said the 42-year-old.
“The guys have told me that the rough was horrendous there last year for the OneAsia event. I have been driving it long and pretty straight, although the rest of my game has not been as good.”
Putting has been Stolz’s Achilles heel for much of his career and he is practicing hard to re-find the touch that helped him to victories in the Indonesia PGA Championship and Thailand Open en route to the 2011 OneAsia Order of Merit title.
“My form has been okay -- I am sort of happy with what I am working on -- but just a couple of errant shots around, a little bit untidy and my putting has been a bit cold,” he said. “I have been working really hard, putting some extra time into my putting lately.”
Stolz is excited by the tie-up with the JGTO which presents new opportunities for players from both tours and increases the number of world ranking points on offer at the Indonesia PGA Championship.
“It adds new life to the Tour,” he said. “It is a great step in the right direction and it is good that prize money now counts to both Order of Merits. And it has helped boost the world ranking points.
“The standard of play on the Japan Tour is fantastic and they have a high quota from their money list playing in Jakarta.”
Stolz added that although his title defense was coming after two years, and the tournament was being staged at a different course, he expected there to be some good vibes in Jakarta.
“It should be interesting heading back there,” he said. “We are staying at the same hotel (as in 2011) and my mate has a restaurant 10 minutes away, so good vibes there. I am sure turning up I will have good memories.
“Hopefully I can tidy up my play a bit and make a go of defending the title.”
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital's tourism portal, are an enthusiastic and generous supporter of golf in Indonesia and are delighted to be title sponsoring the Indonesia PGA Championship for the first time.
“These are exciting times for golf in our region and so we at Enjoy Jakarta are thrilled to be associated with a new event that has a quality line up of players,” said Bapak Arie Budhiman, head of the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office.
“Our golf sponsorship programme and the regional television coverage that comes with it allows us to achieve our objective of promoting Jakarta as a tourism hub for golfers and holiday makers alike. We have no doubt that the exposure will be even greater this year as the tournament is part of both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.”
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