Jakarta, July 1 - The Asian Development Tour (ADT) will provide another new playing opportunity for emerging stars with the launch of the inaugural Jakarta Classic later this month, which raises the season’s schedule to 12 tournaments.
The US$60,000 event will be played at the Imperial Klub Golf from July 17 to 20 where leading players from Indonesia will compete against an international field from the ADT, which is the feeder circuit to the premier Asian Tour.
With the addition of a new tournament, the region’s rising stars will enjoy another occasion to improve their world rankings as all ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points starting this year, which is a huge boost for players.
The OWGR will be used to determine the top 60-man field at the World Cup of Golf in Australia this November and the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in 2016.
OB Golf Events, the event promoter, hailed the launch of the Jakarta Classic, saying it would provide an impetus for Indonesia’s budding golfers to raise their standard of play while competing against players from the ADT.
“We are delighted to announce the establishment of the Jakarta Classic, which we believe will offer a strong platform for Indonesia’s golfers to further excel in the game. I believe this new tournament can greatly impact our players’ careers as they seek to establish themselves on the ADT, which provides a pathway onto the Asian Tour,” said OB Golf Events.
“It is fantastic that all ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points and this will be important for Indonesian players as they will have the opportunity to improve their rankings.”
A total of 144 players will compete in the Jakarta Classic, with the field being split equally between the ADT and Indonesian PGA.
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said Indonesia was a growing and important market for the Asian Tour and ADT.
Apart from the Jakarta Classic, there are two other events staged in Indonesia on the Asian Tour schedule, namely the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters which was held in May and the Indonesia Open which is scheduled from November 28 to December 1.
“There are a lot of young and talented golfers from Indonesia who are keen to gain more playing experience and sharpen their skills. While they may not be competing regularly on the Asian Tour, the opportunity to compete in the Jakarta Classic on the ADT will be a good first stepping stone,” said Han.
“I believe Indonesian players will benefit from the ADT platform and I would like to express our fullest appreciation to OB Golf Events for taking this initiative to launch the Jakarta Classic,” he added.
The Jakarta Classic will be the seventh leg of the 2013 ADT season. So far, a total of 12 tournaments have been confirmed this season, with several others to be announced in due course.
The ADT was launched in 2010 with five tournaments before growing to eight in 2011 and 13 last year. It has proven to be a successful platform for upcoming players to gain entry into the region’s premier Tour, which is celebrating its milestone 10th season in 2013.
Created along the lines of the European Challenge Tour and Web.com Tour in the United States, the ADT will reward the top-three players on the final Order of Merit with Asian Tour cards for the following year.
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