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World class field to assemble in Jakarta

Organisers and sponsors of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open, the annual world-class golf tournament sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour, are beginning to announce some well known names who will be ready to compete for the record prize purse of US$ 1.25 million.

"We are pleased to confirm that Thongchai Jaidee and Daniel Chopra will be competing at the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open 2009," said John Eu, CEO of GlobalOne International, promoter of the event. "Their return to Indonesia, along with others expected to be confirmed in the next few weeks, will help ensure that this year's competition will be one of the most intense for an Indonesia Open."

Popular with golf fans in Jakarta, Thongchai Jaidee is the first Thai golfer to win a European Tour event, winning the Malaysian Open in 2004 and successfully defended the title a year later. Currently ranked 14th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (and 87th in the world), Thongchai didn't pick up golf until he was 16, and after a stint in the Royal Thai Army as a paratrooper, finally turned professional at 30 years old. He is the first Thai to play in all four major championships and topped the Asian Tour's Order of Merit in 2001 and 2004.

In 2008, he won both the Hana Bank Vietnam Masters and the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, was runner up at the Worldwide Selangor Masters and placed in the Top 20 at the Pine Valley Beijing Open, Madrid Master, BA-CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the UBS Hong Kong Open.

"Although I missed out playing at the Indonesia Open last year, I am looking forward to returning to Indonesia at the new golf course, having visited Bali a few times in the past," says Thongchai. "Playing in Indonesia is always special thanks to the support I get here. I'm looking forward to the competition!"

Born in Stockholm, raised in Delhi and now based in Orlando, Daniel Chopra has played in 10 different golf Tours on 4 different continents before joining the PGA Tour in 2004. His consistent play has rewarded him with 14 victories around the world, including two U.S. PGA Tour events, the 2007 Ginn sur Mer Classic and the 2008 Mercedez-Benz Championship. Last year, Chopra also finished in the Top 10 of the SAS Masters, the MasterCard Masters, and the UBS Hong Kong Open.

"Returning to the Indonesian Open brings back great memories for me - of my last top ten finish back in the mid '90's, of my experience in Indonesia playing and practicing at Pondok Indah Golf Club in Jakarta when I was still a junior golfer," says Chopra. "Bali is certainly a spectacular place to play golf, experience a truly beautiful landscape and a culture rich with history, the arts, great food and wonderful people. I am very much looking forward to returning to Indonesia and to playing at the New Kuta Golf Resort for the first time".

Since 2005, the Indonesia Open has been a highly competitive tournament, thanks to the participation of international caliber players such as Felipe Aguilar (2008 Indonesia Open Champion), Mikko Ilonen (2007 champion), Simon Dyson (2006 champion) and Thaworn Wiratchant (2005 champion). The tournament is also Indonesia's sole sporting event that offers a total purse of over one million dollars or US$ 1,250,000 to be precise.

"As the venue for this prestigious tournament, we are delighted to attract such world-class players to our new resort," says Mr. Suprapto Pegeng, Director of Operations for New Kuta Golf. "I am confident the players will enjoy our breath-taking views and challenging courses at Bali's first championship golf course."

New Kuta Golf overlooks some of the best surfing breakers in Bali and is the island's first championship course with a par 72 and over 7500 yards from the championship tees. Designed by Golf Plan that consists of Ronald Fream, David Dale and Kevin Ramsey, New Kuta Golf is the first 'links style' course and recently was certified as the first environmentally friendly 'Laureate Golf Course' in Indonesia.

The Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open 2009 will be hosted at New Kuta Golf on February 26 - March 1, 2009 and is the result of a collaboration between the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Indonesian Golf Association (PGI). This year's total tournament prize is US$1.25 million, the highest purse to date, and will see a number of the world's best golfers from Europe and Asia battling for supremacy. Tickets are available at golf clubs in Jakarta and Bali and for more information, visitors can go to www.indonesia-open.com

February 15, 2009