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More top names sign up for Indonesia Open

As the deadline for player registration looms, more players are signing up for the upcoming Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open, the annual world-class golf tournament sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour.

Tournament organisers announced that defending champion Felipe Aguilar from Chile, 2006 winner Simon Dyson of England, Anton Haig from South Africa and Richard Finch from England have all confirmed to compete at the tournament, which will be held between February 26 to March 1, 2009 at New Kuta Golf & Ocean View in Bali, Indonesia. These four players join Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Sweden's Daniel Chopra who have previously confirmed their attendance.

"We are pleased to welcome these world class players, as they will raise the level of play at the tournament," says Mr. Suprapto Pegeng, Director of Operations for New Kuta Golf. "Between them they bring the experience of at least 22 victories within the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the U.S. PGA Tour over the past decade. I am sure this would force the rest of the field to up their game, bring us some great golf at the tournament!"

A golf icon in his native Chile, Felipe Aguilar's rookie season in 2006 with the European Tour was hampered by injury. After fighting back in the Challenge Tour the next year, he finished third in the Order of Merit to secure his European Tour card once again for the follow season. In just his second European Tour event of 2008, Aguilar held his nerve against a late challenge by Jeev Milka Singh to win the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open. In addition to finishing in the top 30 eight times during the year, he came in second at the Irish Open.

Entering his tenth year as a professional, Simon Dyson began his golf career with the Asian Tour and was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2000 thanks to his string of victories at the Macau Open, the Volvo China Open and the Omega Hong Kong Open. Now playing in the European Tour, 2006 was a banner year for Dyson as he won both the KLM Open and the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open. Making his third trip to Indonesia, many local golf fans will be keen to track his progress.

Richard Finch started to play golf at the age of 10 in Hull, England thanks to an uncle who lent him some golf clubs. Inspired by the epic victories of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle at the Masters, Finch played for 5 years as an amateur before entering Q-School in 2004 to earn his European Tour card the next year. After nearly losing his tour card in 2007, Finch bounced back with victories in the Michael Hill New Zealand Open and the Irish Open as well as six top 20 finishes in 2008.

Despite his youthful age of 23, Anton Haig's self discipline has led him to 3 career victories. After turning pro at the age of 18, he won twice in his native South Africa before trying his luck with the Asian Tour in 2006. After winning the Malaysian Masters in 2006, he fended off Richard Sterne and Oliver Wilson in a play off for the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic. Legend has it that Haig bought a round of drinks after his Johnnie Walker victory at a cost of £3,000.

"We are proud that Indonesia can have a part in the Race To Dubai, which replaces the European Tour's Order of Merit," says John Eu, CEO of GlobalOne, promoter of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open 2009. "With a bonus pool of $10 million to be distributed among the top 15 players at the end of the season, everyone wants to be in the top 60 ranking in order to participate in the season ending Dubai World Championship. As such, the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open is part one of the richest sporting events in the world, which is not a small feat."

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