2007 Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational - Event Preview: Liang fit again for Indonesian challenge

Chinese star Liang Wen-chong is back in full strength hoping for a successful outing at the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational which tees off on Thursday.

Liang, who leads the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit race, recovered from a nagging flu which had disrupted his game the past three weeks as he heads into Jakarta with renewed confidence eager to cement his position on the rankings.

The 29-year-old Zhongshan-born Liang, who won in Singapore in March, leads an array of top Asian Tour players that include third ranked Australian Scott Hend, Thai youngster Chapchai Nirat, who lifted the TCL Classic in March, in-form Scotsman Simon Yates, Filipino Juvic Pagunsan, Malaysia’s Airil Rizman, who won the Pakistan Open in January, and Singapore’s top talent Mardan Mamat.

Europe’s Ryder Cup star from England Lee Westwood will also be in the hunt when he tees off at the par-72 Damai Indah Golf, BSD Course.

After getting his game back to full gear, Liang, who competed in Japan two weeks ago, returns to Indonesia focused on claiming his second win on the Asian Tour.

“I played in Japan and was pleased with my game. I was down with a flu the past three weeks and have finally recovered from it. I am feeling very good about my game and I’m eager to deliver.

“I was doing really well in Japan but it just took one bad round to ruin my chance. That has been the case for me with my form. Although it has been steady, I would always tend to shoot one bad round. I would want to avoid that when I play this week and with my health in good condition, I hope to challenge for the top prize,” said Liang, who finished tied 15th in Japan. He will compete for the first time at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course this week.

“I enjoy playing on Nicklaus-designed courses. It suits my game and I really like the layout. Course management is the key and I hope to take advantage of the good conditions this week,” added the Chinese no. 1.

Fresh from his notching his third win on the Thai racing circuit, Scotsman Yates, who is an avid racing car driver, returns to familiar ground hoping to produce a similar result in Jakarta.

“It was my third race win last week in Thailand which had helped me secure the drivers championship title. It was a great feeling and now I look forward to this week’s event hoping to enjoy a similar triumph.

“From the last three events I played on the Asian Tour, I finished runner-up twice and claimed 22nd spot in Korea earlier this month which has been a good run for me. I haven’t been playing much golf the past weeks and bad habits have crept in a little which has affected my swing and approach shots. But I am working on it and hope to rectify my technique in time for Thursday,” said the 37-year-old Yates, with six top-10 finishes this year.

“I’ve played on this course twice before which was a long time ago. It is a beautiful course with a good layout. I like Nicklaus-designed courses because it offers wide fairways and will not punish me if I hit it a bit off target from the tee. I hope to make the cut and work my way up from there,” added Yates, who is based in Hua Hin, Thailand.

The other players on the prowl this week include Thailand’s Prom Meesawat, Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei, Australia’s Adam Le Vesconte and compatriot Brad Kennedy.

The event is promoted by Ancora Sports - one of Asia’s newest golf promoters and is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Indonesian Professional Golf Association (PGPI) and organised by the Indonesian Golf Association (PGI).

October 23, 2007

Bookmark page with:

Return to Top of Page