BNI Indonesian Masters Preview: What They Said
Jakarta, December 11: Read what players have to say ahead of the BNI Indonesian Masters which starts on Thursday.
Poom Saksansin (Tha) – Defending champion
I am very happy to be back glad. I haven’t had a good season to be honest but I hope to regain my confidence with a good result this week. I love the greens here and I feel familiar with the type of grass here.
I can putt well on these greens. I think that’s the key reason why I can play well here. I like this grass when I hit irons and I can putt on these greens. The conditions are pretty similar to last year so it feels pretty much the same.
I will try and do my best again. Hopefully I can defend my title successfully. That will be a great boost to my confidence. The game is getting better. I feel like I can play better now, compared to the earlier in the year.
I have worked on a few things over the last few months. I changed my coach and we’re trying to figure out something about my new swing. Hopefully the efforts will pay off this week. I had a good break last week so I’m feeling refreshed coming here.
I pretty much changed my entire game. I changed my set up and my swing and everything. My putting helped me in both of my wins here so that is the key. If I can putt well this week, I should be able to do well.
I like the golf courses here. It can get quite hot out there but I’m okay with the heat. I rather play in the heat than in the cold. The courses in Indonesia are generally good I thought. The greens are good and it’s quite the same as what you get in Thailand.
I will always remember my win here in 2016 because it is the first time I won here and also my first Asian Tour title. The most memorable hole I have played here was the par-four 13th in the final round of the 2016 Indonesian Masters.
I missed my first shot into the bunker and I had to lay up from about 70 yards. I pulled it but still managed to save par. I was lucky then. I still remember until today.
Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)
This week is quite an important week for me. Even though I have won the Order of Merit already, I still have a bonus to play for and that is to try and break into top-50 on the world rankings before the year ends.
I had a good finish here last year. I really like this place and I have a lot of good memories here. I played here since I was young so I’m glad to be back. I hope I can get my game going again because this golf course always sparks something in the score card.
I had good fun here last year, closing with an eagle on the last to finish second. I will try and see if I can do something like that again this week. I need to play really good here to give myself a chance to break into top-50. Maybe a win or a top-three finish at least since I still have next week to play. It’s definitely on the back of my mind. I broke into top-100 after winning in Singapore earlier in January and I told myself to try and finish the year inside top-50. I have a chance now and I’m definitely within reach of it. Something that I planned to do, but if I can’t achieve, I still have some time left to catch up. I just want to try my best.
I’m a bit sick right now. I just came here from Japan and it was really cold there. I just want to try and get some rest first and pace myself, take it day by day and try to finish strong. We’ll see what happens from there
I’m very honored to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit. I didn’t think I was going to achieve it this soon and breaking into top-100 in the world. I still feel very surreal. It’s a great feeling.
John Catlin (USA)
I have played this tournament since five years ago. It’s one of the best tournaments around and we’re always looking forward to play at the end of the season. It’s one of my favourites too.
The course is always in a fantastic shape. We enjoy playing here. The people are nice and I always enjoy coming here. Almost feels like a second home. I won my first title on the Asian Development Tour in Indonesia in 2016 and I always love to come back since.
The course feels pretty similar to last year. It’s still gettable and you will have lots of chances to make birdies. The Asian Tour is full of great players now. You have to play really well out there to outshine the others but I feel very honoured to be competing alongside these guys.
This course can play very differently when the wind is up. I remember the first year I played here was when Lee Westwood won for the third time. I only played two rounds then unfortunately. It was crazy windy that week and the greens were so firm. It’s been different every year but as golfers, we’ll take whatever comes.
Rory Hie (Ina)
It feels good to be back. I love playing in my home country. It’s nice to come into this tournament as an Asian Tour champion for the first time too. I feel like I’ve proven myself already and it’s easier to play this week.
I have been looking forward to playing this tournament since the beginning of the year. It’s always at the end of the season and a lot of good players always come out here to play. Everyone will be trying to finish the season well with a good result here too.
I’m still recovering from a tendon injury on my thumb from three weeks ago. I’m not 100% right now but I’m getting better. I started practicing on Monday and it feels alright, so we’ll see how it goes.
I have played well in this tournament before and I also played well here in the ADT event a few months ago. Definitely a lot of good vibes coming back here.
Joohyung Kim (Kor)
I came here for the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event earlier this year so I feel pretty familiar with this course. The tee boxes are a bit different from before but obviously the course is playing in different condition now where it’s softer greens. The fairways are good and if we play preferred lies, the scores are going to be low.
I obviously have good memories in Indonesia. I played my first Asian Tour event in Indonesia earlier and came in third so it’s nice to be back. After the Sabah Masters, I took some time off. I feel like I’m well rested now hopefully I can finish good this week.
I am actually not sure what my next goal is because I feel like I still have a long way to go. I have gotten a lot better but I’m still learning every single week. A lot of good players are here this week and these are the guys whom I used to watch from outside the ropes a few years back.
Now I’m playing head to head with them. It’s going to be fun for the future to be out there playing with these guys. I feel like I’m not really that far off from them when I am playing well. I’m happy to be in the running for the Rookie of the Year award, having played only four events so far while the rest of the guys started earlier this year.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play the season finale in Thailand next week. So this week will be my last event on the Asian Tour this year. I wish I am playing but I have some stuff to do in Korea next week. So I really hope to finish the year strong with a good result this week.
The experience I have gotten this is great. I learned a lot and my confidence level grew as well. I think my mental game has improved a lot too. Playing on the ADT helps as well.
Wang Wei-lun (Tpe)
I played well on this course when we had the ADT event here in May. I came in top-three then so it’s nice to be back. Feels pretty familiar with the course now. I won’t say I am very confident of playing well this week but I do feel much comfortable now.
I have had some solid top-five finishes recently so that has definitely gave me a lot of confidence as well. It was disappointing to miss out on the win as well but I know where my problems are now so I have been working on it. Hopefully, it won’t happen during the tournament again.
I’m pretty happy with my season so far. I think I’ve been quite lucky too. I managed to get in to quite a few events and I played well early in the year too. I was able to take advantage of the opportunities I had.
I have been learning a lot, every week there’s something new for you to learn, whether it’s techniques or mental. I try and tell myself not to think too much when I’m out there. My focus has been on the Asian Tour for the past few years. I must say the experience has really helped my game.
I actually wasn’t feeling well after playing in India earlier. I was battling with a cold at the Sabah Masters. I decided to take last week off to get some good rest. I think it’s a good decision made because I’m well and ready to go for the last two events of the year.
The goal for me at the start of the year was to finish inside top-60 and secure my card for 2020. I think I should be pretty safe now. But I will still try for another good result this year and I can end the season on a higher note.
Danny Masrin (Ina)
This is definitely a course that I am comfortable playing. This is where I practiced the most. My friend is on my bag again this week. I practiced with him all the time here so we’re really comfortable and we’re just looking to make some putts this week.
The course is in a better shape than I thought it would be. I played here before going to Mauritius and the greens didn’t look like they are going to be ready but they seemed pretty good right now. I played well here for an ADT event earlier as well but they set it up quite differently this week.
I know I’m 55th on the Order of Merit right now. I don’t want to feel the pressure. I just want to play well and hopefully everything take care of it. If I play decent, it should be good enough to keep my card for next year. Obviously, the higher I can finish on the final Order of Merit, the better it is for me. I’ve been working a lot more on my short game this year. I changed my putter in August right before I played started playing well so I think that has made a difference.
Jakarta, December 10: Young Korean talent Joohyung Kim will be looking to continue his impressive run on the Asian Tour when he tees off for his debut appearance at the BNI Indonesian Masters supported by Bank BRI and MedcoEnergi starting Thursday.
The 17-year-old freshman has been living the dream this year, having won three times on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) to earn playing rights on the Asian Tour in October and found immediate success on the region’s premier Tour with a victory in India last month.
Kim, playing in only his fifth start on Tour this week which is also his last event of the year, hopes to close his dream rookie season on a high note when he steps up to the tee at the highly acclaimed Royale Jakarta Golf Club, home of the Indonesian Masters since 2011.
Kim’s challenge, however, will be put to test as he faces a strong field of players that include defending champion Poom Saksansin, a two-time winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters, as well as newly crowned Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond.
The talented 144-man field from 21 countries also features more than 50 Tour champions and six Order of Merit winners and they will all be vying for top honours in the US$750,000 event, which is celebrating its ninth straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.
Danny Masrin will spearhead the local charge alongside Rory Hie, who became the first Indonesian to win on the Asian Tour in September. Together with 24 other Indonesians in the field, they will be vying to keep the Indonesian Masters trophy on home soil for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-lun, who has shown great potential with three top-five finishes in seven starts this season, will continue his chase for a breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour this week. The 26-year-old enjoyed a tied-third place result when he played on the same course for an Asian Development Tour (ADT) event earlier in May.
Other notable players in the field are John Catlin of the United States, Scott Hend of Australia, India’s Shiv Kapur and S.S.P. Chawrasia, as well as Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Phachara Khongwatmai.
The BNI Indonesian Masters will form the third leg of the 2019/20 Panasonic Swing and the winner of the event will again receive a coveted spot in the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2020.
By being the flagship event of the Asian Tour, the BNI Indonesian Masters will award the winner with no less than 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, ensuring more players benefit from the points breakdown in what is the penultimate event of the 2019 season.
Did you know?
- Joohyung Kim claimed his breakthrough at the Panasonic Open India last month. It was only his third start on the Asian Tour this season. He had posted a third-place finish at the Indonesia Open and a tied-sixth place result at the Thailand Open prior to his breakthrough.
- The talented 17-year-old had earned his playing rights for the remainder of the 2019 Asian Tour season after clinching his third title on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) this season in Pakistan in October.
- Placed 161st on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Kim is the second highest-ranked player following Jazz Janewattananond (57th) in the field this week. He started the year in 2006th place on the OWGR.
- The BNI Indonesian Masters will be Kim’s last event on the Asian Tour this season as he will not be teeing up for the season-finale in Thailand next week.
- Kim hopes to ride on his good memories in Indonesia for another fine showing this week. Apart from the top-three finish at the Indonesia Open in August, Kim also won his second ADT title in Indonesia.
- Danny Masrin, placed 923rd on the OWGR, is the second highest-ranked Indonesian in the field this week. He sits in 55th position on the 2019 Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and needs to stay inside top-61 on the final rankings to secure his card for the 2020 season.
- The 27-year-old Masrin enjoyed a top-10 finish on the Asian Tour in Chinese Taipei three months ago and has also notched three consecutive top-10 results on the ADT in May and June.
- His best result in the BNI Indonesian Masters is a tied-52nd place finish in 2016.
- Wang Wei-lun is a one-time winner on the ADT. He won on home soil in 2017 and finish fourth on the ADT Order of Merit that year to secure his Asian Tour card for 2018.
- Although he did not manage to retain his card for 2019, the 26-year-old Wang made full use of his limited playing opportunities to notch three top-five finishes in only seven starts so far this season.
- He is placed 56th on the current Merit rankings and has a good chance to secure his Asian Tour card for 2020 for the first time in his burgeoning career.
- Wang was crowned the Order of Merit champion on his domestic circuit in 2017.
By Olle Nordberg, Former Asian Tour and European Tour professional
The Tournament
The US$750,000 BNI Indonesian Masters will be played for the ninth consecutive year and during its history has seen two of the game’s top players and former world number ones win the title.
When Englishman Lee Westwood won the inaugural edition in 2011, the victory brought him back to the number one position on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) two months after losing the top spot to Martin Kaymer of Germany.
Westwood successfully defended his title in 2012, and also won the event in 2015, becoming the only three-time winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters.
While countryman Justin Rose did not reach number one on the OWGR with his win here in 2017, he did have a chance at last year’s event to reclaim the number one ranking he had briefly held twice earlier in 2018.
In tied-fourth place and in prime position to do so after three rounds, a tied-16th with one player would have allowed him to snatch the number one spot for at least one week, while a tied-12th or better would have guaranteed Rose the coveted world number one spot at the end of the year.
However, in an uncharacteristic final round that included a double-bogey on the second hole and a fatal triple-bogey eight after a four-putt on the par-five 12th, Rose settled for a tied-17th and saw his chance to end the year on top of the rankings disappear.
A player that did not make many mistakes in the final round last year was overnight leader Poom Saksansin of Thailand who fired a four-under-par 68 to claim the trophy by three shots over compatriot Jazz Janewattanond on 20-under-par 268.
Poom, already a winner of this title in 2016, also received the added bonus of an invitation to the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee for winning the event, along with 24 important OWGR points.
At last year’s event there were no fewer than five Thai players in the top eight spots, in addition to Jazz in second, Panuphol Pittayarat finishing third, Thitiphun Chuayprakong fifth and Jakraphan Premsirigorn in tied-seventh place.
The Course
The Royale Jakarta Golf Club has hosted the BNI Indonesian Masters every year since its inception, and this prestigious club on the outskirts of Jakarta will play as a par-72 at 7,368 yards from the championship tees this year.
The course rewards accurate tee-shots and staying out of the rough in order to take advantage of the scoring holes, the par-fives should be attacked from the fairway rather than the rough. It also has some strong par-fours where distance off the tee is an advantage, but from recent results it has also been proven that you do not have to be a long hitter to win here.
For example: two-time winner Poom ranked 136th in driving distance on the Asian Tour in 2018 with 266 yards, and at last year’s event he was ranked 100th with 263.5 yards off the tee.
Thai players have had more success here than any other nationality in the last five editions of the event. Out of the 54 players who has finished inside the top-10 in the last five years, 20 (or 37%) have been from the Kingdom.
The Contenders
Poom Saksansin
The defending champion has proven his ability to win at this course and will likely feel energized and very confident coming back to the venue which has rewarded him with two out of his three Asian Tour victories.
Even though the season has not been what Poom was hoping for after his big win here in the end of 2018, the good memories of Royale Jakarta Golf Club could help him finish the year on a good note and rescue an otherwise forgettable season.
Jazz Janewattananond
Having just secured the Asian Tour Order of Merit title last week after his closest pursuer Scott Hend elected not to play in Mauritius, Jazz now has an even bigger target to shoot for this week: finishing the year inside the top 50 on the OWGR and thereby earning himself a place in the Masters field next year.
A win this week will be worth a minimum of 20 OWGR points, which would likely be enough to ensure that he finishes the year inside the top 50. He is also scheduled to play next week at the Thailand Masters, so two second-place finishes (depending on number of ties) could also be enough.
His record this year speaks for itself, with two wins at the SMBC Singapore Open and Kolon Korea Open and 13 other top-10 finishes in the region. He clearly also likes the course as shown by his runner-up finish last year and tied-fifth back in 2014.
Scott Hend
Even though Hend can no longer catch Jazz in the Order of Merit race, the 10-time Asian Tour winner will be looking to add to this tally and finish the year in style.
When the big-hitting Australian is in form he is very difficult to beat, and after a two-week break he should show up in Jakarta well rested and refreshed after a long season playing the Asian and European Tours.
Pavit Tangkamolprasert
The winner of the Sabah Masters, who triumphed in a four-way playoff two weeks ago, has been in fine form the last month, having lost in a playoff at the Thailand Open and finishing tied-14th at the Panasonic Open India. He also had another top-10 finish at the Bank BRI Indonesia Open in September where he finished tied-sixth.
Pavit has also been playing great golf at home on the All Thailand Golf Tour (ATGT), posting eight top-10s in 10 events so far this season.
Currently in 14th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, a high finish this week could ensure that he eclipses his previous best year-end position of 12th from 2016 when he won the Venetian Macao Open.
Joohyung Kim
Korean “young gun” Kim has been one of this season’s breakout players, with a win at the recent Panasonic Open India and two other top-six finishes in only four Asian Tour starts this season. His worst result of the four events was a tied-12th at the Sabah Masters, missing out on another top-10 by only one shot.
He also won three times on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) this year to earn a battlefield promotion to the Asian Tour and has four other top-five finsiheson that tour since the year began.
Kim has been getting some global attention on Twitter thanks to OWGR guru Nosferatu, or @VC606 as his handle is called, who has pointed out that Kim’s career top-10 percentage of 52.0% is second only to Tiger Woods at 57.6%. An extremely impressive start to his young career as a professional.
Rory Hie
Hie is enjoying his best season on the Asian Tour and became the first Indonesian to win an Asian Tour event at the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship in India in September. He opened the event with an eight-under-par 64 and won the event wire-to-wire.
Since taking his maiden title nearly three months ago, Hie has been playing very solid golf and is coming off a tied-12th at the Sabah Masters and a tied-fifth at the Panasonic Open India in his last two events.
He also has a top-10 in this event previously when he finished tied-ninth in 2011, the best result for an Indonesian player since the event started.
Mauritius, December 8: Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard announced his arrival on the biggest stage when he sunk an eagle on the third play-off hole to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Sunday.
At 18, the Danish teenager secured his European Tour card at Qualifying School last month and his breakthrough at the Heritage Golf Club came very quickly in what was only his fifth appearance on the European Tour.
It took a crucial birdie on the 72nd hole for the young Dane to force his way into a three-way play-off with Italian Renato Paratore and Frenchman Antoine Rozner after closing with a four-under-par 68 and 19-under-par 269 total.
Hojgaard missed a 12-foot eagle putt for the title on his first trip back up the par-five 18. With Parattore bowing out after hitting his ball into the water then, it was left to Hojgaard and Rozner to battle for top honors again.
Both made birdies on their second play-off hole but Hojgaard’s moment of glory would come soon after when he eagled the hole in his third attempt for an emotional triumph on the paradise Indian ocean island.
China’s Wu Ashun and India’s Jyoti Randhawa flew the Asian flag when they finished in a share of 13th and 17th place respectively at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open which was inaugurated in 2015.
It was the first tournament to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.
Did you know?
- The Heritage Golf Club was staging the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open for the third time (2015, 2017 and 2019) and each time a play-off was always need to determine the winner.
- Alongside twin brother Nikolai and John Axelsen, Rasmus Hojgaard led Denmark to a first World Amateur Team Championship win at the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy
- The Hojgaard brothers also played in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup.
- Victory for Italy’s Renato Paratore would have been his second win on the European Tour in his 152nd appearance after his maiden win at the 2017 Nordea Masters.
- Antoine Rozner finished seventh in his only previous appearance at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open last year.
- Jyoti Randhawa recently celebrated his career milestone on the Asian Tour when he teed up for his 300th event at the Panasonic Open India last month.
- He once reached a career high of 70th place on the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2008.
- Randhawa enjoyed his best finish of 2019 when he finished tied-14th at the Thailand Open in November.
Rasmus Hojgaard (Den) Fourth round 68 (-4) Total 269 (-19)
I’m loss for words. It’s amazing and I’m over the moon. This is a dream come true for me. I just kept telling myself to believe in yourself and trust the number. I did what I could and it was enough for me to win. I was obviously nervous, playing in my first play-off but I was in a situation where I had nothing to lose. So I was confident especially with my shots coming in. It was pretty cool to close out the 18th hole today. My approach shots were all very good there and I just managed to do what I had to do. It’s cool to win so early in my career and it’s something just very amazing and I’m looking forward to the next challenge. I’m going to celebrate this victory when I get home to my family and friends.
Antoine Rozner (Fra) Fourth round 69 (-3) Total 269 (-19)
Everything comes down to one playoff hole. I made some amazing birdies on the first two playoff holes. I have nothing to regret. I gave my best. Congratulations to Rasmus. He hit some amazing shots down the stretch. That bunker shot, I told my caddie right before that this can go in the stand or stay in the trap because I was trying to catch it so clean. But yeah it was probably one of the best bunker shots I’ve ever hit. All the hard work is paying off. It’s a very good result and I’m very happy.
Renato Paratore (Ita) Fourth round 67 (-5) Total 269 (-19)
I pulled my second shot too much to the left. It was not the best shot I made and it landed off the green and I knew I had no chance. I could have aimed more to the right. I played really solid all week and even though I didn’t win in the play-off, overall it has been a good week.
Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) Fourth round 65 (-7), Total 274 (-14)
I’m pleasantly surprised with my result this week. I played well today and I was really comfortable with my swing and the pace of play. I was playing with Mercel and he was very quick so I didn’t have to hurry that much too. I made several good putts and I’m happy with the week. I’m swinging much better and feeling much better. I did some swing changes before coming here. I went back to what I should do when I was playing my best golf and that helped. I hope to keep this going. I’ve got two more events left and I’m feeling good about the game.
Mauritius, December 7: France’s Antoine Rozner together with Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Scotland’s Calum Hill will head into the final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a one-shot advantage after sharing the third round lead on Saturday.
A graduate of the European Challenge Tour, Rozner showed his promise in his rookie season on the main Tour by closing with a pair of birdies in his last two holes to sign for a six-under-par 66 along with a place atop the leaderboard.
Hill, who started the day with a one-shot lead on his own, mixed his card with two bogeys and six birdies for a three-day total of 16-under-par 200 at the Heritage Golf Club.
While it was not enough to give him the outright lead again, it was still a rewarding day as he showed great character by recovering well with a bogey on 16 to close with birdies on 17 and 18.
Asian Tour member Sihwan Kim of the United States trailed the leading trio by a single shot as he returned with a 67 to share fourth place with promising Danish youngster Rasmus Hojgaard.
China’s Wu Ashun emerged as the highest placed Asian after signing for a 68 to stay four shots off the pace in a share of 10th place while India’s Jyoti Randhawa posted a 70 to lie in tied-35th place, nine shots off the leaders.
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was inaugurated in 2015 and was the first tournament to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.
Did you know?
- Antoine Rozner graduated from the European Tour Qualifying School this year and is playing his rookie season.
- Thomas Detry has 13 top-10s from 84 European Tour events, with two coming in his last four starts. He is seeking his maiden win this week.
- Calum Hill has won twice and enjoyed three other top-10s in five starts on the European Challenge Tour before going on to secure his European Tour card this year.
- Wu Ashun finished tied-20th in his AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open debut at the Heritage Golf Club in 2017.
- The Chinese played predominately on the Asian Tour and in Japan since he turned professional in 2007 before he started playing regularly on the European Tour following his win at the Volvo China Open in 2015.
- With that victory, Wu became the first Chinese golfer to win a European Tour title on home soil.
- Wu has since followed up with that victory with wins in Austria and The Netherlands which made him the first Chinese player to win three times on the European Tour.
- Jyoti Randhawa recently celebrated his career milestone on the Asian Tour when he teed up for his 300th event at the Panasonic Open India last month.
- He once reached a career high of 70th place on the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2008.
- Out of his eight Asian Tour victories, five of them have come from home. Randhawa has also captured the titles of five National Opens, with three Indian Opens, one Thailand Open and one Singapore Open.
- Randhawa enjoyed his best finish of 2019 when he finished tied-14th at the Thailand Open in November.
Antoine Rozner (Fra) Third round 66 (-6) Total 200 (-16)
I’m happy. I played really solid and I had a great front-nine again. Probably the best I’ve played all week so far. I played great on the back as well and I’ll take six-under anytime. I was lucky enough to play with Benjamin and he’s a relaxed guy. We can talk between shots and that helped me to stay relaxed too. Unfortunately, I’ll not be playing with him again tomorrow. But that’s just golf. I’m not going to lie but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully get that win. It’s a packed leaderboard but a victory tomorrow would be a huge accomplishment. I need to shoot something really low and I got to keep playing the way I’ve been doing.
Calum Hill (Sco) Third round 68 (-4) Total 200 (-16)
It was nice to have a couple of birdies to finish off and sneak back into a tie for the lead. Happy with how it finished off. It was similar to my morning round yesterday, wasn’t much wind then either. The scoring was good out there if you played well. I hit a lot of nice shots to start off the back nine until the par five but couldn’t get my putts, needed to hit it six inches harder on every hole. Then on the par five – if you get your driver right it should be a birdie today or even better if I managed to drop it into the hazard. Got lucky, managed to whack it out and save par. Hit a few not spot-on iron shots after that which cost me a shot, but coming in with two good putts was nice. Eight under might do it. I could do with another one of those and I might be able to come in with a smile on my face.
Thomas Detry (Bel) Third round 67 (-5) Total 200 (-16)
I got off to a better start today compared to yesterday – two under after five. A great drive in nine, hit the green there and got it going. I made two silly mistakes. I think we misjudged the yardage on 12, we hit the wedge shot about 25 metres short. Don’t know what happened there. The 16th is a bit of a tricky green very firm. But very, very happy with the way I played today. We’ve had a few good breaks, took advantage of the birdie putts we had. Very pleased with the way I played. Ball striking wasn’t 100 percent on the first few holes, but I got some confidence and felt pretty good out there.
Very happy (to be one of the favourites). My first time here, a lot of people speak French, get a lot of Belgian people here, lots of crowds following. It’s nice to have that.I’m very exited and looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been in this position a few times. Was in this position three weeks ago in Sun City at a big event. A few weeks before at the French Open gave myself a chance to win – Nico (Colsaerts) won there, which was great. I’ve got some experience in this domain so let’s just play our own game and have fun like we have the last three days. Sometimes you over think a few things instead of just letting it go. I think it’s all about keeping it simple. Just play like you have been playing in practice rounds. It’s easy to say, but I think that’s how you approach the fourth day.
Sihwan Kim (Usa) Third round 67 (-5), Total 201 (-15)
I played well today. Stayed patient and made some pretty good putts in the middle of my round which got me going. If there’s no wind like today, the scores are going to be low tomorrow and we’ll just have to see how the wind blows then. But whatever it is, you still got to go out there and play well. I’ve been bad off the tee the whole week but I putted really well. I got the speed right and that has been the key.
Wu Ashun (Chn) Third round 68 (-4), Total 204 (-12)
I was playing a domestic event last week and it was really cold back home in China. So it was a big change in weather and I was trying to adjust back to the tropical climate conditions here. The first two days were also all about getting familiar with the golf course again and today, I felt I managed to do well. I took advantage of my chances and I’m in a good position heading into the weekend. I’m not that far off the lead so anything can happen. My wife’s with me this week and her presence has kept me very relaxed too. It’s like a holiday feeling especially when we get to stay in a nice resort too.
Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) Third round 70 (-2), Total 209 (-7)
Today was a little patchy day as I was playing slowly and was being monitored and had to speed up play. I missed a few shots there but overall it’s still okay. I guess I need to play a little quicker now. I’m not used to playing fast in a two-ball. Just need to play faster than what I did today and I should be fine.
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