Cast of champions poised for Indonesian Masters golf tournament
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E-mail Xinhua, April 14, 2012
A champions-laden cast from the Asian Tour will be out to challenge title holder Lee Westwood of England at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters golf tournament next week, organizers said on Saturday.
Asia's history-maker Thongchai Jaidee, who holds an unprecedented three Order of Merit titles and 13 victories, will spearhead an elite field which will include no fewer than 40 winners at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 19 to 22.
World No. 3 Westwood, fresh from his third place finish at the Masters Tournament, and Major champions Ian Woosnam of Wales and Michael Campbell of New Zealand will also headline the 750,000 U.S. dollar full-field Asian Tour event.
Six of this season's winners, Australia's Scott Hend and Kieran Pratt, Indian duo Digvijay Singh and Anirban Lahiri, American David Lipsky and Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat, will compete in the event with the aim of securing a second victory of the season.
Other leading contenders from Asia include sweet-swinging Thai Prayad Marksaeng, Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei, 12-time Asian Tour winner Thaworn Wiratchant and Bangladeshi star Siddikur.
All eyes will also be on former world amateur No. 1 Peter Ulhein of the United States, who has received a sponsor's invitation to compete at Royale Jakarta, and Sri Lankan prospect Mithun Perera, who finished second in the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic last week.
The highly-decorated Thongchai finished second in last year's Indonesian Masters, three shots behind Westwood. The veteran will be hoping to go one spot higher next week and will count on his belly putter to shoot him to a 14th career victory.
"My putting is getting better, I've got more confidence now with the belly putter," said Thongchai, who opted for the longer stick at the start of the new season.
Big-hitting Hend, winner in Singapore last week, will be hoping to extend his rich vein of form. The two-time Asian Tour winner hopes his booming drives will play to his advantage where he has averaged 316 yards off the tee this year.
"I went back to Florida and got myself a brand new set of clubs, new wedges and a brand new three-wood. Everything is brand new except for my putter and driver. I spend the past four weeks practicing and hitting like 400 to 500 balls a day," said Hend.
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