Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (India) and Ho Yu-Cheng (Taipei) competed at the top of the standings on the second day of the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament 2023, Thursday (24/8). In the match that was held at Damai Indah Golf Course, they each collected 131 strokes, or 13 under par. Four Indonesian golfers also passed the cutoff.
Luckily, my putter started sharp early this morning, and I was able to make two birdies over the first two holes. I think those two birdies created momentum on the first nine holes. Before knowing my score was 6-under over the first nine holes, I actually didn’t even know my score, which is good because it helps me focus more on the game,” said Yuvraj.
As he gets older, he admits it takes longer to warm up. That really affected his performance today. On the last nine holes, Yuvraj tried to do the same swing and always put the ball in the fairway. “The pin positions on the green are in some pretty challenging places, and your score can go awry with one hit and a few missing. So, you have to really focus, “he explained.
Ho Yu-Cheng’s performance was also impressive. He scored an eagle on the 18th hole. “When I arrived at tee box 18, I just wanted to hit a fairly straight tee shot, which I was able to make because the ball was in the middle of the fairway. Then, on the second shot, leaving about 186 meters and a bit against the wind, I used the 5-iron and managed to hit the ball until it was 1.8 meters from the hole,” he explained.
The four Indonesian players who passed the cutoff were Danny Masrin, George Gandranata, Syukrizal, and Peter Gunawan. Only the players who played the maximum with a total of 142 strokes, or 2 under par, made it through the cutoff.
Danny is in T10 position with 137 strokes, or 7 under par; George and Syukrizal are in T18 position with 139 strokes each, or 5 under par; and Peter, who is a golfer coached by Ciputra Golfpreneur Foundation, is in T39 position with 142 strokes, or 2 under par.
Danny was quite satisfied with his playing for two days in the Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournament with a total prize of US$ 125,000. Even though he had to face several challenges, he was able to finish the game well. “The birdie on the last hole, which is the 9th, makes everything feel so much better. Even though he entered the bunker, he still managed to make a birdie on the 9th hole. It felt really good. What’s more, on the 8th hole, my birdie putt missed less than a meter away,” explained Danny.
Syukrizal, who joined the Indonesian national team while still an amateur player, hopes to enter the Top 10 at the BNI Ciputra Golpreneur Tournament 2023. Even though he was out of bounds, he was able to return to his game until the end of the game. He made three birdies and an eagle on the 8th hole.
This golfer from Aceh admits that he really likes playing at Damai Indah Golf (BSD Course). According to him, the golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus is very fun and challenging. “This field is not difficult or easy. For me, the biggest challenge is on the 11th hole; it’s not easy to beat it, “explained Syukrizal.
*Credit Information to Ciputra Golfpreneur Foundation