Banten, Saturday (26/8) , Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (IND)skyrocketed to the top of the standings and won the BNI Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament 2023. Yuvraj collected 265 strokes, or 23 under par. Is four strokes ahead of Ho Yu-cheng (TPE), who was ranked first in the standings the previous day.
“Actually, this success is not only determined by the 18 holes I played today. I think more because of the hard work we put in as a team in India. Before coming here, I spent three months training with my team, with coaches, fitness coaches, and physio coaches. I think this win is a big gift for the team, not only for myself but also for the caddie. It feels unfair to only evaluate the last 18 holes, considering the hard work that has been put in,” said Yuvraj.
Feelings of pride and emotion to be one. Yuvraj considers this victory the achievement of a long process. “There is a feeling of relief when you can complete the task. Wherever we make it happen, it can make us forget all the hard work and pain we have experienced. So, I really can’t describe it in words, but it’s clear that it feels very, very happy to be able to enjoy this victory, “he said.
As the champion, Yuvraj received US$21.875 in prize money out of a total of US$125,000 up for grabs. Ho Yu-cheng earned US$14,375.
The T3 position is occupied by five golfers, namely Ervin Chang and Amir Nazrin from Malaysia, Witchayapat Sinsrang and Jakraphan Premsirigorn from Thailand, and William Harrold from England. They each earned US$5,959.
Even though he played par on the last day, Danny Masrin won the trophy as the best Indonesian player. Danny collected 280 strokes, or 8 under par. Having won one stroke, Syukrizal S. and Peter Gunawan took the next place in T32 along with three other players from Thailand, namely Chonjarern Baramithanaseth, Ekpharit Wu, and Piya Sawangarunporn.
At the beginning of the match, Syukrizal had lost his game. He’s 3 over the first 6 holes. “I was stressed and annoyed because many of the putts did not go in. We should have been able to birdie instead of bogey, but thankfully, on the following holes, we can refocus and control the game,” said Syukrizal. “On the 6th green hole, I drank and then screamed to get rid of stress. And that made me feel more relieved and focused again. He finished the final day’s game with 71 strokes, or 1 under par.
According to Syukrizal, he should be able to make at least $3 per day, but he has not been able to fulfill that target. He hopes that this result can spur him to achieve better results in the following tournaments.
Meanwhile, Peter Gunawan, who is one of the athletes supported by the Ciputra Golfpreneur Foundation, scored the best score in the final, namely 68, or 4 under par. Three consecutive days before, he always scored 71 strokes, or 1 under par.
George Gandranata occupies the T53 position with a total of 288 strokes, or par. Last year, George was the best Indonesian professional in this tournament.
Chandra Ciputra, Managing Director of Ciputra Group and Founder of the Ciputra Golfpreneur Foundation, who attended the trophy presentation, hoped that golfers, especially Indonesian golfers, would be motivated to move forward by holding this tournament.
“We express our appreciation to BNI as the main sponsor and all supporters of this tournament for the support and commitment given to us for this competition. Hopefully this effort can help advance the achievements of Indonesian golf athletes in the future,” said Chandra.
The tournament, which has been held since 2014, was absent in 2020–2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, Damai Indah Golf (BSD Course) has always been the host. This year, the amount awarded increased from $110,000 to $125,000.
*Credit Information Ciputra Golfpreneur Foundation