Indonesia’s premier golf tournament, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf, today announced a series of initiatives to ensure a truly memorable showpiece when the Asian Tour event returns to the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 23 – 26.
Former world number one Lee Westwood of England and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn are sure to provide ample entertainment inside the ropes, while new developments away from the fairways are set to ensure that the tournament’s fifth edition is as well remembered off-course, as it is on.
Enjoy Jakarta, the capital city’s official tourism authority, will join the prestigious event as the Presenting Sponsor, bringing a distinctly local flavour to the four-day tournament.
As visitors walk through the gates, they can expect to be greeted by the presence of Abang & None Jakarta (Mr. & Miss Jakarta) who will be onsite to champion the nation’s capital city.
And in what is fast becoming a tournament tradition, the newly crowned champion will once again be presented with his very own Tenun Ikat motif jacket. While the inspiration behind the idea might come from the Masters Tournament in Augusta, observers at the 2015 edition can expect to see something a little closer to home.
The 2015 jacket will be created by renowned Indonesian designer, Didiet Maulana. The creative director from IKAT Indonesia, famous for his contemporary, locally inspired designs, will create his own version of the ‘Green Jacket’ which will have an authentic Indonesian style.
With the countdown of the tournament well under-way, leading Indonesian golfer George Gandranata lauded the new announcements. Speaking about the importance of the tournament in building Indonesia’s fledgling golf industry and putting the country on the world map of golf, Gandranata said:
“The CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf plays a crucial role in the development of golf in Indonesia at a grass roots and golf industry level. Our nation has all the necessary ingredients to build an internationally recognized, healthy and sustainable golf industry benefiting many sectors of society. It is essential that we are staging elite, world class tournaments such as this to showcase Indonesian golf to the world and inspire future generations.
“I extend my congratulations to both Enjoy Jakarta on its partnership with the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. They will bring their own colour and style to the tournament, adding to the carnival atmosphere for visitors to enjoy. I look forward to joining everyone in Jakarta next month,” added Gandranata.
Speaking about the partnership, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Governor of Jakarta said, “We are very proud to announce the partnership between Enjoy Jakarta and the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2015. The collaboration with this Asian Tour event will enable us to showcase the city of Jakarta not just to the thousands of visitors that come to the tournament, but to golf enthusiasts throughout the region”.
“Indonesia’s capital city has an important role to play in the development of golf among ASEAN. Bringing internationally recognized events such as this tournament, as well as the Asia Golf Tourism Conference – an IAGTO global golf tourism event that will be staged in Jakarta the week following the tournament – are strategic objectives for the city of Jakarta. We look forward to welcoming the international golf community to our vibrant and highly diverse capital city next month.”
Speaking on behalf of the tournament sponsor, James Rompas, Vice CEO of CIMB Niaga added, “We are delighted to welcome both Enjoy Jakarta and Didiet Maulana to this year’s tournament. With just over a month to go before the Asian golf community arrives in Jakarta, visitors can look forward to a world class golf tournament, complimented by a host of tourist attractions brought to us in true Indonesian style. I would like to thank both partners for their commitment to making this tournament one of the very best in the region.”
Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour of Indonesia, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters Presented by Enjoy Jakarta Golf will feature 24 Indonesian golfers, 20 professionals from the PGA Tour of Indonesia and four of Indonesia’s top amateurs who will compete in the 150 player field over 72 holes of individual stroke play.
