George Gandranata, Indonesia’s rising star is looking forward to playing in his national open and testing himself against the best players from across the region. Â
As the highest ranked player in Indonesia, finishing strongly at this year’s BANK BRI Indonesia Open, scheduled for December 4 to 7 at Jakarta’s Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, will be a great way to wrap up a successful season.Â
The 28-year-old has been focusing on the playing the newly-established Professional Golf Tour of Indonesia, learning from seasoned players on the local tour and improving his game on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour (ADT).
This patient and mature approach has yielded significant success and Gandranata finally claimed his first professional victory in April this year. Brimming with confidence, he claimed three other victories on the local circuit. This week at the opening round of the Chiangmai Golf Classic, Gandranata outperformed a host of stars including Jason Dufner of the United States with a six-under-par 66, claiming his first Asian Tour tournament lead.
Now with four local tour titles under his belt, Gandranata is turning his attention to the BANK BRI Indonesia Open next month.Â
“I am ready to take on our national championship which is the biggest event for local players,” said Gandranata. “As Indonesian golfers, we all hope to give our best performance on home soil. There is been only one Indonesian champion, Benny Kasiadi in 1989. It would be a huge honour to win, adding my name to the list as the second Indonesian to claim victory.”
The talented Indonesian takes a humble view of his recent wins but credits his huge improvement after contesting regularly against Asia’s best and talented golfers on the Asian Tour and ADT.
“The experience I have gained from getting into contention in both ADT events and Asian Tour tournaments has been invaluable”, Gandranata added. “I have learned something different from every player I played with making me to a better player.”
Gandranata has been working with his coach Philippe De Busschere of the LeadBetter Golf Academy in Indonesia since last October. De Busschere encouraged Gandranata to make adjustments in his body movement and weight transfer, delivering instant improvement in his game.
“It’s still a work in progress, but I have seen improvements in hitting the ball more solidly and driving further in distances,” Gandranata commented.Â
In addition, Gandranata also experimented with changing tactics from his usual aggressive approach to more conservative play. This paid immediate dividends as he emerged as the sole Indonesian to make the cut at the Indonesian Masters in April, the first time the 28-year-old had reached the weekend in three attempts.
When asked his view on the Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, host venue of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, Gandranata responded with confidence:  “It’s a challenging course, especially when it’s windy which can be often. But I like it because it plays tough for everyone. I will also have a caddy who knows the course well giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the green.”     Â
Mr. Murdaya Widyawimarta (Po), President of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organisers of the BANK BRI Indonesia Open, welcomed the confirmation of Gandranata, “George is not only a rising star on the golf course, he is also fast becoming a role model for Indonesian golfers of all ages. We are very proud of him and wish him the best of luck in competing in a whole new level as he has grown in experience and skill in the past year.”
