Rory placed T-9 in the 2011 Indonesian Masters
Rory shot rounds of 68-74-69-69 (8-under total) in the Indonesian Masters, a $750,000 Asian Tour tournament.
From asiantour.com:
HIE ENJOYS TOP-10 FINISH
Jakarta, April 24: Rory Hie birdied the last two holes to accomplish his goal of finishing in the top-10 of the Indonesian Masters on Sunday.
Hie battled to a three-under-par 69 for an eight-under-par 280 total to finish in tied ninth place at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
He was delighted with his ball striking. “It was probably one of the weeks that I hit the ball. I only missed one fairway and hit my tee shots really solid. I just couldn’t capitalize on the birdie putts again.”
He rued a poor second round which dashed his chances of being in contention in the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.
“I putted so badly in the second round. You can’t have any bad putting days out here or you will be left behind. If it wasn’t for the second round, I would probably be in contention.
“Like I said, I wasn’t aiming for a win. I was aiming for a top-10 which I achieved,” smiled Hie, the first Indonesian to earn an Asian Tour in 2009.
Previous articles from asiantour.com:
HIE HOMES IN ON TOP-10 FINISH
Jakarta, April 23: Rory Hie reaped the rewards of a new putter and a good shave to give himself a shot for a top-10 finish at the inaugural Indonesian Masters.
The local hero fired a four-under-par 68 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club on Saturday to end the third round in tied 15th place, some 11 shots behind leader Lee Westwood.
“I thought I could have gone to seven or eight under but overall it was a good solid round. My short and long game was good. My putting was much better after I changed putters. I made two important changes today, I switched putters and shaved!” smiled Hie, the only local player to make the halfway cut this week.
“To score you’ve got to be on your game and precise on this course because the greens are very demanding and undulating. There’s no room for error. You have to keep the ball below the hole all the time.”
With the crowds firmly behind him, Hie gave them plenty to cheer about with another impressive performance.
He drew loud roars of approval with an opening birdie and was unlucky to not hole a few more chances.“That was pretty exciting (birdie on the first hole). There was quite a loud cheer. It felt like I birdied the 18th hole. It was nice to have the home crowd supporting you. I could have made birdie on the second hole but missed a short putt. That has been the story of the week,” he said.
“Winning seems to be out of the question with Lee (Westwood) doing so well. Basically I’m aiming for a top-10. I’ve learned from previous experiences that you got to play your own game even though this is a big tournament. You got to focus and I think that’s what happened to the other local professionals. I played in other local tournaments and there’s always a guy shooting five or eight-under. I think it is just a mental game.”
First round article from asiantour.com:
HIE PROVIDES EARLY HOME CHEERS
Jakarta, April 21: If there was one Rory thrilling the Malaysian galleries last week, the inaugural Indonesian Masters saw another Rory providing the local cheers on Thursday.
Rory Hie, Indonesia’s great hope, posted a solid four-under-par 68 at Royale Jakarta Golf Club in the opening round of the US$750,000 Asian Tour event and put himself in touch with opening round leader Siddikur of Bangladesh, who set the early pace with a superb 66.
The 22-year-old knocked in five birdies against a lone bogey to raise hopes of a maiden victory on the Asian Tour.
Hie was delighted with his effort. “It was a really good round. I hit the ball really good,” said the young Indonesian, who hit 15 greens in regulation.
“All in all it was really good. I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I could have made a lot more putts and gone to seven or eight under. I will go work on my putting later. Hopefully I can come back stronger tomorrow.
“I had an eagle putt on the 12th hole from 12 feet but didn’t make it. It was still okay because I still had a birdie.”
The benefits of enjoying numerous practice rounds at the impeccable Royale Jakarta paid off nicely for Hie as he rarely looked in trouble of dropping shots, despite a lone blemish on the par three 15th hole.
Last season’s swing changes seem to be paying off as well for Hie with the Indonesian talent showing greater composure on the fairways as well while competing alongside Asia’s elite.
“I didn’t have a number in mind. I just tried to play the best that I can. Honestly, I don’t have any expectations at all and I hope to keep my mind clear and focus,” said Hie.
“I’m hitting it really solid and I need to maintain that. My preparations have been good. I’ve played pretty well for about four months now so I’m happy with my game now.”
If his namesake Rory McIlroy finished third at the Maybank Malaysian Open last weekend, Rory Hie would certainly be keen to match that performance, if not better it by a couple of notches in front of his home fans.
Pre-tournament article from asiantour.com:
HIE SEEKS HOME CHEER
Jakarta, March 23: Local prospect Rory Hie is eager to put on a heroic display at the star-studded Indonesian Masters next month.
Hie, the first Indonesian to earn his Asian Tour card in 2009, will lead the local charge to face world number two Lee Westwood of England, Thailand’s trailblazer Thongchai Jaidee and India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 21 to 24.
The inaugural Indonesian Masters will become the newest Asian Tour tournament in 2011 with a lucrative prize fund of US$750,000.
Hie believes the Asian Tour’s involvement with professional golf in Indonesia is a massive boost for the development of the game and reckons Westwood’s star presence along with the cream of the crop from the Asian Tour will inspire many young golfers in the country.
“We have a lot of sponsors who are more interested in sponsoring golf tournaments now and this bodes well with the game in Indonesia. To have the world number two golfer play here is exceptional for the young players as well as the fans,” said the 22-year-old.
Hie hopes to put his course knowledge of the Royale Jakarta Golf Club to good effect and challenge for the Indonesian Masters title.
“I’ve been playing at the Royale Jakarta course and I find the greens to be quite tricky. But the more I practice there, the more comfortable I get. I’ve also been hitting the ball really well and that’s a great boost to my game,” he said.
Despite finishing outside the top-61 on the Order of Merit last season, Hie will still have playing opportunities on the Asian Tour this season through the country exemption category.
He missed six consecutive cuts last season but produced a sparkling performance at the end of the year when he placed tied 12th at the season-ending Black Mountain Masters, just four strokes from winner Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan.
“I changed my grip in the middle of last year and it worked wonders for me. I started playing more consistently and my last three tournaments were definitely the highlight. I’m hoping to maintain my momentum and if I play well maybe even win on the Asian Tour,” said Hie.
Hie played a practice round with three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington at the Iskandar Johor Open last year and he is now relishing the prospect of playing alongside Westwood.
“I learned a lot from playing with Padraig last year and it will be a dream come true if I get to play with Lee. I’m sure I’ll learn even more from him and that will be a bonus for my game,” he added.
The Indonesian Masters is earmarked to become the country’s foremost golf championship, with plans to raise its prize fund and attract other international stars to Indonesia in the coming years.
Sponsors of the Indonesian Masters include Four Seasons Hotel, Royale Jakarta Golf Club, PNTS, Garuda Indonesia and Mercedes-Benz. The event is also supporting Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organisation with the goal to build homes for the underprivileged in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Rory Pleased With 9th Place Finish
From Jakarta Globe:
It’s not as impressive a finish as the one he had last month, but Rory Hie will leave the Indonesian Masters proud of his performance.
The 22-year-old shot a three-under 69 on Sunday and tied for ninth place with an eight-under 280 in a tilt Rory described “as one of his best weeks hitting the ball.”
Rory, the lone Indonesian to play over the weekend, did his best to give the home fans something to cheer about.
“I missed only one fairway and I hit every tee shot pretty solid,” he said on Sunday.
It was his putting, though, that let him down. After an opening-round 68, he dug himself a hole on Friday by shooting a 74.
He regained some of his touch in the third round, scoring a 69, but he knew winning the event was out of his reach.
“The second round was pretty bad for me. You just can’t have that kind of putting day out here, or else you get left behind,” he said.
“If it was a different second round, I think I would have been in contention. But overall, I’m very happy,” he added.
The golfer said he had “not been aiming for a win where [his] position was so far back Lee Westwood.”
“I was just aiming for a top 10 [finish] and I think I achieved that,” he said.
Rory has carried Indonesia’s hopes so far this year in two events considered to be the country’s version of a “major.”
He placed solo second in the Indonesian PGA Championship last month for his best finish ever in a regional tournament.
That performance bumped up expectations for him coming into the Indonesian Masters at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
If Rory had caught some breaks with his short game in the Asian Tour event, he could have easily secured a better ranking.
“I just couldn’t capitalize on birdie putts. But overall, that was a good finish for me. I managed to put in three good rounds and that’s very good,” he said.
Birthday joy for Westwood, as Rory finishes in top 10
From Jakarta Post:
—
Indonesian ace Rory Hie birdied the last two holes to accomplish his goal of finishing in the top-10.
Rory battled to a three-under-par 69 for an eight-under-par 280 total to finish in tied ninth place at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
He was delighted with his ball striking. “It was probably one of the weeks that I hit the ball. I only missed one fairway and hit my tee shots really solid. I just couldn’t capitalize on the birdie putts again.”
Rory rued a poor second round which dashed his chances of being in contention in the event.
“I putted so badly in the second round. You can’t have any bad putting days out here or you will be left behind. If it wasn’t for the second round, I would probably be in contention. “Like I said, I wasn’t aiming for a win. I was aiming for a top-10 which I achieved,” smiled Rory, the first Indonesian to earn an Asian Tour in 2009.
Rory Keeps Pace With Indonesian Masters Leaders
From Jakarta Globe:
Rory Hie got off to a good start at the Indonesian Masters, carding a four-under 68 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Course on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Indonesian had five birdies to go with one bogey, which came on the tricky par-3 No. 15, in an opening round that was packed at the top with Southeast Asian golfers.
Lee Westwood, the biggest name in this week’s $750,000 Asian Tour event, also had a 68.
Rory and Westwood were two shots off solo leader Siddikur, who was hot off the tee. Starting at the 10th hole, the Bangladeshi churned in five birdies before the turn. He had a total of seven birdies, with the only blemish in his round coming via bogey in the par-4 No. 8.
Six players finished the day with a 67, including Tony Lascuna of the Philippines, Lam Chih Bing of Singapore, and the Thai pair of Prayad Marksaeng and Thongchai Jaidee.
Picking up where he left off at the Indonesian PGA Championship last month, where he finished second, Rory proved he wasn’t going to back down against the tour’s more veteran names.
“It was a really good round. I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I could have made a lot more putts and gone to seven or eight under. Hopefully I can come back strongly tomorrow,” Rory said.
“I didn’t have a number in mind. I just tried to play the best that I can. My preparations have been good. I played really well for about four months so I’m happy with my game now.”
Westwood is determined on focusing on the Indonesian Masters and is unperturbed by the fact that he has a chance at regaining the world No. 1 this week.
If Westwood wins this week and Luke Donald does not at the US PGA Tour event The Heritage, Westwood will seize the top spot from Martin Kaymer.
“I’ll let things take its course and see what happens at the end of the week. Like I said before, I’m here to win a golf tournament,” said Westwood, Europe’s No. 1 in 2000 and 2009.
He struggled to get his putter on fire early in the round but birdied his closing two holes to put himself two strokes from the lead.
“I played solidly but I was a bit frustrated out there. It has been the story for me so far, hitting it great from tee to green and giving myself a lot of chances but not taking it,” the Englishman said.
Thitipun Chuayprakong of Thailand, and Malaysians Ben Leong and Shaaban also tacked 68s.
Rory Hie of Indonesia tied with Lee Westwood in the first round of inaugural Indonesian Masters
From golfinquirer.com:
Rory McIlroy may not be participating in the Indonesian Masters but his namesake Rory Hie of Indonesia, is expected to attract bulks of local crowd, as well as some cheers, in the inaugural tournament of the Asian Tour.
Rory was under the spotlight in the first round of the championship which includes top ranking golfers like Lee Westwood and Thongchai Jaidee. Rory posted a brilliant four-under, 68 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, tied with Westwood, and just two shots away from the leader Siddikur.
The 22-year-old had 15 greens in regulation and boasted a sunny disposition of his performance among the giants.
“It was a really good round. I hit the ball really good, All in all it was really good. I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I could have made a lot more putts and gone to seven or eight under. I will go work on my putting later. Hopefully I can come back stronger tomorrow”, said Rory.
The young Indonesian pulled in five birdies and had an opportunity to make an eagle at Par-5, 12th from 12 feet, however, he missed the hole by a few inches and ended up making a birdie. Rory’s long practice sessions at the Royale Jakarta paid off in full as he never looked to miss a shot except for a misadventure at Par-3, 15th where he stumbled with his lone bogey on the round.
Rory has also undergone a swing change with his coach and though the young golfer says that he is not expecting much out of the competition, with the home crowd on his side and playing on his happy hunting ground, he poses a formidable challenge to the more celebrated players.
“I’m hitting it really solid and I need to maintain that. My preparations have been good. I’ve played pretty well for about four months now so I’m happy with my game now,” said a buoyant Rory.