Rory finished T-2 in the 2011 Indonesian Open
Rory shot rounds of 68-70-68-70 to finish 12 under for a tie of 2nd place in the $1,000,000 tournament hosted by One Asia in Pantai Indah Kapuk Golf Course, Jakarta.
Rory Hie eyes victory at Indonesia Open
Matheos Viktor Messakh, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/13/2011 7:00 AM
Local favorite Rory Hie, with a runner-up finish on home soil already under his belt this season, is ready to rumble at this week’s US$1 million Indonesia Open.
“I feel like I am in control of my game. I have been working very hard, particularly on my tempo. I have a tendency to swing too fast. I worked a bit with Andrew Argus in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago, but most of the time I practiced with my dad in Jakarta,” the 22 year old said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.
A former University of Southern California student energized the country’s golf fans by finishing in second place behind Australia’s Andre Stolz in the Indonesia PGA Championship, the season-opening event on the OneAsia tour. He led going into the final round before Stolz skipped ahead to win the title by one stroke.
The former sixth-ranked amateur in the world said he would love to put himself in a similar position and this time seal the win at the Indonesia Open at Damai Indah Golf-Pantai Indah Kapuk Course.
The rising star finished tied for ninth at the Negeri Sembilan Masters Invitational on Sunday on the ASEAN PGA Tour and is feeling confident.
“I feel like I can hit all the fairways and greens in regulation. Of course it doesn’t always happen that way, but at least that is how I feel, which is a very positive sign.
“It has been a very good year so far. Much better than last year’s scenario when I struggled,” he added.
He faces a big challenge as the tournament has attracted a stellar field, including a posse of proven winners.
Defending champion Michael Hendry of New Zealand, OneAsia number one Liang Wenchong of China, Japanese legend Shigeki Maruyama, Irishman Paul McGinley, fresh from a top-15 finish in the Barclays Scottish Open, and multiple winner Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand are among the favorites.
The Thai duo of Chawalit Plaphol and Kiradech Aphibarnat, both winners in Asia this season, and leading Malaysian Danny Chia will also tee it up from July 14-17.
Hie knows that there are a lot of expectations for him to perform well at his home turf Open and he hopes to deliver a victory.
“I really thought it was going to be my week. I had prepared so hard. However, I am proud of the way I finished the round and the final day was a great learning experience,” said Hie, who won a career-high $102,000.