Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat said this week he has benefited greatly from playing in two star-studded LIV Golf Invitational events this year, and it showed today as he added a second round five-under-par 67 to his first round 64 to take the lead in the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open.
He leads the Asian Tour event on 13 under par at Pondok Indah Golf Course, having not dropped a shot in two days and carded 13 birdies.
Korea’s Minkyu Kim, winner of the Kolon Korea Open in June, and American Berry Henson, chasing his first win on Tour in 11 years, both carded 67s to sit two back.
Weather delays on Thursday meant the event is playing catch up: 24 players were unable to finish today. They include Hong Kong amateur star Taichi Kho, the joint-first round leader with Itthipat, and Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun. Kho is 11 under with four to play and Chang 12 under with two to go.
“Today I started with not hitting my tee shots so well; I hit hooks on three holes in a row. But I tried to get my confidence back, and it came back,” said Itthipat.
“Then I started hitting the fairways so I could hit the greens. So today was one more round for me with no bogeys, bogey free again two days in a row. So yeah, I feel good.
“I have a new good partner, my caddie Jee. Oh, he pushed me. When we have weeks off he’s pushed me to practice, we work together all the time. You know a good partner means I can talk to him about everything which makes me more confident. Everything is better. I got some new ideas playing with the highly ranked players at the LIV London event, it changed my mind set to do something I never did before. Perspective changes when you are surrounded by better players and see how they play.”
Minkyu Kim, the 21 year old who won on Europe’s Challenge Tour when he was 17 in 2018, is one of his country’s great young hopes and is clearly in the mood for more success.
“I’ve played pretty solid since Korea and this is my first Asian Tour event since winning the Kolon Korea Open; so, I’m very excited to be in contention this weekend,” he said.
“I feel much more confident when I am in contention now, and I think I can get this, I can get another win. So, a lot of positive things coming to me.”
Hua Hin-based Henson, one of the Tour’s most consistent players who hasn’t missed a cut since the Tour restarted last year after COVID-19, set himself a challenge this week.
“Yeah, fantastic. Yeah, feel great,” said the 43-year-old.
“I mean, I set a little goal for myself this week and made a little hiccup today on that goal, but, but other than that, I’m very pleased with where I’m at.
“I kind of wanted to come in this week and try not to make any doubles, no bogeys on the par fives, and no three putts. But I lost a little focus on number five today and three putted from about 20 feet. It was a little tricky pin.”
His last win came at 2011 Philippine Open.
He added: “I went back home for four weeks, and I changed up a few things with my team, and I hired a new coach and we created more of a team atmosphere. I think that’s what I’m missing from being away from home so much. In Thailand I’m kind of by myself so we put a little bit more emphasis on kind of like creating more of a team atmosphere, and that seems to be paying off so far.”
Thailand’s Atiruj Winaicharoenchai carded the best round of the week so far, a 63 and is three behind the leaders. Preferred lies are being played so it is not a course record.
“Yeah, I just want to play under par every round, that’s my goal. Just play my best and after that, I’ll take it,” said the Thai golfer, who has won twice on the All Thailand Golf Tour this year.
Scores after round 2 of the Mandiri 40th Indonesia Open 2022 being played at the par 72, 7243 Yards Pondok Indah GC course (am – denotes amateur):
131 – Itthipat Buranatanyarat (THA) 64-67.
133 – Berry Henson (USA) 66-67, Minkyu Kim (KOR) 66-67.
134 – Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (THA) 71-63, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 65-69, Chapchai Nirat (THA) 65-69.
135 – Kevin Yuan (AUS) 71-64, Nitithorn Thippong (THA) 67-68, Keith Horne (RSA) 66-69, Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 68-67.
136 – Aaron Pike (AUS) 69-67, Kwanchai Tannin (THA) 68-68.
137 – Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 67-70, Natipong Srithong (THA) 67-70, Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (THA) 66-71.
138 – Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-68, Rashid Khan (IND) 68-70, M. Dharma (IND) 70-68, S. Syukrizal (INA) 68-70, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 68-70.
139 – Trevor Simsby (USA) 69-70, Taehee Lee (KOR) 70-69, Doyeob Mun (KOR) 71-68, Kyongjun Moon (KOR) 70-69, Almay Rayhan Yagutah (am, INA) 67-72, Steve Lewton (ENG) 68-71, Paul Peterson (USA) 72-67, Bio Kim (KOR) 72-67, Ian Snyman (RSA) 69-70.
140 – Piya Sawangarunporn (THA) 70-70, Danny Masrin (INA) 70-70, Sattaya Supupramai (THA) 70-70, Pawin Ingkhapradit (THA) 69-71, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 70-70, Andrew Dodt (AUS) 71-69, Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 68-72, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 72-68, Josh Younger (AUS) 71-69.
141 – Chan Shih-chang (TPE) 69-72, Veer Ahlawat (IND) 70-71, Poom Saksansin (THA) 73-68, Honey Baisoya (IND) 76-65, Tanapat Pichaikool (THA) 74-67, Jack Harrison (ENG) 70-71, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 69-72, Indra Hermawan (INA) 70-71.
142 – Poom Pattaropong (THA) 73-69, Ben Leong (MAS) 73-69, Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND) 71-71, Todd Sinnott (AUS) 72-70, Jonathan Wijono (INA) 70-72, Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 71-71, Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 71-71, Karandeep Kochhar (IND) 71-71, Sungho Lee (KOR) 69-73, Donlaphatchai Niyomchon (THA) 70-72, Settee Prakongvech (THA) 71-71, Nicholas Fung (MAS) 72-70.
143 – Ervin Chang (MAS) 74-69, Richard T. Lee (CAN) 73-70, Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) 75-68, Prom Meesawat (THA) 72-71, Sihwan Kim (USA) 74-69, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 74-69, Janne Kaske (FIN) 74-69, Kshitij Naveed Kaul (IND) 77-66, Kevin Phelan (IRL) 69-74, Benjamin Follett-Smith (ZIM) 72-71, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA) 73-70, Zach Bauchou (USA) 74-69, Miguel Carballo (ARG) 69-74, Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra (INA) 69-74, Scott Strange (AUS) 70-73, Rinaldi Adiyandono (INA) 71-72.
144 – Koh Deng Shan (SIN) 71-73, Sangchai Kaewcharoen (THA) 72-72.
145 – Bongsub Kim (KOR) 76-69, Kasidit Lepkurte (THA) 72-73, Othman Almulla (KSA) 71-74.
146 – Neil Schietekat (RSA) 72-74, Denwit Boriboonsub (THA) 74-72, Cory Crawford (AUS) 73-73, George Gandranata (INA) 72-74, S.S.P. Chawrasia (IND) 69-77, Rory Hie (INA) 70-76, Viraj Madappa (IND) 74-72.
147 – Benita Kasiadi (INA) 74-73, Poosit Supupramai (THA) 73-74, Danthai Boonma (THA) 75-72, Joshua Andrew Wirawan (INA) 76-71, Bradley Taslim (INA) 76-71, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 76-71, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 69-78, Yikeun Chang (KOR) 70-77.
148 – Mardan Mamat (SIN) 76-72, Fadhli Rahman Soetarso (INA) 75-73, Jamel Ondo (INA) 75-73, Robby Sugara (INA) 73-75, Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 71-77, Justin Quiban (PHI) 77-71, Christoffer Baumann (SWE) 73-75.
149 – Byungjun Kim (KOR) 77-72.
150 – Hyukchul Shin (KOR) 74-76, Michael Tran (VNM) 76-74, Chiragh Kumar (IND) 75-75, Franklin Lydra (am, INA) 73-77, Randy Abernata Bintang (am, INA) 69-81.
151 – Rudi Anto (INA) 81-70.
152 – Lionel Weber (FRA) 78-74, Asep Saefulloh (INA) 78-74, Alfred Raja Sitohang (am, INA) 77-75, Nabil Almanaaf (am, INA) 76-76.
153 – Pannakorn Uthaipas (THA) 76-77, Elki Kow (INA) 75-78.
154 – Aman Raj (IND) 80-74, Almer Noreen Nurdaffa (am, INA) 78-76.
155 – Amadeus Christi Susanto (am, INA) 81-74.
156 – Kadek Putra (INA) 78-78, Jonathan Tanoto (am, INA) 79-77, Luke Evan Moore (am, INA) 78-78, Naoki Sekito (JPN) 80-76.
157 – Yudiansyah (INA) 83-74, Rusli Abu Bakar (INA) 79-78.
159 – Aqil Widyantoro (INA) 83-76, Junaidi Ibrahim (INA) 80-79.
162 – Kurnia Herisian Santoso (INA) 80-82.
Round 2 suspended due to darkness. 24 players will resume play on Saturday morning.
