The Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course at the BNI Ciputra event proved to be a solid test from tee to green, rewarding good shots while punishing poor ones significantly. Unfortunately, I fell ill upon arriving in Jakarta, and having no energy in the hot, humid climate was far from ideal. I shot back-to-back rounds of 73 for a +2 total after two rounds, missing the cut by three strokes. Although the scores didn’t reflect it, my game felt close, and I saw glimpses of good golf that gave me plenty of confidence and anticipation for the next event in Da Nang.
Between the two Indonesian tournaments, I travelled to Da Nang, Vietnam, for the BRG Open Championship at the Legend Da Nang Resort. The Nicklaus-designed course there has been my favourite of the year so far on the ADT – a fantastic design with a wide variety of holes and excellent course conditions, everything you could ask for in a golf course. I played solidly overall, but a few mental mistakes and missed shots into tough spots kept me from climbing higher on the leaderboard. I carded rounds of 75, 72, and 71 to finish tied for 23rd at 1 under par, 9 shots off the lead. Despite nine penalty shots, the tournament showed me that I have the game to compete if I can clean up the errors.
After a week off in Singapore, I headed back to Jakarta for the Indonesia Pro-Am at Gunung Guelis, played on the East and West courses. Both courses presented their own challenges, with undulating terrain, tight fairways, numerous doglegs, and heavily contoured greens. After a slow start in the first round due to poor putting, I rallied to make five birdies on the back nine, finishing with a round of 1 under par 70. The rest of the tournament followed a similar pattern – up-and-down rounds with birdies offset by bogeys. I finished with rounds of 70, 70, and 71 for a 2-under-par total and a 49th-place finish.
Off the course, it was incredible to explore parts of the world I had never visited before. Experiencing the bustling streets and fast-paced lifestyle of Jakarta was a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere back home in New Zealand. Da Nang, on the other hand, was an amazing place to visit. Staying at a tournament hotel on the beach reminded me more of home. A trip to Hoi An and walking through the old town was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I’m already looking forward to returning to Da Nang in the future.
