Featured in this Article
Indonesia’s Randy Bintang turns 21 next week (on October 9), and he laid the foundation for a double celebration with a superb opening round of 5-under 65 on Thursday at the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Bintang did not have the best start to his round – making his only bogey of the day on his opening 10th hole. However, there were no further mistakes, and six birdies ensured he finished the day on top of the quality leaderboard at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba.
Indonesian hopes
No Indonesian player has finished inside the Top 15 in the 15-year history of the AAC. The best result is George Gandranata’s tied 17th way back in 2011 in Singapore.
With four tournament wins back home since June last year, Bintang has long been considered a top prospect in his country. That was one of the reasons he was chosen by the Indonesian Federation to participate in the AAC Academy in 2022, and then again last year at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
Even though he missed the cut in Thailand, Bintang showed promise when he followed up a nervous opening round of 79 at Amata Springs with a sparkling six-under par 66 on the second day. It wasn’t enough in the end and he missed the cut by one shot.
It’s my third AAC and I am just starting to play my best golf.
Academy boost
A second stint at the AAC Academy in Melbourne was just the booster dose he needed. On a tough course, Bintang finished tied 48th, but that could have been a lot better if not for his 87 on Saturday when only two players broke par the whole day.
Apart from the many technical things he learned at the academy, he has also learned how to stay patient on the golf course and wait for his chances. On Thursday, he put it to good effect.
“I started on the 10th hole and I got a bogey. After that, I just tried to find the fairways and greens, and it worked out. My putting was really good today,” said Bintang.
“It’s my third AAC and I am just starting to play my best golf.”
