Jakarta, February 29: Defending champion of the Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS 2012, Lee Westwood, has hailed the charity initiatives of the event to alleviate poverty in Indonesia.

Pictured: (L-R) Darrell Lin (IMPL), Irfan Hamid (Asian Tour), James Tumbuan (Habitat for Humanity Indonesia), Nursallam (PGPI), George Chandra (Royale Jakarta Golf Club). Credit: Adil Fadillah/OB Golf

In the inaugural edition last year, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia built 11 homes from funds raised during the tournament and more than 20 homes are being targeted to be built for 2012.

“It is great to see the partners of the Indonesian Masters so committed to giving back to the community. What they have achieved from 2011 and their plans for 2012 are encouraging. I am very much looking forward to returning to Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 19 – 22 and hope my presence will not only assist in putting Indonesia on the map as a wonderful golf destination but also increase efforts to assist those in need,” said Westwood.

Westwood will be joined by golfing legends Ian Woosnam, Michael Campbell and Thongchai Jaidee at the Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS 2012.

The commitment of these high profile golfing stars together with the strong support of sponsors and partners is paving the way for another big success for the US$750,000 Asian Tour event.

“We are very grateful for being chosen once again to channel the Indonesian Masters’ charity funds. Their efforts from 2011 proved highly successful and we can already see these efforts increasing for 2012 and onwards.

“Habitat for Humanity Indonesia is on a strategic path to give everyone a decent place to live and it is through the initiatives of events such as this that truly help us reach our goals and targets,” said James Tumbuan, National Director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia.

Tumbuan added: “The Indonesian Masters is a fantastically run and managed event. We can see it is destined for great success and will soon become one of the region’s best golf tournaments. To be a part of the event is a great honour for us and we are proud to be associated with Indonesia’s most prestigious golf tournament.”

The announcement of the charity initiatives comes as the same time as the confirmation of Austria’s Bernd Weisberger who has been invited to play in Indonesia’s most premier golf tournament.

Sponsors and partners of the Indonesian Masters will enjoy a strong local media platform and the Asian Tour’s global television platform, which reaches out to over 200 countries and 650 million households. Indonesia’s premier news channel, Metro TV, will also be broadcasting the event locally for 10 hours live and will be airing additional shows and features related to the event and the positive impact it has on the economy of Indonesia.

To strengthen the message that the event continues to be an attractive investment for companies ready to support golf in Indonesia, the Indonesian Masters presented by PNTS 2012 sees new partners signing on including Blackberry (Official Phone), Srixon (Official Ball), Ricoh (Official Office Equipment) and Casillero del Diablo (Official Wine).

Other partners include the event’s Presenting Sponsor Pelayaran Nasional Tanjungriau Service (PNTS), Garuda Indonesia (Official Airline), BMW (Official Car), Coca-Cola (Official Drinks Partner), Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Official Hotel), Thiess Indonesia (Main Partner), Navigat Energy (Main Partner), Linc Group (Main Partner), Hush Puppies Golf (Official Apparel) and San Miguel (Official Beer).

Organisers have also started initiatives to develop the game at the grassroots level with the launch of the Indonesian Masters Amateur League. Participants are required to complete a minimum of three rounds at Royale Jakarta Golf Club on any Tuesday or Wednesday between now and March 31 and they will be ranked with their average score in an Order of Merit featured on the Indonesian Masters website, www.indonesianmasters.com. The winner of this Order of Merit will win a spot to play in the tournament proper.

A Junior development program is also being conducted on a monthly basis organised by the Indonesian Golf Association (PGI), giving opportunities to the youths of the nation to participate in the Indonesian Masters activities.