GONE TOO SOON BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN … ARIE IRAWAN’S LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE LIVES OF THOSE HE TOUCHED
By Jonathan Ponniah
I may not have known Arie Irawan for long and neither would I count myself among his inner circle of friends.
But in a relatively short space of time – eight years, perhaps – and over a relatively small number of interactions, Arie made a huge impression on me with his single-minded dedication to his chosen trade and his quietly confident and constantly cheerful disposition.
The last time I spoke to Arie was during this year’s Maybank Championship welcome reception, which he attended with his lovely wife Marina. He was his usual cheerful self, flashing that unmistakable toothy smile as soon as he saw me.
But on April 7, while in Hainan, China, for the Sanya Championship, Arie left this world way too early, passing away in his sleep of natural causes.
With wife Marina on the bag (©PGA Tour Series-China)
Arie’s untimely death at age 28 left the golfing community in shock and resulted in an overwhelming number of tributes flowing in from all over the world – reflecting his amazing ability to connect with and touch people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The wake at his family home in Ampang drew hundreds of people apart from family and friends, ranging from his fellow golfers and golf administrators to members of the media who had gotten to know, love and respect the young man over his short but eventful golfing career.
One of the most moving tributes came from Arie’s close friend Kevin Techakanokboon, who also plays on the PGA Tour Series-China. The duo always roomed together when Marina was not on tour with Arie, as was indeed the case in Sanya. Their bond was so tight that Arie caddied for Techakanokboon during the latter’s maiden professional win in the Zhuhai Championship last October.
“Arie knew how to maintain relationships even if he was friends with people who didn’t quite walk along the same path as him. He was great that way, he was never much into judging people and he was always quick to share information or knowledge he thought would help me or anyone else,” said Techakanokboon.
“That’s the thing with Arie. There weren’t a lot of guys he didn’t get along with. Everybody was touched by the guy in some way, and everybody has Arie stories to tell. Today, you talk to people from any of the tours he played on who knew him well and they will all tell you – every one of them – he was not just another face on the tour,” added the American.
Arie was certainly not just another face in Malaysian golf. Anyone who knew him from his competitive amateur days, players and officials alike, had fond memories to share.
Born to parents Ahmad and Jeny Fauzi on August 21, 1990, Arie’s love affair with golf began at age eight. He started making waves on the local amateur scene in his teens, culminating in a win at the 2008 Malaysian Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Having attracted the attention of US college golf coaches, he chose the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma where he earned a degree in management information systems.
Arie’s professional career epitomised the ups-and-downs of life on tour. He joined the paid ranks in 2013 and enjoyed his best year in 2015 when he won two Asian Development Tour (ADT) events – the PGM Sime Darby Harvard Championship here in Malaysia and the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational in the Philippines. A moped accident in 2016 put Arie out of the game for several months, but he made a strong comeback in 2017 and won the local PGM Tour’s season-ending Maybank Players Championship.
With his ultimate goal being to get onto the PGA Tour, Arie started competing on the PGA Tour Series-China last year while continuing to play in whatever Asian Tour and ADT events he could get into – indeed, he had one of the tightest playing schedules among Malaysian players, never shying away from an opportunity to go to the office.
On the bag for Kevin Techakanokboon at last year’s Zhuhai Championship (©PGA Tour Series-China)
Through it all, whether at the peaks or in the lows, Arie carried himself with dignity and never once showed any hint of despair. He was extremely accommodating with the media, going out of his way to respond to questions and always giving frank and astute answers.
Indeed, Arie’s life should serve as an inspiration not only to aspiring young golfers but to each and every one of us.
The PGA Tour’s Todd Rhinehart, who spent seven years in Malaysia as the executive director of the CIMB Classic, recalls: “Over the years, I saw and talked to Arie at TPC Kuala Lumpur while he was practicing as well as competing in our national qualifier for the CIMB Classic. He was not only one of Malaysia’s most talented golfers, but also an incredible young man who served as a passionate ambassador for junior golf in the country.”
Even China’s top golfer Li Haotong, who only met Arie once during a friendly game in Los Angeles earlier this year, was touched by the warmth and genuine nature of the Malaysian.
“I can’t believe it. He was such a nice guy and I feel like it’s so unfair,” said Li. “He was like an old friend even though I just met him. There’s nothing to say, really. It’s just so very sad.”
Amazing. But not surprising.
Arie was, after all, an amazing person.
