Naraajie Ramadhan Putra became only the second Indonesian to win the Saujana Amateur Championship with a wire-to-wire victory in the 32nd edition of the event. The last Indonesian winner of the prestigious championship was Borhan Bora way back in 1991.
Going into today’s final round with a massive eight-shot lead thanks to a second round 66, Naraajie signed in a closing 75 for a three-day total of five-under-par 211 at Saujana’s Palm Course. The 19-year-old finished five shots ahead of three players, namely Australia’s Dylan Gardner, Taiwan’s Taichi Kho and Malaysia’s Muhammad Afif Fathi.
“With such a large lead, I decided to play defensive – play lots of pars – and let the pressure be on the rest. I myself felt the pressure too but I stuck to my strategy and let others do the work. I’m glad it worked out,” said Naraajie, who was the highest-ranked player in the field at 149th spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
For his win, Naraajie also earned a start in an Asian Development Tour event of his choice in Malaysia.
More than 100 players from 16 countries took part in the event on the recently-renovated Palm Course, which just three months ago hosted the Maybank Championship which is one of the region’s top professional events. Naraajie’s second round 66 will count as a course record as preferred lies were in play during the Maybank event.
Singapore’s Low Wee Jin carded the low round of the day, a five-under-par 67 which vaulted him into joint fifth place on 217 with last week’s Malaysian Amateur Open winner Lawry Flynn of Australia.
RESULTS (Top 10 and ties – Malaysian unless otherwise stated)
211 – Naraajie Ramadhan Putra (INA) 70-66-75
216 – Dylan Gardner (AUS) 74-74-68; Taichi Kho (TPE) 71-75-70; Muhammad Afif 71-74-71
217 – Low Wee Jin (SIN) 74-76-67; Lawry Flynn (AUS) 75-72-70
219 – Jack Buchanan (AUS) 76-72-71
220 – Mitchell Varley (AUS) 74-74-72; Gabriel Manotoc (PHI) 72-74-74
221 – Almay Rayhan Yaqurta (INA) 76-69-76; Ryan Monsalve (PHI) 70-74-77
