"I am looking forward to defending my title at the Indonesian Masters 2012 in April," said Westwood, the world`s number 2 golf player.
The 39-year-old English golfer mentioned that he enjoys playing golf in Asia, and the Indonesian Masters 2011 was the first Indonesian tournament he participated in. He added that the condition of the golf courses in Indonesia were more than adequate for such a prestigious tournament.
"I enjoy playing in Asia as there are some good golf courses. I look forward to playing better than I did last year," said Westwood via a video conference here on Thursday.
Westwood will be joined at the Indonesian Masters 2012 by several legendary golfers such as Ian Woosnam, Michael Campbell and Thongchai Jaidee. The tournament is being sponsored by CIMB Niaga.
Ian Woosnam was the 1991 US Masters champion and Michael Campbell was the 2005 US Open champion. Some 156 golfers from throughout the world will take part in the Indonesian Masters 2012 as they compete for total prize money worth US$750,000.
Professional Golf Association of Indonesia (PGA Indonesia) will also send 20 professional golfers to the star-studded event. PGA Indonesia Chairman Syafei Asnap said he hoped Indonesian golfers could reach the top 10 positions at the tournament.
"I hope some Indonesians will be in the top 10 at the Indonesian Masters 2012. I also hope that they perform better than they did at the Indonesian Open 2012 on March 25," he added.
Indonesian professional golfers who have confirmed they will participate in the Indonesian Masters 2012 are Rory Hie, Andik Mauluddin and George Gandradinata. Rory Hie was on the ninth with a score of 283 points, along with Liang Wenchong (China) and Park Eun-shin (South Korea). While Andik Mauluddin, the HMP Invitational 2012 champion, was tied with a score of 286 points at the Indonesian Open 2012.
This is the second year for the Indonesian Masters, which is part of the Asian Tour golf tournament. The first Indonesian Masters was held in 2011 and won by Lee Westwood.
(T.F013/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
