Thai golfer Vanchai Luangnitikul led the first round of the 2025 Mandiri Indonesia Open held at the Pondok Indah Golf Course after posting a score of 65 or seven under par.
Vanchai, who has been on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the past two seasons, recorded eight birdies with one bogey to move one shot ahead of compatriot Suteepat Prateeptienchai and Tanapat Pichaikol, who finished tied for second with a 66.
"My tee shots were excellent all day. I was able to land the ball in the fairway and made a lot of good putts. All my experience on the ADT helped me in this major tournament," said the 23-year-old golfer, as quoted in a written statement.
Suteepat, a three-time Asian Tour champion, was bogey-free with four birdies and an eagle.
"Today, my game felt perfect. The course was in fantastic condition, much better than when we played here a few years ago," he said.
Of the 35 host golfers, amateur Randy Arbenata Muhamad Bintang was the best with a four-under-par 68 to finish in 13th place. The West Java native recorded seven birdies, one eagle, three bogeys, and one double bogey.
"My game was very up and down today. Tomorrow I'll try to be more aggressive on my second shot," said Randy, the 2025 National Amateur Golf Championship champion.
Meanwhile, Kevin C. Akbar became the Indonesian professional golfer with the lowest score after posting a 70 or two under par.
Kevin, who last week won the title of Best Indonesian Player at the Ciputra Golfpreneur Tournament, is in T41 position with 15 other golfers.
