Indonesian Golfer Breaks Into Top 10 at Indonesia Women's Open First Round

The first round of the Indonesia Women’s Open Presented by BTN officially commenced on Friday, January 30, 2026, and proceeded smoothly despite earlier concerns about bad weather. This tournament, boasting a total prize purse of US$600,000, utilized both morning and afternoon tee times, and the entire first day's schedule was completed without any major issues.

A total of 120 golfers participated in this second edition of the Indonesian women's national open. Among them, 29 were home representatives, consisting of 13 professional golfers and 16 amateurs. They competed against a field of elite golfers from the Asia-Pacific region.

The favorable weather proved advantageous for several players, including two Indonesian stalwarts. Kristina Natalia Yoko and amateur Golfer Sania Talitha Wahyudi delivered impressive performances, successfully breaking into the top 10 of the provisional Leaderboard. Both players carded scores of 68, or 4-under-par, placing them in a T6 position alongside nine other golfers.

For Yoko, this achievement continues her positive trend at the Indonesia Women’s Open. In the 2025 edition, she opened the tournament with a score of 69. This year, in her second appearance, the former national amateur athlete improved her performance by scoring seven birdies, offset by three bogeys.

“I was actually a bit nervous at the start of the holes. Especially playing in my own country, and also playing here often. There are definitely a lot of expectations from everywhere. The nervousness is still kind of felt even now. Still shaking. However, I was helped by focusing shot by shot. Just trying my best shot by shot. So, I didn't think about wanting a birdie, wanting par, or anything like that, just really focusing," said Yoko.

“After tee off, then playing the second shot. But on the green, because in the early holes, there were a few misses (putts) that caused those bogeys. So, after many mistakes like that, my caddie and I tried to be more careful. And it turns out it worked,” she continued.

Meanwhile, Sania Talitha Wahyudi displayed strong mental fortitude despite starting her round with a bogey on the first hole. The golfer, who is also a member of the 2026 SEA Games national team, managed to recover and closed the day with five birdies.

“On the first hole, I just messed up my first shot. Just unlucky, the ball landed in the rough. The ball was buried deep in the rough. So, I couldn't attack directly to the green. Had to get it out first, then one chip and two putts. Ended up with a bogey there. Fortunately, after that hole I could come back, got three birdies in a row,” said Sania.

She added that consistent strategy was key to her play in the first round.

“So, the game strategy was basically following what I had during my practice rounds. Because it was quite helpful, getting facilities from Ciputra, so I played here quite often. So, even though the tee boxes were different, I was already starting to memorize where the ball placement should be. So earlier, the ball placement was really good, my shots were quite solid, and my short game was working too. So in the end, I could make 4-under.”

At the top of the provisional leaderboard, South Korean golfer Hwang Yeonseo delivered a flawless performance. Playing from the fifth group off tee 1, Yeonseo recorded seven birdies without a single bogey, compiling a score of 65, or 7-under-par. The golfer who turned professional in 2021 immediately took the lead on the first-round leaderboard.

“There were no major mistakes during today's round, so I was able to maintain a good rhythm throughout, making it an enjoyable round. My iron shots were accurate. I could create many birdie chances from about two meters away, and my short Putting was solid, allowing me to make many birdies,” said Yeonseo, who has collected two titles on the KLPGA Dream Tour.

She also highlighted the challenging character of the BSD Course.

“The fairways of the BSD Course aren't too narrow, but the greens are small, which makes the course a bit challenging. Every hole here has its own unique characteristics and requires a specific strategy. This is what makes the course very interesting to play,” she added.

Yeonseo holds just a one-stroke lead over Filipino golfer Dottie Ardina in second place. Ardina carded seven birdies with one bogey. The former LPGA golfer, now playing on the Epson Tour, remains a strong contender to apply pressure in the upcoming rounds.

This year's Indonesia Women’s Open Presented by BTN is also a significant part of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Circuit (APAC Circuit) Series Tour calendar. Although it is the second tournament after the Taiwan Mobile Ladies Open in December 2025, this event holds the status of the opener for the 2026 APAC Circuit series and is contested by elite golfers from over 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.