Indonesia Sends 5 Golfers to Dubai, Who Will Be the New Hero?

Two young Indonesian golfers, Rayhan Abdul Latief and Randy Bintang, are back in the spotlight. They will lead the Red and White squad at the 16th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) held at Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on October 23–26, 2025.

This tournament is no ordinary event. With 119 golfers from 41 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the AAC is renowned as the most prestigious amateur competition in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The tournament champion earns entry into the 2026 Masters Tournament and the 154th Open Championship, while the runner-up receives a ticket to The Open Qualifying Series.

“I’m excited for this year, especially since we’ll compete at Emirates Golf Club with its unique layout. My main target is to try to win this year’s AAC,” said Rayhan in an official statement received in Jakarta, Saturday, September 27, 2025.

Indonesia is sending five representatives: Rayhan, Randy, Amadeus Christian Susanto, Kenneth Sutianto, and Asa Najib Bhakti. 
Rayhan and Randy will compete for the fourth time, Kenneth for the third time, Amadeus for the second time, while Asa prepares for his debut appearance.

Rayhan, aged 18 and currently attending the University of North Texas, is Indonesia’s highest-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) – 155th globally. 

His career journey shows steady progress: from missing the cut in his 2022 debut, rising to T31 in 2023, then T24 in the 2024 edition.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Randy caused a major surprise at the 2024 AAC in Japan. He led the first round with an impressive 65 before ultimately finishing T19, his best achievement to date. 

“Leading the first round gave me extra confidence. I’ll remind myself to stay patient and focused if I’m in that position again,” said Randy.

Indonesia’s best AAC record remains held by George Gandranata, who finished T17 in 2011 in Singapore.

The AAC has produced global stars since its inception in 2009. 

Big names like Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Cameron Smith (Australia), and Keita Nakajima and Takumi Kanaya (Japan) have competed here. Alumni have now collected 33 PGA Tour titles and over 140 trophies on major professional tours worldwide.

This year, the tournament returns to Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club – a historic venue established in 1988. This course holds the distinction of being the Middle East’s first grass course and regularly hosts the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was first held in 2009. This tournament is a joint initiative of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament, and The R&A (organizer of The Open Championship).

Its goal is to foster amateur golf development in the Asia-Pacific region and create pathways for Asia-Pacific amateur golfers to compete in major world golf tournaments. 

This event is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious amateur competitions in the Asia-Pacific region.(Antara)