The look on Naraajie’s face was utter sadness. The chance to be champion slipped from his hands. Like sand that falls faster the tighter you try to grip it, Naraajie stacked up four bogeys and a doublebogey against a single birdie over the final six holes to miss out on being the second-ever Indonesian (and first amateur) to win the Indonesia Open.
Failure to clinch the title in the final round is not uncommon for the 19-year-old, but this time Naraajie felt the loss more heavily than ever. As he greeted his grandmother and parents after the 18th hole, the young man from Bandung couldn’t hold back the tears of disappointment. “After a bogey on hole 13, my emotions were unbearable, getting more annoyed and tired. Maybe because I felt pressure to win I couldn't control my emotions. This condition worsened my game after my ball striking, which was really bad, got worse in the final round,” said Naraajie.
After finishing the third round, Naraajie had given hope to Indonesian supporters. Leading by six-shots heading into the final day, he looked like he could follow in the footsteps of Kasiadi 30 years before him, by lifting the trophy for Indonesia for the first time since 1989.
With the prospect of a home winner, Indonesian fans came in droves to Pondok Indah to show their support. Despite Naraajie's failure to claim victory, the spectators were still pleased by his fourth-place finish on 12-under. Naraajie received high appreciation from fans and roused enthusiasm about the fact that Indonesian players can still compete at a higher level. The fans are optimistic that home players will win the national open again someday.
