From mercedes-benztour.com:
RORY ROARS INTO LEAD
October 23: Rookie professional Rory Hie from Indonesia lived up to his billing as one of Asia’s most exciting young golfing prospects when he fired a course-record six-under-par 66 to take a share of the lead in the International Championship today.
The 20 year old nailed six birdies for a two-round total of six-under-par 138 to help make it a special day for Indonesia as also on top of the leader board is his compatriot Mauludin Andik.
Andik, the country’s top amateur, shot a 68 at Imperial Klub Golf, just outside Jakarta.
Jay Bayron from the Philippines, the joint first round leader with countryman Michael Bibat, returned a 70 to lie one off the pace.
Hie turned professional in August after starring for the University of Southern California golf college team for two years. He was ranked as the sixth best amateur in the game at one point following four college victories.
He opted to turn professional early and made his professional debut in the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational in August on the Asian Tour. He surprisingly missed the cut on that occasion but is making amends this week.
“That’s my best round since turning professional. It feels real good,” said Hie, whose parents moved from Indonesia to Los Angeles when he was 10.
He started his round on the back nine and made birdies on 11, 14 and 15. On the front side he stamped his mark on the tournament by making short putts for birdie on seven, eight and nine.
“I felt it was the right time to leave college as I reckoned I was ready for the professional game. It was a move that I would of had to have made later anyway,” added Hie, who heads to the European Tour Qualifying School in November.
