Son now tells father how it’s done
DANNY Masrin has spent most of his life being told what to do by his father.
But the tables have turned, on the golf course, at least.
The 24yearold golfer, who turned pro in July 2015, has teamed up with his father, Jimmy Masrin, for the first time in this week’s New Zealand Open ProAm tournament.
It is Danny’s first tournament since a back injury left him unable to practise until last week.
The pairing finished their second round at The Hills yesterday 12under and Danny, at 5under and 11 shots back, made the cut in the Open..
The elder Masrin, the Asian Tour chairman, a keen golfer and owner of PT Caturkarsa Megatunggal, a diversified company which includes chemicals, mining, logistics and fuel distribution, said he has caddied for his son before, but his nerves got in the way.
‘‘I usually try to stay away from watching him,’’ Jimmy said.
And, having spent more than two decades handing out advice to his son, he is now ‘‘sometimes’’ taking it.
‘‘I try to help him,’’ Danny said.
‘‘Well, he used to tell me what to do, so now I’m just returning the favour.’’
Jimmy, a a tennis player until he took up golf in 1984 as an elective at college, inspired Danny on the golf course from an early age, starting as a 5yearold at the driving range and then later playing with his father on Saturday mornings.
Later, at Bradley University, in Illinois, Danny studied business management and administration and played on the college’s golf team, returning to Indonesia to play as an amateur in a couple of professional tournaments, discovering he could compete.
It wasn’t until a friend decided to turn professional Danny decided to give it a crack, too.
But, Jimmy points out, ‘‘it was the degree first’’.
‘‘[The] degree was the priority . . . and then I was going to support him with his professional career.’’
Less than two years later, Danny is the secondhighest ranked Indonesian player, behind George Gandranata and the pair are thoroughly enjoying their first time on the greens in Queenstown.
‘‘They’re the best courses I’ve played,’’ Danny said.
‘‘I think the scenery is up there, but the condition of the course is really well kept, especially The Hills.
‘‘You can’t really complain about the course. That’s the thing, we can’t really complain about anything . . . so if anything goes wrong it’s our fault.’’