Arie Meant So Much To So Many

Remembering A Young Man With a Big Smile and Even Bigger Heart

Last year playing on PGA TOUR Series-china, Malaysia’s Arie Irawan and caddie, his wife of three weeks, the former Marina Malek, traveled to Guilin, China, where Arie played well at that week’s tournament before eventually settling for a tie for

fourth. Although Marina knew very little about golf, she was ready for the challenge of caddying, she loved who she was working for that week and her “boss” was more than happy with her performance.

“I’m so lucky I have my wife here this week,” Irawan said following his first round. “This is the first time Marina is traveling and caddying for me, and she’s also taking care of the food, so that makes it easy. It helps a lot having her out there. It just makes me more calm, and that’s why I didn’t make any bogeys today.

She makes me happy.”

That joy turned to sadness in a stunning way one Sunday morning in Sanya, China, as Irawan never woke up, dying in his sleep in his hotel room. He was 28.

News of his death stunned everybody who knew Irawan. Out of deference and respect, Tour officials delayed the start of the Sanya Championship final round and then ultimately cancelled it after announcing Irawan’s death.

“There was always a smile on his face,” said Shotaro Ban, a Series member who performed CPR on Irawan before emergency personnel arrived. “I think anyone who met him or knew him realized he was an extremely genuine person. He didn’t have that much to say, but he had a great heart, and his wife is just like him. Arie exemplified what it means to be a professional golfer, a husband and a friend in the true nature. I’m just devastated by this loss.”

It was in Malaysia where Irawan got his start, taking up golf eight years after he was born on August 21, 1990, to Ahmad and Jeny Irawan. In 2006 and 2007, he finished runner-up at Faldo Series events in Malaysia, and as an 18-year-old won the Malaysian Amateur Stroke Play Championship. He then began to attract attention from U.S. college coaches interested in securing his services. While in college at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, Irawan earned four letters, was an Academic All-american his junior year and earned his degree in management information systems. Upon graduation, he returned to Malaysia to embark on a professional golf career.

“Being on the road away from family is tough. It’s always nice to have someone who points out the positive in every situation to keep us going,” said veteran Benjamin Lein, who became friends with Irawan last year. “That’s what Arie did. He was a selfless friend who always made everyone else around him better in different ways. I never was able to thank him for that, but he will forever be close to my heart.”

PGA TOUR Series-china honored the life of Irawan at the Haikou Championship, where the Tour observed a moment of silence prior to the start of the tournament, and all in attendance receiving an “ARIE” sticker.