Phuket Sports: Junjita takes 5th at world golf tourney

PHUKET: Golf is certainly on the up-swing in Phuket, with a wealth of young players from the island now competing at international level.

The latest Phuket addition to the global golf ranks is Jinjuta Thongtan, a Matthayom 5 (grade 11) student at Satree School.

Mr Thammawat Wongcharoenyot, president of The Youth Golf Club of Phuket, met with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha to report on the club’s achievements.

Mr Thammawat explained to Governor Tri that Jinjuta was selected to represent Thailand at the Callaway Junior World Golf Championship in Florida, USA.

Jinjuta placed a remarkable fifth in the girls section of the competition against a selection of the world’s finest young golfers.

“It was such a great honor for me to have a chance to be part of the tournament. There were 27 competitors from 10 different countries,” said Jinjuta.

“I was selected from the Sports Authority of Thailand’s ‘Sport Heroes Thailand Project’ to represent Thailand in the World Junior Golf Series,” she said.

“Even though this is not the first time I have competed in another country, I was still very excited about it. I have played golf tournaments in Poland and America before and I have gained a lot of good experiences from the competitions I have attended, and I believe they will help me improve as a golfer,” she added.

Being a student and a top level junior golfer takes a lot of time away from a teenager, but a mature Jinjuta recognizes that these important aspects of her life have to be managed efficiently.

“My life schedule is not like my other friends. I have to go to the the fitness center in the morning before going to school. Following that, I attend classes, and when I have no class I usually go to the golf course to practice,” says Jinjuta.

“I have also just been selected from the Sport Heroes Thailand Project again to compete in Poland. I still don’t know the exact date, but I have to practice hard in order to prepare myself for this big tournament as well as the upcoming Phuket Youth Games,” she added.

Jinjuta, as well as five other golfers from The Youth Golf Club of Phuket, will represent Phuket in the National Youth Games which will be held May 28 to June 5, 2012.

— Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai