Although the Junior Asian Golf Academy (JAGA) will not be opening their doors until the 2023/24 school year begins in September, five committed student-athletes made their debut at the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) Golf Tournament at Black Mountain Golf Course on Thursday and Friday (16th/17th March).
The FOBISIA Golf Tournament hosted golfers from 20 schools from five countries; some of the best young golfers in Southeast Asia. With JAGA Being a new school with only five golfers participating, founder John Laroche had humble expectations coming into the tournament, although he said “when the team was formed, we knew something special was likely to happen.”
Those modest expectations were soon exceeded as Teerawut Boonseeor, a member of Thailand men’s golfing team and Kartik Singh, the #1 ranked U16 golfer in India, were positioned first and second in their respective divisions after the first day. While Sean Yates, son of former Asian Tour pro Simon Yates, Ashlynn Choo and Aphivich Kaenchan were competing well and scoring below their handicaps.
The second day of the tournament saw Teerawut extend his lead over the competition, Kartik gaining ground and Sean leapfrogging the competition into first spot in his division. As a result, JAGA would win seven awards and break a record:
Overall Boys Winner – Teerawut Boonseeor
U16 Boys Overall Winner – Teerawut Boonseeor
U13 Boys Overall Runner-up – Kartik Singh
U13 Boys Net Score Winner – Sean Yates
Overall Boys Team Winner – Teerawut Boonseeor, Kartik Singh, Sean Yates, Aphivich Kaenchan
Overall Team Position – 3rd – Teerawut Boonseeor, Kartik Singh, Sean Yates, Aphivich Kaenchan, Ashlynn Choo
Lowest score in FOBISIA Golf Tournament history – Teerawut Boonseeor (12 under par)
As JAGA is almost ready to officially open their doors in September, Head of School Cell Dilon, is proud of what his team was able to achieve. “The results show the quality of players affiliated with JAGA but also the dedication of the academy. Even now, where we are still in the process of structuring the academy, we were able to manage the team, prepare them for a major tournament and able to perform at the highest level.”
As JAGA continues recruiting and putting their foundations in place, the school and team hope to build on the success of this tournament to make a name for themselves. “This was only our first tournament; we are aiming for the name JAGA to soon be synonymous with junior Golf in Southeast Asia”, says John Laroche.
 will not be opening their doors until the 2023/24 school year begins in September, five committed student-athletes made their debut at the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) Golf Tournament at Black Mountain Golf Course on Thursday and Friday (16th/17th March).){kind=link}