12-Year-Old Thai ‘Ace’ Drives Off with New Vehicle

Johor Bahru, Malaysia: He still has to wait six years until he’s old enough to legally drive in Thailand. For now, though, 12-year-old Jakkarin Jitmaneekan is happy to simply admire the vehicle he won for scoring a hole-in-one at the Kids Golf World Championship, Malaysia.

Jakkarin, who has been playing the game since he was six, aced the 165-yard, par-three second hole on the Melati Course at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club.

His reward was a Great Wall Haval M4 Automatic SUV.

“I am so excited with my performance and want to be a pro golfer when I grow up,” said Jakkarin, who idolises Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the young Thai professional who has broken into the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Jakkarin’s effort was all the more remarkable since it was his first time playing in a tournament outside his home country.

Accompanying the schoolboy to Malaysia was his father, Asawin Jitmaneekan, aged 42. Asked if his father was also his coach, Jakkarin said: “Daddy is my caddie.”

Thanks to his masterstroke, Jakkarin emerged victorious in his age group category in the tournament that attracted 300 young golfers from 25 countries,

Kids Golf World Championship, Malaysia is the international version of the annual US Kids Golf Championship.

The tournament is presented by US Kids Golf Foundation and sanctioned by the Malaysian Golf Association. The hole-in-one prize was sponsored by GO Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd.