Polakrit, Arisa Crowned Champions in Boys' and Girls' A Titles at Junior Asian Tour

After four attempts on the JAT, Polakrit finally had a breakthrough, firing a bogey-free 69 to edge out the overnight leader, Kim Dongwook of South Korea, by a mere stroke, finishing with a total of four under-par-212. Meanwhile, Arisa secured victory over circuit 4 champion Alisa Inprasit by four shots.

Polakrit, based in Chonburi, secured two birdies in the front nine, and despite not scoring further after the turn, it was enough to propel him to his first JAT victory.

“It was a relief to finally win on the JAT after playing four times since the start of the year. Whenever I played on this tour, I was so sluggish. But this time I made the difference,” said the Thai teenager.

“I didn’t shoot a lot of scores, but I also didn’t make any mistakes, which is exactly my game plan. I tried to hit the fairways, find the greens, and make just one or two putts. However, it would have been better if I hadn’t missed easy putts on some holes,” he added. This win will give him a good boost of confidence before he enters his next tournament in Australia.

He also praised the organization of the JAT, saying: “This is a good tournament as it features live coverage which allows college scouts to observe us play from everywhere in the world. It also provides a great opportunity to play with international players.”

Arisa, the inaugural circuit champion in January, had an uneven round of 73, hitting five birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey to sign off with a 73 on one under-par-215, four ahead of Alisa, who finished with a 73 and a total score of 219.

“I didn’t putt well, but my iron was okay. There are still a lot of things to fix, especially my putting game. I was up and down but still managed to win in the end. I’m so proud of myself,” said Arisa, who also won the girls' overall trophy.

In the B classes (age 13-14), Ajalawich Anantasethakul carded a 72 to win the boy’s trophy following a score of 5 under-par-211, beating Indian Bhavesh Nirwan by 14 strokes. His total score of 5 under also earned him the boys' overall title.

“I didn’t play well both with my iron and putter. I even hit the ball into the pool. This is probably because my muscles are getting tired from playing a lot of golf. I will try to learn from this and improve myself,” said the 14-year-old who will next play in Malaysia.

On the girls' side, 13-year-old Nicha Sathitsumpun shot a 74 for a total five over-par-221 to beat Suritpreeya Pruksanubal by two strokes.

“I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning but I tried to fight my way back by shooting scores. What I like about my round is that I’m committed to my shots. Sticking to my guts to go right and it went right. I really like this tournament as it gives me the opportunity to play events in the US and in the UK and learn from the experience there. I hope to play there more and more,” said the girl from Chiang Mai.

Each Junior Asian Tour circuit provides aspiring golfers with the opportunity to compete in international-standard tournaments and accumulate valuable points for potential selection in various international junior and professional events, including the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour, Asian Tour TrustGolf Tour, and other prestigious events in Thailand.

The Junior Asian Tour features six categories for both boys and girls, categorized into C classes (ages 10-12), B classes (ages 13-14), and A classes (ages 15-18). The competition format spans three days of stroke play, covering 52 holes for A and B classes and 36 holes for C classes. Each JAT circuit awards World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Junior Golf Scoreboard points to participating players.
The sixth and last Junior Asian Tour circuit of the year is scheduled for November 24-26 at Treasure Hill Golf Club in Chonburi.
For updates on the tournament, fans can follow the Junior Asian Tour Fanpage, and live streaming coverage will be available on TrustGolf's Facebook page and the Junior Asian Tour's Facebook page from 9 am to 2 pm during the competition days.