I can get a lot better, says youngest player to make cut on European Tour
Hong Kong's long wait for a superstar golfer could be over. Precocious teenager Jason Hak Shun-yat proved he was a talent way beyond his years yesterday by making the cut at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
At 14 years and 304 days, Jason became the youngest player ever to make the cut on the European Tour and the second youngest on the Asian Tour, missing out by 29 days.
Although he lives in Florida, Jason is a 'Hong Kong kid', says his dad Hak Ching-ling.
'He would love to represent Hong Kong in team competition,' said his proud dad after Jason birdied four of his last seven holes - including the last two - to finish level par for the two rounds (70-70) and scrape through at the Hong Kong Golf Club. He is eight shots behind the leaders.
That may come sooner than they think as national junior coach Brad Schadewitz continues to nurture a group of talented youngsters to perform at high-level events, such as the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Jason became an instant, if somewhat reluctant, hero yesterday, writing his name into European Tour records by beating now world number two Sergio Garcia's mark of 15 years and 46 days, set in 1995 in Spain.