Jakarta – How can we develop Asian junior golfers capable of competing on the world stage? This question formed the core discussion on the ITSMe podcast hosted by Raisha with Prat "Pro Boom" Ratanakul, CEO and Managing Director of The Junior Golf Series (The JGS), held on the sidelines of The JGS Elite International Championship at Royale Jakarta Golf Club, 28-30 April 2026.
During the conversation, Prat confirmed that the greatest challenge for junior golf in Asia is not a lack of raw talent, but limited access to international standard competitions. He explained that young golfers need more opportunities to compete, face opponents from different countries, and grow within a structured, sustainable development system.
This very vision is the foundation upon which The Junior Golf Series was built. Founded in Thailand in 2010, the organisation has continuously expanded its competition network across Asian nations. Indonesia joined this expansion following a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2025, which granted a 5-year operating license for JGS Indonesia. This initiative clears a formal pathway for Indonesian junior golfers to participate in regional and international tournaments within The JGS network.
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Prat clarified that The JGS does not only host tournaments, it builds an entire development ecosystem through its Point Race system. Over each competitive season, athletes accumulate points from every event they enter to earn qualification for higher tier tournaments: including the Thailand Junior Masters, Singapore Junior Masters, Taiwan Junior Open, NextGen Australian Junior Masters, and finally the Asian Junior Masters. Under this model, young players are not only chasing championship titles, but also gaining competitive match experience and building resilient competitive mentality from an early age.
This framework was rolled out for the 2026 The JGS Elite International Championship at Royale Jakarta Golf Club. The tournament, which hosted 48 junior golfers across multiple age categories, proceeded as planned despite rain interruptions and weather-related delays.
The competition produced the following champions: Passion Hsu (Singapore) and Jayawardana Dornan (Indonesia) for Class A; Mavis Chua (Malaysia) and Abraraza Adriano Musyanif (Indonesia) for Class B; Qalesya Azkia Shanum and Arhata Putra Malik for Class C; Milanka Azwar and Arsenio Ibrahim for Class D; Charlotte Belva Sutrisna and Caius Yap for Class E; and Karl Lee (Singapore) for the Class F Boys division.
For Prat, this list of winners is only the starting point. The core objective of The JGS is to build uninterrupted development pathways, so that more young Asian golfers receive the support required to grow and be prepared for international level competition. Through this shared vision, Indonesia now forms a critical part of the mission to develop the next generation of world-class Asian golfers.
