Ma Yin May Myo (R) practises her swing with coach U Ko Ko Lay on the driving range of the HAN Golf Masters Golf Academy in Mayangone township, Yangon. Pic: Aung Tun Win

RISING young golf star Ma Yin May Myo has set her hopes on winning glory for Myanmar – and her first international title – at the ASEAN Junior Championships in Malaysia in December.

Ma Yin May Myo, 11, who has won three of the four junior national women’s championships played at the Myanmar Golf Club since October 2006, is no stranger to international competitions.

She finished seventh in her age group in both the Mercedes Trophy Masters played in Bangkok in late June and in the 100Plus Junior Open in Kuala Lumpur in August.

Ma Yin May Myo first competed at international level on May 29 when she teed off in the Jakarta World Junior Championships, in which she was unplaced.
She is the youngest of eight Myanmar players – four girls and four boys – selected by the Myanmar Golf Federation and coached at the HAN Golf Masters Golf Academy to compete in the ASEAN championships, in which she will be playing in the 10-12 age group.

Ma Yin May Myo said she could hear her heart beating with excitement when she was told she had been chosen to play in the event.

“I am extremely happy,” she said, adding that she did not expect to be selected because she has been playing competitively for only about 20 months.

Although winning her first international title would be a dream come true for Ma Yin May Myo, she said she would be satisfied to finish in the top three.

Her interest in golf was sparked when she accompanied her father, U Ohnn Myint, on a social visit to Yangon Golf Course course to meet friends.

In March 2006, she began being coached by U Soe Paing Win at the Bayintnaung driving range in Hlaing township. Late that year she began attending the Han academy, in Mayangone township, where her coaches are one of Myanmar’s top professionals, U Chan Han, the chief executive officer of HAN Golf Masters Pty Ltd, and U Ko Ko Lay, the national team coach.

Ma Yin May Myo, who is undergoing intensive training to prepare for December’s event, said both coaches are confident she will become one of Myanmar’s best women golfers.

“I admire Tiger Woods and [Mexico’s Lorena] Ochoa; I want to be like them one day and I hope to play in the LPGA championships,” said Ma Yin May Myo, who also harbours an ambition to pass on her love of the game by coaching young players.

A grade seven student at the Basic Education High School No. 2 in Sanchaung township, Ma Yin May Myo uses a mixed set of Srixon and Hibird-EZ clubs, which cost about K3.3 million. Her favourite course in Myanmar is Pun Hlaing.