2021-2022
Junior Order of Merit Finalized - Tour Honorees Named

With the formal conclusion of its 2021-2022 season, the Tour has announced the final standings on the Junior Order of Merit, and this year’s recipients of the Tour’s top awards – the JGTA Junior Players of the Year and the JGTA Junior All-Asia Teams.

After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, the JGTA returned with 32 sanctioned events on the Junior Order of Merit – the Tour’s official season standings and the source for AJGA PBE Status in the Asia-Pacific – across China, Thailand, and Indonesia. In all, JGTA-sanctioned events saw a total of 839 entries across 32 events, with 392 players earning a spot on the Junior Order of Merit ranking.

Tanakrit Rattanadilok Na Phuket (2022) of Surat Thani, Thailand and Pongsapak Laopakdee (2023) of Rayong, Thailand, were named the 2022 JGTA Junior Players of the Year in the Boys Division, finishing the season in a tie for first overall. For Pongsapak, this was his second time being named Junior Order of Merit Champion.

Surapa Janthamunee (2022) of Phuket, Thailand and Jiayi Fu (2025) of Ningbo, China were named 2022 JGTA Junior Players of the Year in the Girls Division, having finished in a tie for first overall.

As JGTA Players of the Year, Rattanadilok Na Phuket and Laopakdee, and Janthamunee Fu were also named Captains of the Boys and Girls Junior All-Asia Teams respectively.

The 2022 JGTA Junior All-Asia Teams consisted of 20 players (10 boys and 10 girls) who distinguished themselves through outstanding play on Tour during the 2021-2022 season. An additional 5 boys and 7 girls received honorable mentions for their elite performance in the Junior Order of Merit.  Introduced by the JGTA in 2017, the JGTA Junior All-Asia Teams annually recognize the junior golfers who have proven to be Asia’s top prospects for U.S. college golf.  For Pongsapak Laopakdee (2023) of Rayong, Thailand, this is his fourth time being named to the Junior All-Asia Team, and for Surapa Janthamunee (2022) of Phuket, this was her second time earning the honor.

The JGTA Junior All-Asia teams and JGTA Junior Player of the Year, were determined exclusively through the JGTA Junior Order of Merit as of April 1, 2022.

Asia’s Top Junior Prospects will receive a significant boost to their AJGA Performance Based Entry (PBE) Status. AJGA PBE is a fundamental component to the pursuit of college golf recruitment and the most sought-after junior golf status worldwide. In total, 60 junior golfers from the JGTA will receive AJGA PBE Status according to their final position on the JGTA Junior Order of Merit.

The top-5 boys and top-5 girls on the JGTA Junior Order of Merit will receive AJGA Fully Exempt PBE Status, the AJGA’s most competitive status level. 12 AJGA PBE Stars are awarded to players who finish between 6th and 10th in their respective divisions, 8 PBE Stars for players finishing between 11th to 20th, and 4 PBE Stars for 21st to 30th. All PBE Status juniors earn on the JGTA is valid for two years in the AJGA.

For those who earned AJGA PBE Status through their final ranking on the Junior Order of Merit, they can now gain entry into American Junior Golf Association tournaments, depending on the amount of AJGA Status earned on the Tour and entry requirements of respective tournaments. Competing and competing well in AJGA events is going to boost their college golf recruitment opportunities, with the AJGA being the main platform for U.S. college coaches’ recruiting efforts. Best of luck to all juniors from the Tour in the summer months.