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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Hak breaks Sergio Garcia's record, makes Euro Tour cut at 14 years old

HONG KONG -- A Hong Kong teenager became the youngest player ever to make the cut at a European Tour event on Friday, breaking the record set by current world No. 2 Sergio Garcia.

Fourteen-year-old Jason Hak shot a 70 in each of the first two rounds at his home tournament, the $2.5 million Hong Kong Open. He just made the even-par 140 cut at the end of the second round by drilling a 150-yard approach onto the 18th green and holing a 10-foot putt for birdie.

Jason Hak

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Jason Hak's golf idol growing up was Tiger Woods. But he's not thinking about becoming Asia's version of the world's greatest golfer just yet.

Garcia was 15 years, 46 days old when he made the cut at the Turespana Open Mediterrania in Valencia, Spain, in 1995. Hak, who is 14 years, 304 days old, has no immediate plans to turn professional. "I have no ideas of turning pro because it's only one tournament here," Hak said. "It doesn't really tell the whole story." According to Agence France-Presse, Hak, who was born in Hong Kong but lives near Orlando, Fla., said Garcia was one of his favorite players growing up -- although his idol was Tiger Woods. But Hak said he's not thinking about becoming Asia's version of Woods, according to AFP. "No, I never think about that," he said, according to AFP. "I just try to play my best and not think about that much but control everything and keep it steady." The teenager said he's enjoyed playing in a star-studded field that included several former major winners and "said hi" to two-time Masters champion, Germany's Bernhard Langer. "I play a lot of junior golf. I won a couple of them but this is the biggest tournament I've played. It's a good experiment for me," he said, according to AFP. The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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