Jason Kok was born and brought up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was the first player to participated Asia Long Drive Championship 2022 from Malaysia.
Jason was a passionate badminton player in his early days. He played with legendary Chinese shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei who was the world’s number-one-ranked shuttle player for consecutive 349 weeks.
Jason remembered while speaking over phone from Kuala Lumpur, “It was a great experience playing badminton together with such a legendary player. It was in the junior level. But at the same time I loved playing football also along with badminton and gradually attraction of football increased although I never played the game seriously. Rather it was for enjoyment.”
2018 was significant. While playing a friendly soccer match he got severely injured and ruled out of the sport for nearly six months.
Jason fell into depression naturally. Speaking from Kuala Lumpur over the phone Jason remembered, “Those days were tough to overcome. Sitting idle in the room, far from the sport was depressive. I started watching golf and then Long Drive Golf.” There was a reason behind Jason’s willingness to watch golf. Jason’s Thai wife Naruporn Narot (Kook-Kai) is a normal golf player.
Jason revealed, “During my lay-off from the sport when I watched golf, Naruporn used to encourage me a lot. I used to watch golf as she was a golf player but later when I came to know about the Long Drive Golf and started getting interested in the game rapidly she also inspired me a lot.”
Jason recalled those days disclosing, “I found the format interesting – every person gets to hit 6-8 balls as far as they can. The accuracy in hitting the ball to the whole attracted me a lot. At the same time, in Long Drive Golf you will get chances.”
Jason added, “Initially it was difficult to hit the ball. But I did not give up. I had some friends during that time who also were beginners like me. We altogether started trying to bring accuracy in hitting the ball and it became every day’s fun for us. Gradually it could be mastered and then I did not think of looking back. It was delightful to have a new beginning with Long Drive Golf.”
Jason’s talent in the Long Drive Golf first was exposed last year in January when he hit his longest ball, a massive 321m shot with 198 MPH ball speed, he reinforced his image as a player of many strengths.
Interestingly, Bryson DeChambeau was the name that Jason idolized. Bryson is a renowned American professional golfer. He once won a major championship, the US Open in 2020. Currently, he is one of the well-known names in the Long Drive Golf.
Once Jason divulged that he changed his grips to the Jumbomax grips Bryson used. He clarified changing the grips helped him to reduce the amount of wrist movement in his shots. He stated, “Bryson is the exact example to follow. His style of play showed me how one can improve his game in both the golf and the Long Drive Golf.” Jason has not yet met him. But he expressed keenness stating, “I will be in search of getting the opportunity to meet him once.”
But at the same time Long Drive Golf has not yet been able to earn prominence so far.
There is no such Long Drive Golf competition so far in the country. Glenmarie Golf & Country Club introduced the Glenmarie Longest Drive Competition in December last year. But Jason informed, “The competition was not held following the Long Drive Golf format. Here in Malaysia, the awareness program on Long Drive Golf should be increased. Then the popularity will grow also. Due to lack of growth, I started my professional journey with Long Drive Golf in Phuket last year.”
“The best moment of my career was when I got an Albatross at my home club, hole 17. I hit a drive that had to carry a lake of about 300m. I was left with about 150m to the pin and had a go with my 9 iron. I knew the shot was good but I was not sure how close it was to the pin. When I got to the green, I couldn’t see my ball there so I thought that it probably rolled off the green. My friend told me to check the pin, and there it was – my ball in the hole, 2 shots on a Par 5”.
Jason has a desire. That is to take his hitting speed to 200 MPH (miles per hour). His fastest speed has so far been 198 MPH. After increasing the speed to the desirable height Jason Kok dreams of being the number one Long Drive Golfer in Asia.
