Taichi Kho
Now in Year 12, Taichi started golfing at the age of five-and-a-half and started competing at the age of eight. His commitment to golf often takes him out of school for various tournaments both in Hong Kong and abroad. As a scholarship student, Taichi acknowledges that it can be tough to balance school and sporting commitments, especially now that he is part of the IB Diploma Programme, but he says having the scholarship gives him the support he needs and keeps him motivated to excel in both. Without a lot of down time, Taichi says the key to his academic success comes from organisation which, like golf, he has learned to master over time.
Taichi led the Discovery College Cobra Golf team in tournament victories this year and serves as a solid role model for many of our younger golfers. “Taichi has been an exemplary leader of our DC Cobra Golf team. He emails the team prior to events and checks on them all the morning of the tournaments,” says Cobra Golf Coach Joe Leithhead, “Being able to win the clean sweep of the individual tournaments Grow. Discover. Dream.
Taichi has a future plan to play golf at a university in the United States following in the footsteps of DC alumni and former scholarship student Mimi Ho (’14) who
In his scholarship application six years ago when he was just 11 years old, Taichi was asked about his future career ambitions and he listed, “Professional Golfer, Professional Golf Coach and Fighter Jet Pilot”. We at Discovery College are hoping he sticks with golf. We’ll be rooting for him as we watch his star continue to rise.
12
Taichi’s career victories on the golf course are too many to list. In 2017 alone, Taichi took the title in the Truvision Junior Championship 2017 in Thailand, the Hong Kong Junior Close Championship 2017, an ISSFHK tournament, the Hong Kong Schools Team Championship 2017 and perhaps his biggest achievement to date, the Hong Kong Professional Golfers’ Association Order of Merit (open division) as the youngest in his field.
is having continued success playing golf at California State University, Fresno. Preparation to fulfil his dream started last October when Taichi started building relationships with coaches at potential schools who will be able to watch him play in the summer at several tournaments in the US. Taichi recognises the importance of staying strong academically when looking at schools such as University of California, Berkeley and plans to cut back his tournament schedule during his final year in the DP to accommodate more study time. While he is undecided on what his future studies will be, Economics is an interest of his.
2017
has certainly endorsed Taichi’s method of preparation to his fellow team mates, and this exemplifies his role model status.” Taichi’s outstanding accomplishments for Cobra Golf, coupled with his leadership of fellow golfers earned him the title of Discovery College Sportsperson of the Year 2016-17.
SHI JIE MAGAZINE – SPRING
Your first thought when you meet Discovery College Sports Scholarship student Taichi Kho is that he is a genuinely nice young man. As you speak with him further you understand that he is also a tough competitor with the type of strong work ethic that champions are made of, not to mention he has a winning smile.
H ighlights – T aichi K ho
Discovery College Sportsperson of the Year