David (Dongbeen) Baik

I started playing golf when I was six after my mum introduced me to the game for fun. I’d always hoped to compete, but I only started playing tournament golf this year. Growing up, I lived in Connecticut in the USA, where I played in my school’s junior golf league, although the cold winters made it difficult to play consistently. After moving to Cambodia, I played less for a while, but my love for the game stayed with me, and I’m now fully focused on competing and continuing to improve.

Over the past few years, I’ve grown a lot as both a golfer and a person. Since I started competing more regularly, I’ve changed the way I think about the game and become much more strategic in my approach. Working with a mental coach at the Junior Asian Golf Academy has really helped strengthen my mindset, while training every day at Black Mountain Golf Club has improved every part of my game. I’ve also added around 30–40 yards to my driving, which has made a big difference to my confidence and overall performance.

My favourite golfer is Tiger Woods because of the way he dominated the game for so many years. I’ve always admired his incredible work ethic, his mental toughness, and the disciplined approach he brought to every aspect of his game. The standards he set and his determination to keep improving continue to inspire me as I develop as a golfer.

I plan to study Finance Engineering because both of my parents work in the industry, so I’ve grown up around it and developed a real interest in the field. I enjoy subjects that involve problem-solving and analytical thinking, and I think Finance Engineering is a great fit for my interests and future career goals.

Outside of golf, I enjoy spending time with my friends, who are mostly golfers. We often talk about the game and help each other improve. I also enjoy playing poker with them because I like the strategic side of it and the mental challenge, which I feel complements golf in many ways.