Sunday 26 / October / 2025
DUBAI: As the sun dipped behind the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday, a new star emerged on the Asian golfing horizon. Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee etched his name in history by winning the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) in a thrilling playoff finale — becoming the first Thai golfer to claim the title since the event’s inception in 2009.
Laopakdee’s dramatic victory not only brought glory to Thailand but also earned him coveted invitations to next year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
The Arizona State University golfer triumphed over Japan’s teenager Taisei Nagasaki on the third playoff hole after both players finished tied at 15-under-par through 72 holes.
The playoff began on the par-5 18th, where Nagasaki laid up with his second shot while Laopakdee went long over the green. Both produced fine up-and-downs for birdie. The pair then moved to the drivable par-4 17th, where they once again traded birdies.
Returning to the 18th for a second time, Nagasaki went long and left with his second shot, while Laopakdee attacked the green, his approach barely clearing the water hazard but leaving him a simple uphill chip.
When Nagasaki failed to make his four from a tough lie, Laopakdee calmly chipped close and tapped in to seal the championship — and his place among golf’s elite.
“I stuck to the plan I created at the beginning of the week,” said Laopakdee after receiving the trophy. “I’ve just gone shot by shot and enjoyed it with my caddie. I had an amazing battle with Taisei. It’s unreal to play in The Masters and The Open. I will be the first Thai amateur player in The Masters. I can’t believe it.”
Laopakdee’s finish was nothing short of spectacular — birdieing his final five holes, including the last two in regulation and all three in the playoff. The 20-year-old, ranked 53rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), is expected to move further up after this breakthrough win.
Nagasaki, who had begun the final round with a five-shot lead and a tournament-record 54-hole score of 17-under, struggled to maintain momentum. The 16-year-old carded four bogeys and one birdie on the front nine, finishing with a 74. A missed four-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole cost him the outright win.
Despite the disappointment, Nagasaki, who was in tears after the playoff loss, secured valuable rewards — a place in The Open Qualifying Series and an exemption into The Amateur Championship.
Japan’s Rintaro Nakano finished third for the second consecutive year after a final-round 71 took him to 13-under. He too earned a spot in The Amateur Championship.
Australia’s Harry Takis eagled the final hole to finish fourth at 12-under, while compatriot Billy Dowling, runner-up at this year’s Scottish Amateur Championship, dropped into a tie for fifth at 11-under after finding water on the 18th. He shared the spot with Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le, the 17-year-old who had led over the first two rounds.
Established in 2009 as a joint initiative by The R&A, The Masters Tournament, and the Asia-Pacific Golf Federation, the AAC has been instrumental in developing golf across the region. Notable participants include Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time AAC winner and 2021 Masters champion, and Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion.
Next year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be hosted at the Te Arai Links South Course in New Zealand.
