Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai — October 23–26, 2025

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Final Recap: Fifa Laopakdee Makes History for Thailand in Dubai

Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee staged a remarkable comeback at Emirates Golf Club to win the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, becoming the first Thai player ever to claim the title. With a final-round 4-under 68 and a dramatic victory on the third playoff hole, Laopakdee secured his invitations to the 2026 Masters Tournament and 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

The Arizona State junior began the day six shots behind 16-year-old Japanese standout Taisei Nagasaki, but charged through the back nine with five birdies in his final six holes to post 15-under 273. His final stretch included birdies on 17 and 18 to force a playoff after Nagasaki missed a four-foot birdie putt for the win on the last.

The winning moment came at the par-5 18th, where Laopakdee hit a clutch 6-iron over the water that barely cleared the hazard line, settling on the back slope just inches from danger. From there, he got up and down for birdie — his fifth in a row dating back to the 17th hole in regulation — to seal the victory.

“After I finished 18, I didn’t even know I shot five-under on the back nine,” said Laopakdee. “It was amazing golf. Shout out to Taisei — he made my life so hard.” Laopakdee also revealed he had promised his college coach, Matt Thurmond, that he would win the event and become the first Thai amateur to play at Augusta. Looking into the camera afterward, he said, “Coach, I did it.”

Nagasaki, who started the final round with a five-shot lead, battled bravely down the stretch with birdies at 16 and 17, and a superb chip to four feet on the closing hole — but his missed putt kept him tied with Laopakdee at 15-under. He closed with a 2-over 74 and later fought through tears in his post-round interview: “Very disappointed. I really struggled to make a score.”

The playoff produced more highlights: both players birdied the 18th and 17th holes to extend it before Laopakdee’s steady par on the third playoff hole proved enough when Nagasaki missed his chip and two-putted. Rintaro Nakano of Japan finished third for the second consecutive year after a final-round 71.

With the win, Laopakdee etches his name alongside past champions like Hideki Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya, and Keita Nakajima — and carries Thailand’s flag to Augusta National and Royal Birkdale in 2026.

Round 3 Update: Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki Breaks Away in Dubai

Sixteen-year-old Taisei Nagasaki delivered a brilliant third round at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, firing a seven-under 65 to open a commanding five-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Starting the day one stroke off the pace, Nagasaki charged ahead with four birdies in his first seven holes to take control. After a lone bogey at the par-4 12th, he responded with four more birdies coming home to reach 17-under-par for the championship — breaking the previous 54-hole scoring record of 14-under.

“The good thing today was that I was able to get four birdies on the front nine,” Nagasaki said. “In the back nine, I didn’t play well at No. 12, but got one back at the next par 5, which also led to three consecutive birdies. I wanted to put myself in a good position to win tomorrow, and I’m happy with my score today.”

A student at Tommy Nakajima’s Academy in Japan, Nagasaki said he and the 48-time Japan Tour winner made a promise to “go to the Masters together.” That goal is now within reach: a victory on Sunday would send him to both Augusta National and Royal Birkdale, joining a list of Japanese champions that includes Hideki Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya, and Keita Nakajima.

Nagasaki has already enjoyed a strong season, earning co-medalist honors at the Toyota Junior World Cup in June and finishing runner-up at the Japan Amateur Championship just a week later. This week marks his first Asia-Pacific Amateur appearance.

In pursuit for the final round are Rintaro Nakano of Japan at 12-under, Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand at 11-under, and a trio at 10-under — Australians Billy Dowling and Harry Takis, along with Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le. Nakano, who finished third last year in Japan, continues to be a steady contender.

Japan’s Kanichiro Katano added to the highlights with the tournament’s first ace at the par-3 11th — the eighth hole-in-one in Asia-Pacific Amateur history and the first of his life.

Sunday’s final round tee times run from 9:00 to 11:01 a.m. local time. The winner will earn invitations to the 2026 Masters Tournament and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, plus an exemption into The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Storylines & Notables

• Major pathways on the line: The champion earns invitations to the Masters and The Open, plus an exemption into The Amateur.
• Desert demands: Wind, firm fairways, and perched greens on the Majlis reward disciplined targets and altitude-aware yardages.
• Depth across the region: National contingents from Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, New Zealand, India, and the UAE headline a 120-player field.
• Cutline pressure: With a mid-week cut to the top 60 and ties, round-two scoring is historically pivotal here.

How It Works

Format: 72 holes of stroke play with a cut to the leading 60 players and ties after 36 holes. Ties for the championship are decided by a sudden-death playoff.

Qualification: Invitations are sent via APGC member organizations. Each country gets at least one position for its highest-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), with additional positions based on depth in the ranking. Remaining spots are filled by the next highest WAGR players, with a maximum of seven per country (host nation may add three). Past champions (within five years) and last year’s top-five finishers may be exempt beyond country caps.

Exemptions for finishers: Champion to the Masters and The Open; runner-up(s) to the Open Qualifying Series; top three to The Amateur Championship (see Terms of Championship for tie scenarios).

The Course: Majlis, Emirates Golf Club

The Majlis is the Middle East’s original championship desert course—fast corridors, bold bunkering, and exposed approaches that make flight control a premium. Expect scoring swings when afternoon breezes arrive and firm greens reward shots landed short with the correct release window.

The Field

A 120-player lineup represents the breadth of the APGC footprint, including entries from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, India, the UAE, and many more.

2024 Recap: Wenyi Ding by a Shot

After entering the championship as the highest-ranked player in the field, Wenyi Ding finished 12-under to win the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Shizuoka, Japan.

Ding, who is ranked No. 9 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings, shot four straight rounds of 3-under 67 to shoot 12-under and win by one shot over Ziqin Zhou, who finished in solo second place at 11-under.

“It feels really good," Ding told the Asia-Pacific Amateur after the win. "Last year, I lost in the playoff and just felt I couldn’t play any better. And this year I got the trophy, it’s amazing. Before I played No. 17, I didn’t want to play for a birdie. I just wanted to save a par. I felt nervous on the birdie putt (on 18). I don’t know why, but it went three or four feet by. I was able to hole it.”

The championship dealt with a six-hour rain and fog delay between the first two rounds after four and a half inches of rain hit the course.

Ding recently left Arizona State to try and become the first player to earn a spot on the DP World Tour, but now he has earned likely exemptions into the 2025 Masters Tournament and 2025 Open Championship if he decides to remain an amateur.

The Global Pathway Rankings rewards the top non-collegiate amateur (which is why he left Arizona State) every year with a DP World Tour card. To be eligible, a player must “not be a current NCAA Division-I player” and “be at least 20 years of age by the end of the calendar year.” Ding turns 20 in November.

He became the first Chinese male player to win a USGA championship after winning the 2022 U.S. Boys' Junior, set a collegiate scoring record at the 2024 Amer Ari Invitational, and won the 2024 Southern Amateur. He lost the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur to Jasper Stubbs in a playoff.

In his champion’s press conference, Ding referenced Haotong Li as a Chinese player he has looked up to over the years. The win marks the fifth victory by a Chinese player in the 15 editions of the Championship, the most by any country.

“Absolutely, it's Haotong Li; I think he got top three in The Open,” Ding said. “He's a really good player and brother…I don't believe something like a Chinese player can’t do something. I just believe we can do [anything].”

36-hole leader Rintaro Nakano finished in solo third place at 10-under. The cut fell at 7-over after the second round.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur (formerly the Asian Amateur) is staged by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament, and the R&A. The winner is invited to the Masters and The Open, with the championship rotating among leading venues across the region.

Schedule & Coverage

• Round 1: Thursday, Oct. 23
• Round 2: Friday, Oct. 24 (cut to top 60 & ties after 36 holes)
• Round 3: Saturday, Oct. 25
• Final Round: Sunday, Oct. 26 (playoff if necessary)

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