[Photo: Asia-Pacific Amateur]
Australian Billy Dowling’s crafty iron play and hot putter contributed to a sizzling round that earned him a share of the lead after day one at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai.
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Dowling made a hot start during the opening round of the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur on Thursday at the Emirates GC, where on Sunday the winner will be awarded a spot in the 2026 Masters and 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The Asia-Pacific Amateur was jointly created in 2009 by Augusta National and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), as an initiative to grow golf around the world.
Queenslander Dowling began his round at the 10th at the Majlis course at the Emirates GC and compiled a scintillating scorecard featuring eight birdies and two bogeys for a six-under-par 66. Dowling was tied for the lead, along aside Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le (66) and Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee. They led a group at five-under including Australian Harry Takis and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (67).
Dowling, who was second at the Scottish Men’s Open Championship this year, rattled off a bogey-free first nine (the back nine) before making birdie the No.9, his last to complete the inward nine at one-under.
“I think it settles you really well; it’s like a little bank, I suppose and you’ve got a few birdies out of the way,” Dowling, 20, said of his sizzling front nine. “Very happy and satisfied with how I played. There were bits that could be better but there was a lot of positives. My putting is something I feel like I do quite well, and it was going nicely out there. Approach shots were quite nice.”
Dowling is off at 11.16am local time in round two and will play almost the entire round with afternoon 33C temperatures and 15 km/ winds.
“I think it’s just managing hydration and food really well,” Dowling said when asked what was key in the Middle East heat. “Trying to stay in the shade and just conserve energy. Tomorrow I can just lean on that momentum from today. I don’t have to try and push for anything tomorrow. And yeah, just sets up week really nicely.”
Takis, the best-ranked Australian in the field at amateur world No.90, had six birdies and a lone bogey and felt he missed a few putts. “Yeah, it was all right [but] I left a few out there,” Takis, who plays US college golf at San Diego State University, said. “I got off to a hot start. Steady in the middle, and then a few birdies late was nice. Felt like I was kind of losing track of the field today. I felt like I had to post a number.
“I putted well. Left a few short early and then kind of figured that out later in the round and made a few mid‑rangers, which was nice. Just my approach play, I think that’s a strength of my game, if I can put myself in position where I have a mid‑iron or a wedge in my hand, I feel pretty confident in my ability to make a birdie or at least make par.”
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Kayun Mudadana also made a nice start of two-under 70 while NSW’s Jye Halls battled steadily for an even-par 72. Declan O’Donovan signed for a 73. Further down, Chase Oberle finished at three-over (75) and Graham Hourn carded a 79.
AUSSIES AT THE ASIA-PACIFIC AMATEUR
Harry Takis
Age: 20
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 90
Home club: Royal Queensland Golf Club
Previous AAC results: T41 (2023)
Best 2025 result: Won Singapore Open Amateur Championship
Kayun Mudadana
Age: 19
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 221
Home club: New South Wales Golf Club, NSW
Previous AAC results: First appearance
Best 2025 result: Won South Australia Amateur Classic
Declan O’Donovan
Age: 22
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 229
Home club: Avondale Golf Club, NSW
Previous AAC results: First appearance
Best 2025 result: Won Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship
Billy Dowling
Age: 20
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 241
Home club: The Brisbane Golf Club, Qld
Previous AAC results: 10th (2023), T37 (2024)
Best 2025 result: 2nd, Scottish Men’s Open Championship
Chase Oberle
Age: 17
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 467
Home club: The Brisbane Golf Club, Qld
Previous AAC results: First appearance
Best 2025 result: Won Queensland Junior Amateur
Graham Hourn
Age: 57
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 542
Home club: Kingaroy Golf Club, Qld
Previous AAC results: First appearance
Best 2025 result: Won Queensland Senior Men’s Amateur Championship
Jye Halls
Age: 20
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 562
Home club: New South Wales Golf Club, NSW
Previous AAC results: First appearance
Best 2025 result: Won Australian Men’s Amateur Championship
