[Photo: International Golf Federation]
In-form amateur Declan O’Donovan feels like he’s playing with house money at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, given he plans on turning professional immediately after the event at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai – unless he wins.
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Capturing the Asia-Pacific Amateur would come with invitations to the 2026 Masters at Augusta National and the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. O’Donovan, should he hoist the trophy, would need to remain an amateur until each major (April and July, respectively).
“Yeah, it would be another eight months or so [of amateur golf] and it would kind of change everything,” O’Donovan told Australian Golf Digest at the Emirates GC on Tuesday. “I think I’ve already got a good plan ahead of me of what I’m going to be doing as a pro for the next year, especially with the Canadian Open and being allowed to play that as a professional. It’d be a nice change of plans.
“I don’t think I’ve ever tried to go out and win a tournament, so I’m not going to do it this week. I’m probably in quite a nice scenario where I’ve got a win-win situation: if I don’t win, I turn pro and if I win, I play the Masters and the Open. But I don’t see why I’d change anything, just because the situation’s a little different.”
O’Donovan referenced the fact he has been invited to play the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open next year after winning the Canadian Amateur Championship recently. His stellar 2025 season has included a runner-up in the individual standings at the World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore two weeks ago.
“I’ve always worked hard and been a competitive person and the 1 percenters are starting to pay off this year,” O’Donovan said. “When you do something again and again, you get a feel for what works well under pressure. Golf under pressure is completely different to golf not under pressure. Your breathing changes, your feels change, the shots you hit sometimes change. I think I’ve found a really good formula that works under pressure. So all that practice I got in over the [2024/25] Aussie summer and the beginning of the year is giving me a good chance to win overseas and, hopefully, this week.”
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O’Donovan headlines the seven-strong Australian contingent in Dubai, which includes Harry Takis, Billy Dowling, Mollymook golfer Jye Halls (NSW), Chase Oberle (Qld), Kayun Mudadana (NSW) and Queensland Senior Amateur champion, Graham Hourn.
The Emirates Golf Club is the annual host of the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic each January.
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. The Asia-Pacific winner is offered a spot in the following year’s Masters and Open Championship.
The seven Australians in Dubai are hoping to add to the nation’s four victories in the 16-year history of the Asia-Pacific Amateur. Those triumphs include two of the past three, with Harrison Crowe (2022) in Thailand and Jasper Stubbs at Royal Melbourne (2023).
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
