An invitation to the Masters at Augusta National and a place in The Open at St Andrews are the extraordinary rewards awaiting the winner of this week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, with eight Australians chasing the title at Te Arai Links in New Zealand.
The 17th edition of the championship starts on Thursday, bringing together 120 of the leading male amateurs from 40 nations across the Asia-Pacific region.
The winner will earn a place in major championships at two of golf’s most iconic venues in 2027, while the runner-up will gain access to The Open Qualifying Series.
Leading Australia’s challenge is Harry Takis, the highest-ranked player in the field at 21st in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The Queenslander, currently based at San Diego State University, returns after finishing fourth in last year’s championship in Dubai, bringing valuable experience to a campaign in which Australia will be looking to add to its proud history in the event.
The country’s list of former winners includes Curtis Luck, Harrison Crowe, Jasper Stubbs and Antonio Murdaca.
This year’s list of Australian contenders contains just three players from last year’s squad – Takis, Kayun Mudadana and Graham Hourn.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) PRIZES: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship trophy and gold medal; invitation to 2027 Masters; exemption into 2027 Open and Amateur championships LIVE SCORES:https://www.aacgolf.com/live-scores TV COVERAGE: The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is live on Kayo Sports and Foxtel Round one: Thursday – noon to 3pm Round two: Friday – noon to 3pm Round three: Saturday – noon to 3pm Final round: Sunday – noon to 3pm *All times AEDT
120 players from 39 countries and territories have all traveled to New Zealand for the opportunity of a lifetime. #AACgolfpic.twitter.com/vQ9rvnZVLj
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) October 26, 2026
AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD
Harry Takis — Royal Queensland Golf Club (Brisbane) Takis is making his third championship start in 2026. In 2025 at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, he finished three strokes out of the playoff in fourth place. Earlier this year, the San Diego State University junior earned First Team All-America honours after a sophomore season that included five top-three performances. He also finished runner-up in the Australian Master of the Amateurs and was part of the winning International team in the Arnold Palmer Cup in Ireland.
Kayun Mudadana — New South Wales Golf Club (Sydney) Mudadana is making his second start in the championship. Earlier this year, he won the Avondale Amateur, finished runner-up in the Australian Amateur and reached the quarter-finals of the Western Amateur in Illinois. In 2025, he successfully defended his title in the South Australia Amateur Classic and reached the round of 32 in the Amateur Championship in England. He was a recipient of the Cameron Smith Scholarship in 2024.
Graham Hourn — Kingaroy Golf Club (Queensland) Hourn is also making his second start in the championship. Earlier this year, he successfully defended his title in the Queensland Senior Amateur and finished runner-up in the Australian National Seniors Match Play. In late 2025, he finished T-3 in the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Senior Amateur in Vietnam and T-4 in the Australian Senior Amateur.
Harrison Gomez — Nudgee Golf Club (Brisbane) Gomez is making his championship debut. Earlier this year, he won the South Australian Amateur and finished runner-up in the Singapore Open Amateur, Queensland Amateur and Tasmanian Amateur. In 2025, he won both the Jack Newton International Junior Classic and Greg Norman Junior Masters and finished runner-up in the Queensland Junior Amateur.
Samuel Cascio — The Australian Golf Club (Sydney) / Wollongong Golf Club (NSW) Cascio is also making his championship debut. Earlier this year, he won two World Amateur Golf Ranking events in Australia and recorded top-20 performances in the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan, Australian Amateur and Queensland Amateur. In 2025, he won three events in Australia and finished 14th in the Australian Boys’ Amateur.
Wesley Hinton — Keperra Country Golf Club (Brisbane) Hinton is another making his first start in the championship in 2026. Earlier this year, he finished seventh in the South Australia Amateur Classic and reached the round of 64 in the Amateur Championship in England. In 2025, he won four World Amateur Golf Ranking events in Australia, including both the Queensland Amateur and Gary Player Classic. He was a recipient of the Cameron Smith Scholarship in 2024.
Rick Heath — Golf Club Lausanne (based in Switzerland) Heath is making his championship debut. Earlier this year, the former general secretary of the European Golf Association finished runner-up in the R&A Senior Amateur in England. In 2025, he finished runner-up in the European Seniors Championship in Türkiye.
Jonty Lunson – Devonport Golf Club (Tasmania) A late addition to the field, Lunson is making his championship debut. Earlier this year, he won the Singapore Open Amateur and Queensland Amateur, finished T-4 in the Australian Amateur and represented his country in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship in China.
THE COURSE
After its previous New Zealand staging at Royal Wellington Golf Club in 2017, the event moves 90 minutes north of Auckland to Te Arai Links’ South course, a spectacular coastal venue established in 2022 that is hosting the biggest tournament in its short history.
Designed by Bill Coore, the par-72 layout features firm, fast fescue, natural sand dunes and 16 holes with views across the Pacific Ocean. It measures 6,259 metres and is also home to Ryan Fox, New Zealand’s reigning Open champion, who holds the course record.
HEADLINERS
Harry Takis — Australia Australia’s Harry Takis, ranked 17th in the world amateur rankings when the field was announced, finished fourth in 2025 and arrives after winning the 2026 Southwestern Invitational in US college golf.
Zack Swanwick — New Zealand The University of Florida junior is one of New Zealand’s leading amateur prospects, having recorded three top-10 college finishes in 2025-2026 and represented the International Team at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Fifa Laopakdee — Thailand The defending champion is aiming to become only the second player to win the title in consecutive years, after Hideki Matsuyama’s back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011.
Nguyen Anh Minh — Vietnam The Oregon State University standout finished runner-up at the 2025 US Junior Amateur before winning the individual title at the 2026 Bandon Dunes Championship.
Taisei Nagasaki — Japan Last year’s runner-up will be eager to go one better after holding a five-shot lead entering the final round before losing to Fifa Laopakdee in a playoff.
Cooper Moore — New Zealand The 18-year-old won the 2025 Australian Boys’ Amateur and finished runner-up at the 2026 New Zealand PGA Championship.
