The opening round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship produced no shortage of remarkable shots Thursday at Te Arai Links’ South Course in New Zealand. A year after overcoming a six-shot deficit to win the championship in Dubai, Thailand’s Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee finds himself back atop the leaderboard.
The defending champion opened with an impressive eight-under 63 to take a three-shot lead despite winds gusting above 30 mph along New Zealand’s coast. Laopakdee’s round was highlighted by a chip-in eagle on the par-5 ninth, and he nearly holed out again on the 15th.
Laopakdee is making it look easy. 🧐
From a difficult position, the leader nearly holes out and ultimately adds to his advantage for -7 after converting for birdie.#AACGolf pic.twitter.com/jou0hmWKeJ
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) October 29, 2026
The 21-year-old Arizona State senior is bidding to become the second player to win consecutive Asia-Pacific Amateur titles, joining Hideki Matsuyama, who accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2011.
The wind conditions presented challenges for the 120-player field, but it didn’t prevent some spectacular golf.
Australia’s Harry Takis, a junior at San Diego State, carded an opening-round 70, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 seventh after hitting driver off the deck and sinking a 35-foot putt. Takis tops the field as the highest-ranked player, sitting No. 21 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Takis entered the week among the favorites, along with Laopakdee and New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick, ranked 23rd in the world.
For Laopakdee, the opportunity to defend his title comes after a victory that changed the trajectory of his amateur career. Last year at Emirates Golf Club, he began the final round six strokes behind Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki before shooting a closing 68 and winning on the third playoff hole. The victory made him the first Thai amateur to earn a Masters invitation and secured his place in the 2026 Open Championship. Now he has a chance to return to both majors.
The winner of this week’s championship receives an invitation to the 2027 Masters and a spot in the Open Championship at St. Andrews, where Laopakdee could make his second appearance.
The host nation, meanwhile, has contenders of its own. New Zealand’s Joshua Bai opened with a five-under 66 to sit three shots off the lead. The University of Florida golfer won the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 earlier this year and has made the cut in each of his four previous Asia-Pacific Amateur appearances.
Bai is among nine New Zealanders in the field, a group that includes Florida teammate Swanwick. No New Zealander has won the championship since its inception in 2009.
The course record belongs to New Zealand native and PGA Tour winner Ryan Fox, who shot a 60 in 2023 and has said he’s keeping an eye on this week’s championship.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
