Get to know ‘Fifa’, the Thai star who stormed from six shots behind to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur and qualify for two majors

Thailand’s Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee has a ritual during tournaments where he sings songs to calm the nerves. There were plenty on Sunday during the final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where the Arizona State college golfer won a dramatic playoff at the Emirates Golf Club to punch his ticket to the 2026 Masters and 154th Open Championship.

He’s from Nepal. He goes to college in Texas. He’s hoping to earn a Masters invite in Dubai

Sadbhav “Sam” Acharya grew up playing golf at a course perched 4,600 feet above sea level in Kathmandu, Nepal, a city famous for being the gateway to the Himalayas. But his game reached new heights when a lesson from Nick Faldo a year ago contributed to a victory that helped the 20-year-old become the first amateur from his country to play Division I college golf in the US.

Leaderboard

Grant Thornton Invitational - 2025
Pos Player Tot Thru Rnd
T1Lauren Coughlin-28F3
T1Andrew Novak-28F3
T2Michael Brennan-25F3
T2Chris Gotterup-25F3
T2Charley Hull-25F3
T2Nelly Korda-25F3
T2Jennifer Kupcho-25F3
T2Denny McCarthy-25F3
T5Corey Conners-23F3
T5Brooke M. Henderson-23F3
T5Michael Kim-23F3
T5Rose Zhang-23F3
T7Luke Clanton-22F3
T7Tom Hoge-22F3
T7Lottie Woad-22F3
T7Angel Yin-22F3
T9Jake Knapp-21F3
T9Patty Tavatanakit-21F3
T10Wyndham Clark-20F3
T10Billy Horschel-20F3
T10Andrea Lee-20F3
T10Lexi Thompson-20F3
T12Neal Shipley-18F3
T12Maja Stark-18F3
T13Bud Cauley-17F3
T13Jason Day-17F3
T13Tony Finau-17F3
T13Megan Khang-17F3
T13Lydia Ko-17F3
T13Jessica Korda-17F3
T13Keith Mitchell-17F3
T13Lilia Vu-17F3
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