Asia-Pacific Quartet Progress at US Amateur Championship

Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States: New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick, China’s Xiong Tianyi, Korean Lee Byung-ho and Hong Kong, China’s William Lisle have qualified for the match play stage at the 126th US Amateur Championship.

The Asia-Pacific quartet finished among the top 64 following 36 holes of stroke play to secure their passage into the second phase of the week-long championship.

Hoping to join them are Thai Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee, Japan’s Taishi Moto and New Zealand’s Joshua Bai. They were among 16 players who tied for 54th place on two-over 142. They’ll take part in a play-off on Wednesday morning from which 11 players will progress. They’ll start at the par-three 13th hole at Merion and continue on the course routing until the spots are filled.

There was disappointment for Korean An Seong-hyeon and Australian Kayun Mudadana who had two-round totals of three-over 143 to miss the play-off by a single stroke.

Also making their exit were Thai Nithidpong Srichatphirun (144), Australian Harry Takis, Chinese Taipei’s Kent Hsiao, Singaporean Hiroshi Tai and Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (all 145), Thai Parin Sarasmut (147), China’s Zhou Ziqin (152), Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chi-chun (153) and China’s Qiu Zihang (155).

With rounds of 72 and 67, Swanwick finished as the region’s leading representative in stroke play in a share of 16th place on one-under 139.

Xiong was a model of consistency with two even-par 70s to finish equal 23rd, one shot ahead of Lee and Lisle who were among a group in joint 33rd.

Fifa, who played in this year’s Masters Tournament and Open Championship courtesy of his victory in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, appeared in danger of facing elimination when he made bogey on the eighth hole at Philadelphia Country Club, his penultimate hole of the day. But a par at the ninth meant he signed for a one-over 71 to squeeze into the play-off.

Joshua Ryan, winner of the 2026 Pennsylvania Amateur, produced a near-record breaking performance, posting a 36-hole total of eight-under 132 to earn medallist honours over a stellar field of 311 competitors. 

The 22-year-old, who grew up 10½ miles from this week’s venue, followed up Monday’s three-under 67 at stroke play co-host Philadelphia Country Club with a five-under 65 at Merion on Tuesday to edge 2026 USA Walker Cup competitor Tyler Watts by two strokes. 

Ryan’s total was one off the championship record set by Hayden Wood, son of PGA Tour winner and 1977 US Junior Amateur champion Willie Wood, in 2017 at The Riviera Country Club and co-host Bel-Air CC, in Los Angeles. Seven others have posted 132, including last year’s medallist Preston Stout. Ryan also becomes the first ‘local’ medallist in the US Amateur since Mark Goetz in 2021 at Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh. 

Two others – 18-hole leader Drake Harvey of America, an incoming Brigham Young University freshman, and University of Washington rising senior Finn Koelle, of Germany - finished four strokes back at four-under 136. 

Four Americans posted 137: 2026 USA Walker Cupper and US Junior Amateur runner-up Miles Russell; 2026 US Open qualifier and University of Florida incoming freshman Jackson Ormond; University of Georgia’s Carter Loflin; and University of Florida rising senior Jack Turner.