Fabulous Fifa Retains Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship Title

Auckland, New Zealand: Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee underlined his standing as one of the world’s brightest golfing prospects with a high-class display to retain his Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) crown.

Twelve months after becoming the first Thai to triumph in the region’s premier amateur event, Fifa displayed his class once more to emerge victorious at Te Arai Links.

With a composed closing one-under-par 70 for a 72-hole total of six-under 278, Fifa finished three shots ahead of overnight leader Zack Swanwick (75) of New Zealand, four clear of Australian Kayun Mudadana (67) and five in front of Kiwi Cooper Moore (75). They were the only players to end in red figures.

In fifth place at even-par 284 was another New Zealander, Ryan Xie, whose 66 was the joint best round of the day.

Fifa is just the second player in the AAC’s 17-year history to successfully defend the title, following Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in 2010 and 2011.

He’s also only the third player to have won the championship twice after Matsuyama and China’s Lin Yuxin (2017 and 2019).

At Emirates Golf Club in Dubai last year, Fifa came from six shots behind after three rounds to capture the title following a sudden-death play-off.

Here, the 21-year-old Thai entered the final round two shots behind Swanwick in joint second spot with Moore.

He was still two in arrears when the final flight walked off the 10th green. It was the par-four 11th that proved to be the pivotal hole with a four-shot swing.

While Swanwick ran up a triple-bogey seven after pulling his approach into a greenside bunker and then over-hitting his next shot down a sleep slope, Fifa snared a 10-footer for a birdie-three.

From two strokes back after 10, the Thai strode to the 12th tee sitting pretty atop the leaderboard with a two-shot lead.

It was the first hole of the tournament at which Swanwick had recorded anything worse than a par. To the disappointment of the home galleries, Moore then came unstuck at the par-three 12th where he took five, his first double-bogey of the week.

But the drama wasn't over. Next up was a rare mis-step from Fifa whose drive at the long 13th found a bad lie in a sandy waste area from where he was only able to advance the ball 40 yards.

Unlike Swanwick at 11, Fifa produced a brilliant up-and-down, holing a 30-footer for a par and celebrating with a fist pump. Neither Swanwick nor Moore were able to convert their birdie attempts.

Fifa breathed a sigh of relief and from that point, the outcome was never in doubt.

Following safe pars at 14, 15 and 16, Fifa converted a birdie putt at 17 to extend his cushion to four shots.

That meant he was able to enjoy a stress-free stroll down the 18th, savouring the occasion and perhaps already allowing his thoughts to drift towards appearances at Augusta National in April and St Andrews in July.