In-Form Indonesian Rayhan Setting Lofty Goals

Jakarta, Indonesia: Rayhan Latief has enjoyed a timely confidence-booster ahead of his fifth Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) appearance.

In recent weeks the 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Texas (UNT) finished solo fourth at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in Arkansas and tied for 12th at the Argent Financial Classic in Louisiana.

Following a career-best finish of tied 17th at last year’s AAC in Dubai, Rayhan is keen to challenge for the title at Te Arai Links in New Zealand next week. The champion will earn an invitation to the Masters and an exemption into The Open Championship in 2027.

He believes his time in the US has enabled him to become a better competitor as he looks to challenge the likes of defending champion Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee of Thailand, last year’s runner-up Taisei Nagasaki of Japan, and Filipino Jaden Dumdumaya from October 29 to November 1.

Rayhan said: “I’ve made great progress this year with the UNT men’s golf team. They have a great programme. Every day they track basically everything from my game – my physical preparation and my mental game.

“I think we have a really great team and great people who take care of me, from my body and my physical preparation to my golf game and my mental game. I’m very excited and very confident with the preparation I’ve had going into the AAC this year.”

He harbours dreams of becoming the first golfer from Indonesia to hoist the AAC trophy and was inspired by seeing Fifa win in Dubai and go on to compete at the Masters and The Open this year.

He said: “I’m especially excited to play on such a special course like Te Arai Links. I think it will be a great test. With the conditions and the difficulty of the course, whoever wins this year will deserve it.

“It’s been special for me to get to know someone like Fifa and to follow his journey. I’m happy for him and everything he has accomplished. I watched some of the live coverage (of Fifa). It was a really great experience for him. We’ve played together since the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup, so I was very happy to see him play in those two big events and get that experience.”

As Rayhan prepares to head to New Zealand alongside fellow Indonesians Randy Bintang, Kenneth Sutianto, William Wijaya, Jayawardana Dornan and Asa Najib Bhakti, a fifth consecutive AAC appearance is further fuelling his determination to succeed.

He said: “This tournament is very important to me. It’s a tournament that I prioritise every year because of how special the opportunity is. If you win, you get the chance to play in two Major championships. That’s definitely one of the reasons why it means so much.

“What makes the AAC unique is that every year you get to meet a lot of friends and new faces from different backgrounds, countries and cultures. That’s what makes the AAC so special and unique.

“The level of competition is always high. You have the best amateur players from across Asia-Pacific, so you know you’re going to have to play good golf to compete.”

Rayhan’s tied 17th finish last year matched the best performance by an Indonesian at the AAC, achieved by George Gandranata in Singapore in 2011. He has more ambitious targets this time around.

He said: “My personal goal for New Zealand is definitely to win the tournament. It’s going to be a tough challenge with the conditions and the course, but I’ve been practicing a lot in the wind in Texas, so I’m confident going into Te Arai Links. I believe I can play well.

“It’s always been one of my goals to play in those two Majors. It would be amazing if I can pull it off this year. I’ve put a lot of work into my preparation, and I feel like I’ve done everything I can to put myself in a position to win. Hopefully I can put it all together in New Zealand.”

The AAC was launched in 2009 by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the region. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Australian Cameron Smith and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox are past AAC competitors who have gone on to win Major championships.