Te Arai Victory Propels Fifa in World Amateur Golf Ranking
Auckland, New Zealand: For the first time in his career, Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee has broken into the top-25 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Auckland, New Zealand: For the first time in his career, Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee has broken into the top-25 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
At Te Arai Links last week, the 21-year-old Thai posted a three-stroke victory in the 17th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
In so doing, he joined 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama of Japan as the only the second player to successfully defend the AAC title. Matsuyama recorded the feat in 2010 and 2011.
The Arizona State University student earns repeat invitations to the Masters and The Open at St Andrews next year. Furthermore, he advances six places in this week’s WAGR to 25th.
The only two Asia-Pacific players ahead of him in the standings are Australian Harry Takis (21st) and New Zealander Zack Swanwick (23rd). At Te Arai Links, Takis finished tied for sixth while third-round leader Swanwick ended runner-up.
Given the strength of the field, the AAC offered players an outstanding opportunity to improve their rankings.
The biggest beneficiaries at Te Arai Links were New Zealanders Ryan Xie (fifth) and Cooper Moore (fourth), Japan’s Kaito Sato (ninth) and Australian Jonty Lunson (eighth).
Xie soared 93 spots to 362nd in the WAGR, while Saito rose 81 places to 389th, Lunson progressed 74 spots to 224th and Moore went up 57 places to 192nd.
Five players from the Asia-Pacific currently feature in the WAGR’s top-50 - Takis (21st), Swanwick (23rd), Laopakdee (25th), Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (31st) and Thai Josh Duangmanee (49th).
A further four are in the top-100 – New Zealand’s Joshua Bai (56th), China’s Zhou Ziqin (65th), Jaden Dumdumaya of the Philippines (67th) and Japan’s Taishi Moto (70th).
Meanwhile, Xing Feiyu is 31 spots better off this week in 160th after winning the ANNIKA Invitational presented by Baskin-Robbins Japan, her fifth victory in her last six starts.
The Chinese player eked out a one-shot win thanks to a six-under-par 210 total after sandwiching a 68 between a pair of 71s.
