Laopakdee Defends Asia-Pacific Amateur Crown to Book Masters and Open Returns

Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee successfully defended his Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship title on Sunday, winning the 2026 edition at Te Arai Links' South Course in New Zealand. His six-under total of 278 edged runner-up Zack Swanwick of New Zealand by three strokes, and earned him an invitation to the 2027 Masters Tournament at Augusta National plus an exemption into The 155th Open at St Andrews. Laopakdee joins 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to win back-to-back Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships. The Arizona State University senior began the final round trailing Swanwick by two strokes, and dropped one more shot over his first eight holes. But he played the final ten holes in three under, with birdies at the ninth, 11th and 17th, and the turning point came at the par-four 11th, where Swanwick made a triple bogey while Laopakdee sank a birdie putt for a four-shot swing. Laopakdee had opened the championship on Thursday with an eight-under 63. He will now return to the Masters and The Open after making his debut in both majors earlier this year.