Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand secured his second consecutive Asia-Pacific Amateur title on Sunday at Te Arai Links in Tomarata, New Zealand. Closing with a 1-under 70, the 21-year-old earned a three-shot victory without needing a playoff.
Prizes and Historic Accomplishments
The triumph sends Laopakdee back to Augusta National in April for the Masters, alongside a return trip to the British Open next summer at St. Andrews. Laopakdee joined Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to win consecutive years since the tournament began in 2009.
Ranked No. 31 in the world amateur ranking, Laopakdee previously won the Desimone Invitational in early March at Lake Merced in San Francisco, though the remainder of his year had been challenging.
Laopakdee noted that he exchanged phone numbers at the last Masters with Justin Rose, who promised him a practice round if he made it back. “Rosey, see you at a practice round for the Masters,” Laopakdee said with a wide smile.
Reflecting on his victory, Laopakdee stated that the event was one of the last of the year and he wanted to prove to himself that he still possessed his best game. “To pull it off, it means the whole world to me,” he added.
Final Round Turnaround
Laopakdee began the day three shots behind with 10 holes to play on the wind-blown seaside course about an hour north of Auckland. The tournament shifted on the 11th hole when Laopakdee landed his approach 7 feet from the pin for a birdie, while New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick recorded a triple bogey.
That four-shot swing turned Laopakdee’s two-shot deficit into a two-shot lead. Laopakdee effectively sealed the win with a wedge to 4 feet on the par-3 17th for a final birdie, extending his advantage to four strokes.
Swanwick, a junior at Florida, started the final round with a two-shot lead over Laopakdee and Cooper Moore, attempting to become the first Kiwi to win the tournament in front of a home crowd. He did not make a birdie until the par-5 closing hole and finished with a 75.
Discussing the pivotal moment on the 11th hole, Swanwick explained that he hit into the bunker, flew the shot a bit too far, and got too cute with the chip following a few mistakes that cost him.
Kayun Mudadana of Australia shot a closing 67 to finish alone in third at 2-under 282, while Moore birdied the last hole for a 75 to finish another shot back, making it only four players who finished under par.
