Sun Devil and Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee became the second player to win back-to-back Asia-Pacific Amateur titles with another Sunday comeback, this time without having to win in a playoff.
The Sun Devil senior closed with a 1-under 70 for a three-shot victory that earns him another trip to Augusta National in April for the Masters, along with a return trip to the British Open in the summer at St. Andrews.
The 21-year old Laopakdee, three shots behind with 10 holes to play at Te Arai Links, had four-shot swing to on No. 11 that took him from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead.
The champion reigns again 🏆 #AACGolf https://t.co/PGX2KT4UAV
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) November 1, 2026
Laopakdee effectively ended it with a wedge to 4 feet on the par-3 17th for one final birdie, stretching his lead to four shots. He joined Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to win consecutive years since the Asia-Pacific Amateur began in 2009. Only four players finished under par.
A year ago in Dubai, Laopakdee rallied from a six-shot deficit in the final round and won the Asia-Pacific on the third playoff hole. Ranked No. 31 in the world amateur ranking, he won the Desimone Invitational in early March at Lake Merced in San Francisco.
“This is one of the last events of the year, and I wanted to prove to myself that I've still got it,” he said. “To pull it off, it means the whole world to me."