Two in a row for Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee – image AAC
Thailand’s brilliant Fifa Laopakdee has become the second golfer to win two Asia Pacific Amateur Championships, with an impressive three-shot victory over 54-hole leader Zack Swanwick at Te Arai Links north of Auckland.
Laopakdee joins Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama as not only a two-time winner of the prestigious event, but, also a winner on two consecutive occasions at that, and now gets the chance to play the Masters and the Open Championship for the second consecutive year, having also earned the right to play those majors following his win in this event in Dubai last year.
He began the final round two behind New Zealand’s Florida State attendee, Swanwick, and by the turn the margin was the same, but things were about to unravel for the man from Hawkes Bay.
Both Laopakdee and Swanwick found the fairway at the par four 11th, but after Laopakdee had produced a fine approach into the wind to 14 feet, Swanwick found the left-hand greenside bunker, possibly protecting against the significant and dangerous drop-off to the right of the green. He might have been better off if he had missed the green right, as his bunker shot, which initially appeared good, released across the green and down the hill. He failed to reach the green with a perhaps strange decision to pitch and run rather than putt up the smooth surface and he faced the same shot again as the ball returned to his feet.
He was perhaps lucky to get his 4th shot on the green but 12 feet short, and when he missed that and the next, he had racked up a triple bogey. When Laopakdee holed his birdie putt, there had been a four-shot swing and the Thai golfer had taken a two-shot lead.
“It was a huge momentum shift, that’s for sure,” said Laopakdee. “I mean, my hand was shaking right after the 11 putt, since I know that I’m a leader. I just keep telling myself I’m still going to play like I’m behind, and I’m still going to think in my head that he’s still leading. Still playing the game, like I’m not a leader. Still be aggressive but also play smart. I think I played it perfectly coming down the stretch.”
Swanwick appeared as if he might get one or two of the shots back at the par 5 13th, but Laopakdee, after an adventure playing the hole, found a way to hole a 25-foot par-saving putt while Swanwick missed a tricky 8-foot downhill birdie putt, and both had made par.
The 14th hole would be another crucial hole in the outcome when, after driving brilliantly to the very back of the green at the par 4, Swanwick four-putted for a bogey to fall yet another shot behind, and the difference was three.
Laopakdee, now needing to just stay upright over the closing holes, hit a stunning tee shot at the par 3 17th and converted to make the difference four, but Swanwick would birdie the last to finish three behind, with New South Wales golfer, Kayun Mudadana, heading the Australians when he produced a final round of 67 to finish as one of only four players under par at 2 under and finish 3rd.
Laopakdee played both the Masters and the Open Championship last year and was asked how differently he might approach them this year given he is returning.
“I don’t think I have to do that much differently. As I said, this year, I was not that confident out there compared to my roommates, but next year, I’ll definitely be a lot more calm and collected and keep my composure a lot better than this year. Because last year to this year, I’m a lot more mature, and from this year to next year, if I keep doing what I’m doing, I’ll be even more mature.
“Yeah, when you get to live like a real professional golfer’s life at the Masters and The Open, you share the same locker room, share the same dining hall, share the same practice round, you get to experience how those people live. I just learned from it, and it made me a lot more mature, and I’ve started to read books now that help with my brain now. I love reading about golf psychology, like the Bob Rotella book.
“This morning – the whole week, when I have a late tee time, I wake up, eat breakfast, go back to my room, read books, write down notes in my journal and try to find something that I can use on the course, and it worked out perfectly.
“So yeah, I’m really looking forward to both Augusta and St Andrews. I will have a great time, and I know if I keep doing what I’m doing, I’ll have a great chance of playing good golf at both of them.”
Swanwick will no doubt be gutted, but this was a great experience in front of home crowds to contend in one of the world’s now most significant amateur championships and he did himself proud. He returns to Florida and Florida State as no doubt a much more experienced golfer than he was the case a week ago.
“It was a special week,” said Swanwick. “Back in your home country, playing on a nice course, family out. A little disappointing, but it’s tough to be sad walking away from the week.
“It (the support) was pretty cool, pretty loud, a lot of Kiwis out, which is always good. It was really cool to have that support.”
New Zealand’s Cooper Moore birdied the last hole after a tough day to finish alone in 4th place at 1 under while New Zealand’s Ryan Xie produced the equal best round of the day (66) to finish 5th.
While Laopakdee was the winner of the event, the other major beneficiaries of the 2026 Asia Pacific Championship were the stunning Te Arai Links and New Zealand golf tourism, which has benefited so much from the involvement of the New Zealand Open in New Zealand’s tourism playground of Queenstown, but now the quality of golf in the far north of the country has been exposed to a wide audience; the commercial spin-off for the country is almost immeasurable.
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Zack Swanwick – beaten but not disgraced – image AAC
