Paju, Korea - Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee cemented his legacy in amateur golf on Sunday, successfully defending his Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship title by navigating demanding coastal conditions at New Zealand’s Te Arai Links to secure a three-stroke victory over Zack Swanwick.
The Arizona State University senior fired a gritty six-under 278 total on the rugged South Course, erasing a two-shot deficit during a tense final-round showdown. The momentum definitively shifted on the par-4 11th hole, where Swanwick suffered a triple bogey from the greenside bunker while Laopakdee sank a crucial birdie, executing a stunning four-shot swing that broke the deadlock.
“That feels amazing to join the club,” said Laopakdee, who joins 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to capture consecutive tournament victories. “Hideki has played a huge part in golf for Japan, and also Asia. Being able to win back-to-back like him is a huge honor.”
The historic triumph, arriving exactly one year after his breakthrough in Dubai, emphatically ends a frustrating winless drought that had tested the young champion’s resolve since March. Meanwhile, Swanwick drew massive encouragement from the vocal Kiwi crowds, delivering the highest finish by a New Zealander in the event’s 17-year history despite relinquishing his 54-hole lead.
Laopakdee’s resilient performance earns him highly coveted invitations to the 2027 Masters Tournament and The 155th Open at St Andrews. As the region’s elite competitors now turn their attention to next October’s championship at Vietnam’s Hoiana Shores Golf Club, the Thai sensation will prepare to test his refined game on the sport’s grandest major stages.