Laopakdee secures second straight Asia-Pacific Amateur title with late surge
The Thai golfer closed with a 70 to beat Zack Swanwick by three shots, earning automatic entries into the Masters and the British Open.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand claimed the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on Sunday at Te Arai Links in New Zealand. He finished with a one-under 70 to win by three shots over Zack Swanwick of New Zealand. The victory marks the second consecutive year the 21-year-old has won the event. He is now one of only two players to achieve back-to-back titles since the tournament began in 2009, joining Hideki Matsuyama in that distinction.
The win guarantees Laopakdee a spot in the Masters at Augusta National in April. It also secures his return to the British Open next summer at St. Andrews. Laopakdee, a senior at Arizona State, noted that he exchanged contact information with Justin Rose at the previous Masters. Rose promised a practice round if Laopakdee returned to the course.
The final round at the seaside course, located about an hour north of Auckland, was defined by wind and a dramatic swing on the 11th hole. Swanwick, a junior at the University of Florida, held a two-shot lead entering the back nine. His 6-iron approach on the 11th went into a back bunker. The follow-up shot rolled past the pin and into a deep swale. His recovery chip and run resulted in a triple bogey. Laopakdee hit his approach just over the false front to seven feet for a birdie on the same hole. That four-shot swing moved Laopakdee from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead.
Laopakdee extended his advantage on the 17th hole. He used a wedge to land within four feet of the cup on the par-3, securing a final birdie. That shot stretched his lead to four strokes. Swanwick shot a 75 and did not make a birdie until the closing hole. He finished two shots behind Laopakdee, who closed at six-under 278.
Kayun Mudadana of Australia finished alone in third place at two-under 282. Cooper Moore birdied the final hole to shoot a 75, finishing one shot behind Mudadana. Only four players in the field finished the tournament under par.
Laopakdee’s previous victory came last year in Dubai. He rallied from a six-shot deficit in the final round to win on the third hole of a playoff. He had not won a tournament since the Desimone Invitational in early March at Lake Merced in San Francisco. He described Sunday’s performance as a way to prove he still had the skill after a difficult stretch.
Swanwick acknowledged the impact of the wind on his play. He said a few mistakes on the 11th hole cost him the lead. Laopakdee said the conditions were tough for his opponent but that his own great second shot created momentum for the rest of the round.
