Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee overcame a six-shot deficit to achieve the biggest victory of his career, shooting a 4-under-par 68 and defeating 16-year-old Taisei Nagasaki of Japan on the third playoff hole to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur on Sunday in Dubai. The Arizona State junior became the first Thai to win the championship since its inception in 2010, earning invitations to the 2026 Masters and the Open Championship.
In a dramatic finish, Pongsapak’s bold strategy paid off. After Nagasaki’s lead evaporated by the end of the 15th hole, both golfers birdied two of the last three holes to force extra holes. They each birdied the first two playoff holes, then faced the par-5 18th hole at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course.
Pongsapak’s precise 6-iron second shot just cleared the water hazard and landed inches beyond the hazard line, setting up an easy birdie for him. He then proceeded to make five straight birdies during the final stretch. Nagasaki, needing a par to win, settled for a bogey, giving Pongsapak the victory.
“It’s unreal. I told my coach, Matt Thurmond, that I’d be the first Thai to win this event and the first Thai amateur to play in the Masters,” Pongsapak said. “Coach, I did it! It truly means the world to me.”
Nagasaki, who started the day with a five-shot lead, missed a crucial 4-foot putt on the 18th that would have secured victory in regulation. He shot a 74 for the round and expressed his disappointment, saying through an interpreter, “I’m very disappointed with myself. I really struggled to make good scores today. I feel very disappointed.”
Japan’s Rintaro Nakano finished third with a 1-under-par 71, his second consecutive year in that position.