DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Phonsapak “FIFA” Raopakdee rallied from a six-stroke deficit with a 4-under 68 to defeat 16-year-old Taisei Nagasaki of Japan in the third playoff to win the Asia Pacific Amateur and qualify for next year’s Masters and British Open Championship.
Laopakdee, a junior at Arizona State University, became the first player from Thailand to win the championship, which began in 2010.
Rao Pakdee’s winning shot turned out to be a 6-iron on the 18th of the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course that stayed on the slope above the yellow hazard line and cleared a pond with inches to spare. From there it was simple ups and downs until five consecutive birdies until the regulation 17th hole.
Laopakdee reportedly told Arizona State University coach Matt Thurmond, “I will win this tournament and become the first Thai amateur to play in the Masters.”
After the game, he turned to the camera and said, “Coach, you did it!”
Nagasaki, who started the final round with a five-stroke lead over Rintaro Nakano, tied Laopakdee with a two-stroke swing on the 15th hole. But the Japanese teenager responded with an 18-foot birdie on the 16th, drove in a reachable par-4 for birdie on the 17th, and hit an exquisite chip shot to 4 feet on the final par-5 hole.
However, he missed the winning birdie putt and finished with a 74, tying him with Lao Pakdee at 15-under 273. Laopakdee was forced up and down from the back bunker to birdie the final two. He shot a 5-under 32 on the back nine.
“After finishing No. 18, I had no idea I’d hit 5 under on the back nine,” Raopakdee said. “It was great golf. Shout out to Taisei. He made my life so much harder.”
More sensational shots followed in the playoffs. Nagasaki opted for a layup on the 18th, and after Rao Pakdee made a birdie from behind the green, he clipped a wedge above the water to 2 feet for birdie to stay in the playoffs.
Laopakdee used his power on No. 17, which is reachable in the playoffs, and set up another simple up-and-down, and Nagasaki made a wonderful pitch to score a birdie.
But on the 18th, the third playoff hole, Nagasaki went too far to the left of the green and his chip from a sticky lie weighed down, leaving him about 35 feet out. He got par with two putts.
“I’m very disappointed,” Nagasaki said through an interpreter as he wiped his tears with his shirt. “We really struggled to score.”
Nakano finished with a 71, taking third place for the second year in a row.
