Asia-Pacific Amateur Puts Masters And St Andrews Dream On Line In 2026

A trip to Augusta National and a place at St Andrews await the winner. First, 120 golfers must negotiate four rounds on New Zealand’s coastline.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship opens Thursday, Oct. 29, at Te Arai Links, with defending champion Fifa Laopakdee chasing a rare repeat and another opportunity to compete on golf’s biggest stages.

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For American viewers, the action begins Wednesday evening because of the time difference. The tournament concludes Sunday, Nov. 1, in New Zealand.

Laopakdee, a 21-year-old from Thailand who plays college golf at Arizona State, returns after winning last year’s championship at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. That victory delivered experiences at the Masters and The Open that his challengers are now pursuing.

“I can’t wait to go back to New Zealand to defend my title,” Laopakdee said.

History illustrates the difficulty of his assignment. Hideki Matsuyama remains the championship’s only successful defending champion, having won in 2010 and 2011.

Australia’s Harry Takis enters as the field’s highest-ranked amateur, while New Zealand has nine representatives hoping to produce the country’s first champion. Zack Swanwick and Joshua Bai headline the home contingent.

Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki also returns with unfinished business after losing to Laopakdee in last year’s playoff.

The field represents 39 countries and includes 53 first-time participants. This is the championship’s 17th edition and its second visit to New Zealand, following the 2017 tournament at Royal Wellington.

Te Arai’s South Course supplies a different setting for the latest contest. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2022, the coastal layout features Pacific Ocean views on 16 holes.

Those surroundings will provide spectacular television pictures, but the players’ attention will be on managing the course and keeping their scores low enough to survive the halfway cut.

The championship uses 72 holes of stroke play, with the leading 60 players and ties advancing after 36 holes. A sudden-death playoff will settle any tie for the title.

Alongside the 2027 Masters invitation and exemption into the 155th Open Championship at St Andrews, the winner receives an exemption into The Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.

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U.S. coverage is scheduled for ESPN2 from 8-11 p.m. CT Wednesday through Saturday, with streaming available through ESPN+ and AACgolf.com.

For a field packed with developing talent, the attraction is straightforward: One exceptional week can open doors to two of golf’s most coveted starting fields.