By Joy Chakravarty
The finest 120 players from the region will congregate for this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at the picturesque Te Arai Links in the northern tip of New Zealand from October 29 to November 1.
At stake is a dream invitation to the Masters Tournament in April next year and The 155th Open Championship in St Andrews.
There are several strong contenders in the field who have proved themselves over the course of their careers. Then there are others, like Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki, who finished runner-up last year, who can spring a surprise on these top stars.
2026 Players to Watch
Here are some of the names to watch out for at this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur, and some who have shown they could have the potential to spring an upset…
FIFA LAOPAKDEE
Thailand
World No. 30
The defending champion will aim to do what only one player has done before in the history of the Championship – go back-to-back as champion. A strong driver of the golf ball despite his slim frame, the 21-year-old from Rayong may feel a little out of place on a links course like Te Arai, but he has the invaluable experience of being the only player in the field who has rubbed shoulders with the world’s finest at the Masters and The Open. After winning the AAC in Dubai, he also won gold in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games and added a second U.S. collegiate title at The Desimone Invitational last year.
HARRY TAKIS
Australia
World No. 20
Hailed by many as the next big thing in Australian golf, the 21-year-old from Brisbane will look to improve on his solo fourth finish in Dubai last year by at least three positions. The bullseye will be firmly on his back, as he is currently the highest-ranked player in the field. After starting the year on a high with a runner-up finish in the Australian Masters of Amateurs and a win in the Southwestern Invitational on the US college golf circuit, Takis has been a steady performer. A fourth-place finish at the recent William H Tucker Invitational for San Diego State University shows he is trending nicely for his upcoming trip to Te Arai Links.
ZACK SWANWICK
New Zealand
World No. 23
The top-ranked New Zealand player heading into the Championship, and the second-highest in the field behind Takis, Swanwick will hope to provide his country with its first-ever Asia-Pacific Amateur champion. On an unknown links layout like Te Arai, home advantage, strong recent form and a solid tee-to-green game could help the University of Florida star live up to the expectations. Swanwick has done well in some of the biggest U.S. amateur events recently, including a runner-up finish at the Southern Amateur before advancing to the Round of 16 at the Western Amateur and the Round of 32 in the U.S. Amateur Championship.
ANH MINH NGUYEN
Vietnam
World No. 29
Vietnam has made all the right noise through its development programs and infrastructure improvements over the past few years. In Anh Minh Nguyen, they have their biggest star to showcase the country’s progress. Having participated in four AAC Academies and acknowledging how much they have helped his game, the 19-year-old is a poster boy for what the Championship envisions to grow the game in the Asia-Pacific region. Now a sophomore at Arizona State, Nguyen is expected to improve on his previous best Championship finish of T-7 in 2023. Among his several strong finishes this year, he also won the Bandon Dunes Championship – a course known for its linksy feel.
JOSH DUANGMANEE
Thailand
World No. 47
Josh Duangmanee is making his Championship debut this year as a senior at the University of Virginia and one of several Thai contenders coming off of last year’s breakthrough by Laopakdee. He collected two runner-up finishes in collegiate events earlier this year and earned Honorable Mention All-America honors following his sophomore season, which included a run to the Round of 16 of the U.S. Amateur. His older brother, George, also played golf at the University of Virginia from 2021-24.
ZIQIN ZHOU
China
World No. 53
Another player with some unfinished business at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, the 20-year-old finished runner-up to compatriot Wenyi Ding in 2024 and has clearly set his sights on a better finish this year. He has identified ball control in the windy conditions at Te Arai Links as critical and has been working on it for some time. In 2026, the California Golden Bears junior has won the ACC Championship and finished second at the Cabo Collegiate.
JADEN DUMDUMAYA
Philippines
World No. 56
The 20-year-old University of Southern California student will be making his debut in the AAC but he has already worn a players’ badge at Augusta National Golf Club. The Philippine prodigy will now aim to extend his stay to the Masters week and add a trip to the 155th Open Championship. Dumdumaya qualified for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals in 2022 and won the Boys 14-15 category. The career graph has gone up and up since then. Known for his maturity on the golf course and his decision-making skills, Dumdumaya has 11 top-10 finishes on the college circuit over the past year, including a win in the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.
MINSU KIM
Korea
World No. 117
Anybody who has won the tough Japan Amateur Championship will be a strong contender. This year, the South Korean 18-year-old won the championship by a whopping five-shot margin. Kim, known for his fearless approach on the golf course, made his Asia-Pacific Amateur debut last year in Dubai and finished T-7. Apart from the Japan Amateur, Kim also won two Korean amateur titles and showed he has learned to travel well by winning the Saujana Amateur in Kuala Lumpur. He was also part of the International team in the Junior Presidents Cup in Chicago.
TAISEI NAGASAKI
Japan
World No. 123
A spot in the Masters and The Open is always a huge motivation but Nagasaki aims to go one step further following his exploits in Dubai last year.
The Miyazaki golfer, who turned 17 earlier this month, provided the most unforgettable images of last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur when he could not protect a five-shot lead going into the final round.
Coached by the legendary Japanese superstar Tommy Nakajima, Nagasaki has impressed with his strong game off the tee and his putting skills. He has won the Japan Junior Golf Championship and has the experience of playing the Sony Open in Hawaii on the PGA Tour.
Some Wildcards…
JUN TIAN
Hong Kong, China
World No. 137
Tian is just 16 and will be making his Asia-Pacific Amateur debut this year. However, he represents the strong uptick in Hong Kong golf, which kickstarted with Taichi Kho’s runner-up finish at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Dubai in 2021. With 10 wins in the World Amateur Golf Ranking counting cycle, Tian has developed a strong tee-to-green game and is reaping the benefits.
SAAD HABIB MALIK
Pakistan
World No. 250
Pakistan’s best finish in the Asia-Pacific Amateur is T-24 by Hamza Amin in 2010. That might change this year. The 20-year-old Malik has made winning a habit and shot up the WAGR on the back of seven wins and six runner-up finishes in the past year. He is a freshman at the University of Texas in San Antonio, so while he now has more international experience, a links-style course will be a bit of a novelty for him.
ANSON YEO
Malaysia
World No. 257
The 20-year-old has never missed a cut in his four Asia-Pacific Amateur starts and has been trending in the right direction with his best finish (T-21) coming last year in Dubai. He won a title on the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour and three amateur championships in the last year. In Dubai, he gave a glimpse of his fighting qualities when, after opening with a 77, he shot three subpar rounds.
KOSHIN NAGASAKI
Japan
World No. 597
Another Nagasaki in the field, Koshin is Taisei’s elder brother, but he is not at Te Arai just for emotional support. The 18-year-old studies at the same Tohoku Fukushi University, which produced Championship winners like Hideki Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya. Koshin has shown he travels well, winning the Selangor International Amateur this year, and was invited to be a part of the Baycurrent Championship, the PGA Tour event in Japan last week.
