Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee, Australia’s Billy Dowling and Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le carded matching six-under 66s to begin the day to share the early lead at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on Thursday at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course.
The trio of 66s paced 19 rounds under par during the first round at the renowned Majlis Course, the first grass course that opened in the Middle East and home to champions such as Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Laopakdee, a junior at Arizona State University, is making his fourth appearance at the Asia-Pacific Amateur with a high finish of T-5 in his home country in 2022. After entering the Championship as the highest-ranked player in the field in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, the 20-year-old birdied six of his first nine holes beginning on the par-4 10th.
“Kind of a little of everything [was working],” said Laopakdee, who settled for an even-par 35 on his second nine to tie the lead. “My drives were good. My irons were good. I hit 17 greens. Putting was good. I made almost every putt inside 10 feet and just one silly three-putt on the card, bogey for me today but overall it was a good round.”
Dowling, who finished 10th at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in his home country at Royal Melbourne in 2023, also started fast with six birdies across his first 11 holes before a dramatic bogey save at the par-5 third hole kept his round on track.
“It was huge; I wouldn't say I was expecting to hole that putt,” said Dowling, a quarterfinalist at this year’s Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s. “Double was definitely accepting in my mind because it was 20 feet away and they are never gimmies, but when you hole it keeps the momentum with the putting and also keeps one shot off the scorecard.”
Le, a 17-year-old University of Illinois commit, is looking to add to the recent trend of Vietnamese players in contention at the Asia-Pacific Amateur. Countryman Anh Minh Nguyen finished T-7 two years ago to set a new Vietnamese Championship record and reached the U.S. Junior Amateur finals this summer. Le finished T-24 in his Asia-Pacific Amateur debut last year and tied the low front-nine score (32) of the day on Thursday. He becomes the first Vietnamese player in the Championship's 16-year history to hold a lead/co-lead after the conclusion of a round.
“I don't know, I think it's a little bit of like the patriotic side in me,” said Le of the potential for a Vietnamese player to break through with a win in the Asia-Pacific Amateur. “I just love the country and I wish the best for every single person in Vietnam and just I want the best to happen for the people.”
Sam Mullane (T-4) and Ahmad Skaik (T-8) lead the hometown contingent of players from the United Arab Emirates. Last year’s runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China sits even par (T-20). A 36-hole cut will be made to the top 60 and ties after Friday’s second round.
