Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee wins Asia-Pacific Amateur in Dubai playoff

Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand rallied from behind to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on Sunday at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, defeating 16-year-old Taisei Nagasaki of Japan in a three-hole playoff and securing invitations to next year’s Masters Tournament and The Open. The victory made Laopakdee the first player from Thailand to capture the championship.

Laopakdee carded a 4-under 68 in the final round, mounting a late surge that included five birdies on the back nine to pull even with Nagasaki and force extra holes. Nagasaki entered the final round with a commanding position after a third-round 7-under 65 that produced a 54-hole total of 17 under, the lowest three-day score in the event’s history. He closed with a 2-over 74 in the final round, finishing tied with Laopakdee at 15 under 273.

The playoff was decided on the 18th hole after both players matched birdies on the first two extra holes. Laopakdee’s approach on the third playoff hole carried over the water, settling on the slope just beyond a hazard line. He converted the short up-and-down for birdie. Nagasaki’s chip out of a difficult lie left him about 35 feet away and he two-putted for par. Laopakdee later...