DUBAI — Thailand’s Pongsapak “Fifa” Laopakdee has a ritual during tournaments where he sings songs to calm the nerves. There were plenty Sunday during the final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where the Arizona State junior won a dramatic playoff at the Emirates Golf Club to punch his ticket to the 2026 Masters and 154th Open Championship.
Laopakdee borrowed the music idea from his close friend and fellow Thai golfer, Jeeno Thitikul, the women’s top-ranked golfer. But what tune could possibly take a 20-year-old amateur’s mind off Augusta National, Royal Birkdale and the biggest win of a career?
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“Oh, we rocked a lot of Bruno Mars today, like, ‘Marry you just the way you are,’” Laopakdee said after becoming the first Thai golfer to win the event run jointly since 2009 by Augusta National and the R&A.
“When I’m playing college golf at ASU, there are a lot of big events with all the top guys and I feel a lot of pressure and I just want to start just singing,” he said.
There was certainly pressure. The overnight leader by five shots, Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki, had five bogeys in the first 12 holes but stayed in contention. On the 72nd hole, the 16-year-old hit an exquisite pitch shot over a greenside bunker but missed a four-foot birdie putt for the win. His 74 put him in a playoff with Laopakdee at 15-under 273. Japan’s Rintaro Nakano was third at 13 under.
Laopakdee and Nagasaki went toe-to-toe before Nagasaki blinked at the third extra hole. He caught a pitch shot heavy for this third at the par-5 18th and only managed par.
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Afterward, Nagasaki wiped a stream of tears away while speaking about the loss.
“When I think of big stages like the Masters and the Open, I still get nervous, and I feel that I’m not yet strong enough mentally,” he said. “I will practice more and get winning experiences to win at this stage next year.”
Laopakdee put the tournament away with a 6-iron second shot that only carried the water by inches, hanging up on a bank above a yellow hazard line. His up-and-down for birdie was his fifth consecutive from the 71st hole in regulation. “After I finished 18, I didn’t know I shot five under on the back nine; I laughed with my caddie,” he said. “Amazing golf. Shout out to Taisei as well. He made my life so hard.”
Truth is, Laopakdee made it look easy coming from a six-shot deficit with a four-under 68. He made the turn at one over but birdied 10, 13, 15, 17 and 18 to force overtime. Laopakdee then birdied all three playoff holes. With major debuts on the line, it was unfathomable golf from an amateur.
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“I tried not to pressure myself as much this year because I’ve been over pressure myself for the past couple years at this event where I kind of choked at the end,” he said. “At the start of the day, I say to myself, it’s just another round of golf. Go out there and try to play your best golf and whatever happens, happens.”
What happens now is the golf world gets introduced to a tall, powerfully built Thai golfer who made the Round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur, won the Thunderbird Collegiate and helped his team reach the quarterfinals of the 2025 NCAA Championships.
There’s a lot to learn. First and foremost, how did he get the nickname Fifa, as in, the ruling body of soccer?
“My dad just love football. It was between Fifa and UEFA [organizer of the Champions League in Europe]. Thank God it’s Fifa,” he laughed.
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Or his friendship with Thitikul, saying, “she’s always busy dominating the women’s golf, but my parents and her parents and our coach, our agencies, are very close. We all support each other, no matter where.”
Maybe Thitikul will support from gallery at the 2026 Masters or the British Open at Birkdale.
“I’ve been watching the Masters since I could remember, like 2- or 3-years-old, watching Tiger dominating,” Laopakdee said of one of his idols, 15-time major winner Woods, whose late mother Kultida was from Thailand. “The Masters is why I start to love golf. I always get emotional watching someone win. I also watch a lot of British Open throughout the years. Being able to follow that path with the pros, it’s just unreal.”
For now, Laopakdee will take the 8,300-mile journey from Dubai to Arizona State to party with his Sun Devil teammates. “All my ASU teammates are playing at the East Lake Cup now, so best of luck to them and I can’t wait to see them and celebrate with them back at ASU,” he said.
Celebrate, no doubt, with a tune to honor Laopakdee’s ritual. If they’re looking for options, the Masters has a decent theme song.
