Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship set for thrilling battle at Emirates Golf Club

Dubai: The stage is set for one of amateur golf’s most prestigious events as 120 of the Asia-Pacific region’s finest players tee off at Emirates Golf Club’s iconic Majlis Course tomorrow for the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where dreams of Masters glory and Open Championship qualification await the champion.

Jointly organised by Augusta National Golf Club, The R&A and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the four-day Championship will see the region’s elite amateur talent navigate one of the Middle East’s most strategic and timeless layouts, with the victor earning a life-changing invitation to the 2026 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 154th Open.

Leading the charge is Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee, the highest-ranked player in the field at World No. 56 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). The Arizona State University junior has never missed the cut in three previous appearances and arrives in stellar form following a sixth-place finish at the Sahalee Players Championship and victories at the Papago Individual and Thunderbird Invitational.

Fellow Thai Ratchanon Chantananuwat (World No 106) makes his second Championship start after a heartbreaking 2022 edition in his home country, where a neck injury derailed his challenge from the top of the leaderboard. The Stanford University sophomore is the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event, having won the 2022 TrustGolf Asian Mixed Cup on the Asian Tour at just 15 years and 37 days old.

Hong Kong’s Jeffrey Shen (World No. 109) arrives in red-hot form, having finished inside the top three in all four events since July, including a runner-up finish at the Singapore Open Amateur and a win at a local professional event in China. When the Championship was last played in Dubai in 2021, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho finished runner-up in a playoff — a breakthrough that launched his career toward an Asian Tour title and Asian Games gold medal.

Australia’s Harry Takis (World No. 117) brings momentum after his commanding 11-shot victory at the Singapore Open in July, demonstrating his ability to perform in hot conditions. The 21-year-old San Diego State University sophomore’s recent runner-up finish at the Sahalee Players Championship confirms he’s a serious threat this week.

Last year’s runner-up, China’s Ziqin Zhou (World No. 125), returns with unfinished business after falling just one stroke short at Mount Fuji despite a Championship-low 65 in the third round. Chinese players have won the Championship five times — more than any other nation — and the 19-year-old University of California, Berkeley sophomore will be determined to add another title to that impressive record.

Home favourite Ahmad Skaik will look to capitalise on his extensive knowledge of the Majlis Course when he makes his sixth Championship start. The 28-year-old UAE star enjoyed a stellar 2025 season, setting a new GCC Golf Championship record with an 18-under-par total — winning by 15 shots — and becoming the first Emirati to make the cut at a European Tour group-sanctioned event.

Skaik leads a record UAE contingent of six players, including his brother Mohammad, alongside Rayan, Ahmed, Rashed Al Emadi, Sam Mullane and Jonathan Selvaraj — the largest representation from the nation in the Championship’s history.

While local knowledge may prove advantageous, every player will need to master the Majlis Course’s demanding layout, particularly the treacherous par-four ninth hole.

Stretching 488 yards, the ninth has been the toughest hole at the Dubai Desert Classic for five consecutive years, with water lurking down the entire left side and punishing rough and bunkers to the right. Over the past five years, the hole has yielded more double bogeys (168) than birdies (156).

“The ninth hole is one of the best par-fours we play all year,” said Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion and four-time Dubai Desert Classic winner. “You’ve done well if you make four fours during the week.”

Tommy Fleetwood, the FedExCup champion who calls Dubai home, echoed those sentiments: “The ninth is arguably the toughest hole on the golf course. If you can get through that stretch from fifth to ninth, then you have the back nine in front of you, which is a nice thing at Majlis.”