Dubai: The Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A Thursday announced that the 13th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) will be played at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand from October 27-30, 2022.
The 12th edition of the tournament, hosted by the Emirates Golf Federation, was held in November 2021 at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club and was won by Keita Nakajima (Japan).
In 2018, Dubai golfer Rayhan Thomas (Ind) finished tied second, two shots back of champion Takumi Kanaya (Japan), in the 10th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, with rounds of 74, 64, 65 and 66 to finish 11 under-par.
The AAC will return to Amata Spring Country Club a decade after the fourth edition of the championship was hosted there in 2012. Created in 2009, the AAC was established to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2023 Masters tournament and The 151st Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
‘‘We look forward to bringing the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship back to Amata Spring Country Club and gathering the region’s top players at this exceptional venue once again,’’ said Taimur Amin, Chairman of the APGC, Fred Ridley, Chairman of the Masters Tournament, and Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, in a joint statement.
‘‘This year will be a special opportunity to build on the growth we’ve seen in amateur golf over the last 10 years since the event was last held in Thailand. We are grateful to our hosts in the region as we work together to promote the game’s development and provide pathways for talented amateurs across the Asia-Pacific.’
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the AAC and Cameron Smith, who won The Players in March and is currently the fourth ranked player in the world. Collectively, AAC alumni have gone on to win 21 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date.
