It's time for one of the biggest amateur championships in the world.
The 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship begins Thursday (Wednesday in the United States) at Te Arai Links in New Zealand, which is hosting the championship for the first time. This is the 17th edition of the championship and the second time it has been held in New Zealand.
Fifa Laopakdee is the defending champion and is back to defend his title. There's a lot on the line for the winner, including exemptions into major championships in 2027.
Here's everything to know about the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur at Te Arai Links in New Zealand:
Asia-Pacific Amateur format
Competitors will play 72 holes of stroke play with a cut for the leading 60 players and ties after 36 holes. If there is a tie, a sudden-death playoff would determine the champion.
Asia-Pacific Amateur field
The field features 120 of the best amateurs from the Asia-Pacific region. Thirty-nine countries are represented in the field. New Zealand has the most of any country with nine players. Fifty-three players are making their debut while 67 are playing in their first AAC. Australia’s Harry Takis is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 21 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Te Arai Links course information
Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and established in 2022, Te Arai Links’s South Course is located 75 minutes from Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. Te Arai includes 16 ocean-view holes looking at the Pacific Ocean. Te Arai Links is also home to "The Playground," known as the largest putting green in the world. The South Course will host the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship for the first time and nine years after the Asia-Pacific Amateur was held at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
How to watch the Asia-Pacific Amateur 2026
All four days will be broadcast on ESPN in the United States from 9 p.m.-12 a.m. beginning Wednesday, Oct. 28.
What does the champion receive?
The champion will receive an invitation to the 2027 Masters at Augusta National and exemptions into the 155th Open Championship at St Andrews and 131st British Amateur at Royal Portrush.
Past Asia-Pacific Amateur champions
| Year | Champion | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Changwon Han (Korea) | Mission Hills G.C. (Shenzhen, China) |
| 2010 | Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) | Kasumigaseki C.C. (Kawagoe City, Japan) |
| 2011 | Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) | Singapore Island C.C. (Singapore) |
| 2012 | Tianlang Guan (China) | Amata Spring C.C. (Chonburi, Thailand) |
| 2013 | Changwoo Lee (Korea) | Nanshan International G.C. (Longkou City, China) |
| 2014 | Antonio Murdaca (Australia) | Royal Melbourne G.C. (Melbourne, Australia) |
| 2015 | Cheng Jin (China) | Clearwater Bay G. & C.C. (Hong Kong) |
| 2016 | Curtis Luck (Australia) | Jack Nicklaus G.C. (Incheon, South Korea) |
| 2017 | Yuxin Lin (China) | Royal Wellington G.C. (Wellington, New Zealand) |
| 2018 | Takumi Kanaya (Japan) | Sentosa G.C. (Singapore) |
| 2019 | Yuxin Lin (China) | Sheshan International G.C. (Shanghai, China) |
| 2021 | Keita Nakajima (Japan) | Dubai Creek G. & Y.C. (Dubai, UAE) |
| 2022 | Harrison Crowe (Australia) | Amata Spring C.C. (Chonburi, Thailand) |
| 2023 | Jasper Stubbs (Australia) | Royal Melbourne G.C. (Melbourne, Australia) |
| 2024 | Wenyi Ding (China) | Taiheiyo Club Gotemba (Gotemba, Japan) |
| 2025 | Fifa Laopakdee (Thailand) | Emirates G.C. (Dubai, UAE) |
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters invite on the line at 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur in New Zealand