Kayun Mudadana takes third at 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship

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Australia’s Kayun Mudadana flashed home in the final round to finish third at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai in New Zealand as Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee successfully defended his title.

After starting Sunday nine shots behind leader Zack Swanwick (NZ), Mudadana returned a 4-under-par 67, the second lowest round on Sunday, to end up four shots behind Laopakdee who closed with a 70 to end the tournament at 6-under.

He became the first back-to-back AAC winner since Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in 2010-11 and earns return trips to the Masters and The Open in 2027.

The decisive moment of the final round on the South Course came at the par-4 11th where the defending champion seized the lead with a four-shot swing, making a birdie putt after Swanwick (75) stumbled to a triple-bogey.

Mudadana reduced his gap to the lead to just five shots when he made the turn in 3-under-par with birdies at the second, third and seventh holes

A birdie at the par-4 10th made the difference four and it was back to just two when Swanwick took a bunker shot and two chips beside the green at the 11th, eventually making a triple-bogey that handed top spot to Laopakdee.

“I knew it must be pretty close once the cameras started coming out,” the No.2 ranked Australian said. 

However, Mudadana’s charge was slowed by his first bogey in 28 holes when he three-putted the par-4 15th hole and he had to wait until the par-5 18th for his next birdie.

“Got off to a good start but just had a few putts miss on back nine.  Fell a couple short,” he said.

Mudadana’s third-place finish represented an improvement of 18 positions on his AAC debut in Dubai 12 months ago.

Australian No.1 Harry Takis, who was fourth 12 months ago, wasn’t able to find the fast start he wanted on Sunday and eventually finished in a tie for sixth after a final round of 72 left him at 1-over for the tournament.

Tasmania’s Jonty Lunson (71) claimed eighth at 2-over, while Harrison Gomez birdied three of his final six holes to card 72 to end his debut appearance in a tie for 16th at 7-over.

Fellow Queenslander Wesley Hinton produced his best round for the week on Sunday, tallying up 17 pars and a birdie to shoot 1-under-par 70 and finish T35 at 12-over.

NSW’s Sam Cascio (76) at 21-over and in a share of 48th rounded out the Australians who made the cut.

Next year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be held in Vietnam.

 

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