Fifa Laopakdee salvages 71 for 2-shot lead in windy Asia-Pacific Amateur

Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand maintained his lead in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship with a 1-over 71 in challenging windy conditions. This performance gives him a two-stroke advantage heading into the weekend at Te Arai Links, following an impressive opening round of 8-under 63. Laopakdee faced difficulties early in his round, recording multiple bogeys before recovering with birdies on three holes later in the round.

The defending champion described the windy conditions as tricky, particularly noting issues with his putting. He expressed satisfaction with his overall performance over the first two rounds. Following Laopakdee on the leaderboard are three players from New Zealand, with Cooper Moore in second place at 5 under. Other notable players include Ryan Xie and Zack Swanwic, while Japan's Taishi Moto made headlines with a hole-in-one on the eighth hole. Seven players remain under par after two days of competition.