Saturday 25 / October / 2025
DUBAI: The future of golf was on full display at the Majlis Course of the Emirates Golf Club on Saturday as 16-year-old Taisei Nagasaki surged into a commanding five-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
His remarkable performance underscored the growing impact of teenage golfers at this year’s edition — a key objective for organisers striving to connect the sport with a younger generation.
Playing in his AAC debut, the Japanese youngster carded a superb seven-under 65 to move to 17 under overall, eclipsing the previous 54-hole scoring record of 14 under in the third round.
Nagasaki, who only turned 16 earlier this month, began the day one shot off the three-way lead but wasted no time seizing control, rolling in four birdies in his opening seven holes. Despite a bogey at the par-4 12th, he stormed home with four birdies on the back nine to open a comfortable cushion over his rivals.
“The good thing today was that I was able to get four birdies in the front nine,” said Nagasaki. “I didn’t play well at No. 12 but got one back at the next par 5, which also led to three consecutive birdies, so that was good. I wanted to put myself in a good position for tomorrow, and I’m happy with my score.”
A student at Tommy Nakajima’s Golf Academy, Nagasaki has long dreamed of competing at Augusta. His mentor Nakajima, a 48-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, famously finished in the top ten of all four majors — and the pair have made a pact to “go to the Masters together.”
The AAC winner earns an invitation to both the Masters and The Open, and Nagasaki is now within touching distance of following in the footsteps of Japanese greats Hideki Matsuyama (2010, 2011), Takumi Kanaya (2018), and Keita Nakajima (2021) — all former AAC champions who went on to shine on the global stage.
“Keita Nakajima won in Dubai [in 2021], so I want to follow in his footsteps,” said Nagasaki, who has previously represented Japan at the Toyota Junior World Cup and finished runner-up at the Japan Amateur Championship. “I will do my best to show my full potential and aim to win while having fun.”
As the teenage leader eyes history, a host of young challengers will be in pursuit on Sunday. Japan’s Rintaro Nakano sits second at 12 under, followed by Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee at 11 under and a trio tied at 10 under — Australians Billy Dowling and Harry Takis, and Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le.
Nakano, who finished third last year in Japan, remains within striking distance.
Japan’s Kanichiro Katano (T-8) also provided one of the day’s highlights with a hole-in-one at the 154-yard par-3 11th — the eighth ace in AAC history and the first of his career.
With young names dominating the leaderboard and the spotlight on a 16-year-old chasing history, this year’s championship is fulfilling its purpose — showcasing the next generation of golfing talent and inspiring teenagers across the region to dream big.
