TOMARATA, New Zealand \u2014 Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand became the second player to win back-to-back in the Asia-Pacific Amateur with another Sunday comeback, this time without having to win in a playoff. He closed with a 1-under 70 for a three-shot victory.<\/p>\n
That sends Laopakdee back to Augusta National in April for the Masters<\/a>, along with a return trip to The Open next summer at St. Andrews.<\/p>\n The 21-year-old Thai said he exchanged phone numbers at the last Masters with Justin Rose, who promised him a practice round if Laopakdee made it back.<\/p>\n \u201cRosey, see you at a practice round for the Masters,\u201d Laopakdee said with a wide smile.<\/p>\n Laopakdee, three shots behind with 10 holes to play at Te Arai Links, flipped the script in one hole when he hit his approach just over the false front to 7 feet for a birdie on No. 11, and Zack Swanwick of New Zealand shockingly took a triple bogey.<\/p>\n That four-shot swing took Laopakdee form a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead, and the Arizona State senior didn\u2019t give Swanwick much of a chance to catch him.<\/p>\n Laopakdee effectively ended it with a wedge to 4 feet on the par-3 17th for one final birdie, stretching his lead to four shots. Swanwick, who began the final round with a two-shot lead over Laopakdee and Cooper Moore, didn\u2019t make a birdie until the par-5 closing hole. He shot 75.<\/p>\n Laopakdee joined Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to win consecutive years since the Asia-Pacific Amateur began in 2009.<\/p>\n He repeatedly shook his fists when he tapped in for par on the 18th to finish at 6-under 278 at the wind-blown seaside course about an hour north of Auckland.<\/p>\n