Invitations to compete in the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship were sent last month and 116 players to date have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 23-26, 2025, at Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A full list of confirmed players can be found here.
Singapore’s challenge will be carried by Justin Kuk, 24, and Troy Storm, 16, who will both make their second appearances in the region’s premier men’s amateur Championship. Kuk finished tied 33rd in 2021 at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club while Storm missed the cut at Taiheiyo Club in Gotemba, Japan last year.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The champion will receive an invitation to the 2026 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 154th Open; the runner(s)-up will receive an exemption into The Open Qualifying Series; the top-three finishers will receive an exemption into The 131st Amateur Championship.
“I’m excited to be able to play in the Asia-Pacific Amateur again,” said Kuk. “I enjoyed Dubai as a whole when I played in 2021 and I’m looking forward to a fantastic competition on a pristine golf course like the Emirates Golf Club. It’s always been a dream for myself and many players to play in a major. Being able to have this opportunity by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur would be very motivating for myself.”
Kuk completed his National Service last year, which saw him resume his golf journey after a pause. A psychology student, he plans to turn professional in the near future but hopes to stamp his mark on the Asia-Pacific Amateur which Singapore’s best result was a tied fifth finish by James Leow in 2019 at Sheshan International Golf Club in China.
“The Asia-Pacific Amateur is definitely one tournament that I have in mind at the start of the season. I consider it as the biggest Asia-Pacific tournament, so to be able to play against the best players is truly a blessing,” he said.
Teenager Storm, whose golf idol is Tiger Woods, is motivated to give his best in Dubai due to the event’s importance. “The Asia-Pacific Amateur is the pinnacle of amateur golf in the region. It provides a platform for players like me to test ourselves against the very best, gain international exposure and take important steps toward our professional aspirations. The tournament has already produced so many great champions and it continues to inspire,” he said.
“Last year, the experience was incredible, and I’m looking forward to competing against some of the best amateurs in the region again. Playing in Dubai will be super special as it will be held at a great golf course with lots of history,” said Storm, a Grade 10 student.
With the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion earning the opportunity to compete in the Masters and The Open, Storm, like every aspiring amateur golfer, cannot help but dream of playing his way onto two of the game’s biggest stages one day.
“Competing in majors is every golfer’s dream, so going into the week with the opportunity is incredible and something to cherish. Knowing what’s at stake is definitely a big motivation for my preparation,” he said.
“My first Asia-Pacific Amateur showed me how good the players are and it motivated me to continue to work hard. It gave me a valuable experience in managing my game on a big stage which has helped me grow as a player.”
Players from 42 APGC member organizations have accepted invitations with 116 players confirmed thus far for the 120-player field. The field is highlighted by Harry Takis of Australia, 2024 runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China, Kent Hsiao of Chinese Taipei, Jeffrey Shen of Hong Kong, China, Rayhan Latief of Indonesia, Taisei Nagasaki, Taishi Moto and Rintaro Nakano of Japan, and Fifa Laopakdee, Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat and Chanachon Chokprajakchat of Thailand. Representatives from four countries have claimed titles at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, including China with five victories, Australia and Japan with four each and the Republic of Korea with two.
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 15-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, 2018 champion Takumi Kanaya and 2021 champion Keita Nakajima of Japan, Smith, Cameron Davis and Min Woo Lee of Australia, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the Republic of Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 33 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 140 events across major professional tours.
As the host nation, the United Arab Emirates are projected to have five representatives in the field led by 17-year-old Abdulla Kalbat and five-time participant Ahmad Skaik.
Designed by Karl Litten and established in 1988 as the first grass course in the Middle East, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course is located south of downtown Dubai and enjoys views of the city’s skyline. The Majlis Course annually serves as the host of the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, an event won by the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els, the latter of which owns the course record of 61. Australia’s Lucas Herbert won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2020 to become the first alum to win the event five years after his final appearance at the Asia-Pacific Amateur. Emirates Golf Club will host the Asia-Pacific Amateur for the first time.