Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship 2021, Dubai Creek Golf, 4-7 November
Keita Nakajima: Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion 2021
From #AAC2021 [Video above, 7/11/21]
Keita Nakajima became the third player from Japan to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), defeating Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho on the second hole of a thrilling playoff on Saturday at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.
The No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking ® (WAGR®) shot a three-under-par 68 in the final round to catch up with Kho, who fired a 64 in the third round followed by a 65 to finish on 14 under par.
The two players headed back to the 18th hole, which was parred in the first attempt. Kho then found the water with his second from the right fairway bunker playing it a second time.
Nakajima hit a superb drive, followed by a second to 20 feet. He rolled that in to seal the victory with a birdie.
It was the second consecutive playoff in AAC history, following the two extra holes played by Yuxin Lin and Takumi Kanaya in the 2019 championship in Shanghai.
With his win, the 21-year-old Nakajima receives an invitation to the Masters Tournament in 2022, thus making his dream of playing a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club with the reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama come true, as well as an exemption into The 150th Open at St Andrews.
Australian Andre Lautee finished in the top ten at the AAC 2021, 7-under par, T7
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