AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand maintained his lead after the second round of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai Links in New Zealand on Friday, carding a one-over 72 to reach seven under par for a 36-hole total of 135, two strokes clear of the field.
Five of the seven Chinese golfers competing in the tournament made the cut, with Wu Qiyou leading the Chinese contingent in a tie for sixth.
The 72-hole stroke-play tournament features a cut after 36 holes, with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final two rounds. After Friday's second round, the cut fell at 155, or 13 over par, with 62 players qualifying for the next round.
Laopakdee, who secured Thailand's first AAC title last year, started his second round from the 10th tee on Friday morning. He was two under par through his first nine holes, but faced tougher conditions as the wind picked up after the turn. He eventually signed for a one-over-par 72.
"As you can see it's a little windy," said Laopakdee, 21. "Overall, it was a grind out there for me. Had a great front nine, shot two under par, then back nine, just didn't make any putts. Got two 3-putts and then coming down the stretch had a great chance of birdies but I just missed all of them. But if you ask me all week, I would take seven under for the first two rounds, and I think I'm in good position for the weekend."
Wu sits in a tie for sixth after two rounds, six strokes behind Laopakdee. He carded six birdies and seven bogeys on Friday to finish one over par for the round.
"There's been a lot of mistakes, and that's something I can work on over the next two rounds. In these windy conditions, the wind has a big impact on the putting line. It's important to get used to the tougher conditions and try to avoid taking more than two putts on each green," Wu said.
Chinese golfers Li Zhi, Zhou Ziqin, Hou Zenghao and Wang Yixiang also made the cut, while Cui Jingguo and Liu Yiming missed out on the final two rounds.
The 17th edition of the championship runs from October 29 to November 1 on Te Arai Links' South Course, with 120 players from 39 countries and regions competing in the 72-hole stroke-play event.
The winner will earn invitations to the 2027 Masters Tournament, the 155th Open Championship and the 132nd Amateur Championship. ■
