Bryson DeChambeau goes podding, Andrew Novak delivers stellar putting performance

There are now two. In this weekend’s playing of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Fifa Laopakdee became the second player in history to successfully defend his crown as he usurped New Zealander Zack Swanwick in the final round at Te Arai Links’ South Course in New Zealand, one year after winning the title in Dubai.

Laopakdee joins Hideki Matsuyama as the only players to win back-to-back Asia-Pacific Amateurs, and perhaps poetically, he will return to Augusta National for the 2027 Masters as the victory comes with a tee time in the year’s first major championship. The senior at Arizona State also earned a spot in The Open at St. Andrews. 

“That feels amazing to join the club,” Laopakdee said. “Hideki has played a huge part in golf for Japan and also Asia. Being able to win back‑to‑back like him is a huge honor. He’s a great player. I hope to follow in his footsteps.” 

Despite Laopakdee’s fast start to his title defense (opening 63 in tough conditions), all eyes were on Swanwick heading into the final round. New Zealand’s own commanded a two-stroke lead with 18 holes to play and remained on top by the same margin heading into the par-4 11th, where the championship turned on its head.

Swanwick pulled his approach into the green left and found a menacingly deep greenside bunker. He threw his third a hair too long and watched as his ball gained distance from his position. The Florida Gators star carded a triple bogey (his only double bogey or worse of the week), while the defending champion snuck in his birdie bid to go from two behind to two ahead.

Laopakdee ultimately claimed the title by three strokes at 6 under over Swanwick as a birdie on the devilish par-3 17th allowed the man from Thailand to breathe coming down the finisher. While Laopakdee’s name is once again etched into history, another winner from the week must be the golf course itself.

The Coore and Crenshaw design jumped off the screen and gave players all they could handle, proving once again that the closer championship conditions mimic that of links golf, the better. When variables such as turf conditions and wind direction must be weighed on every shot, not every golfer in the field can lift their game to the moment, leaving only the strongest to duke it out.

Amateurs in the 2027 Masters field

Bryson goes on a podcast challenge

Bryson DeChambeau just surpassed 3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Of his last five videos, one features the Amish, and another features sports media personality Stephen A. Smith. It is a video not on his channel, though, that is piquing the curiosity of professional golf fans.

The two-time U.S. Open champion recently appeared on “Figuring Out with Raj Shamani,” one of India’s most popular (and sometimes controversial) podcasts about … something … it seems. The episode spans 2.5 hours, and although I am against consuming content at 2x speed, there was so much word salad to digest that I had no other option. 

The conversation ranges from his childhood to the present day; the topic of LIV Golf is brought up but not fully explored. DeChambeau applauded the EBITDA of the Crushers and provided his thoughts on the future of the league.

“The business model makes a lot of sense,” DeChambeau said of LIV Golf 2.0. “And we’re actually working through that right now for this new model where it will make full financial sense. It’s no funny business, no nothing. It’s going to be done right. And this is going to be a league, hopefully, that exists forever. It’s not combative. We’re not trying to compete against the [PGA Tour]. We want to be accretive. We want to bring value to anywhere and everywhere in the golf market across the world. 

“And so, you know, that whole LIV situation was great. We had to get upfront payment because we had no real governance, you know? If we knew, like, they were going to control how this thing was run, like we had to get paid, you know. And so we did. And then this time around, it’s more the opposite. We’re not really getting paid, but we do have the governance, you know, control.”

Here are some fun facts about DeChambeau from the conversation:

• Won his first tournament at 9 years old, and the community believed he cheated
• Played “The Sims” growing up and described it as a self-help game 
• Started to question his equipment at 15 years old
• Lost 24 pounds in 30 days after his mass gain era
• Scratched his cornea when he ran into the rope

Novak, no diamonds

Andrew Novak claimed his first individual PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Mexico Open, where he waltzed through the finish line and converted his six-stroke lead at the 54-hole mark into a victory. Novak set the tournament scoring record, the largest margin of victory in tournament history and his personal best 72-hole score on the PGA Tour with his 25-under total, which was good for a five-stroke win over Steven Fisk and Kris Ventura.

Since the PGA Tour announced its eligibility criteria for the 2028 season, we have been explaining how wins like this accomplish so much for players like Novak. Yes, the 31-year-old jumps to No. 53 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings after entering the week at No. 89, but more importantly, he secures a spot in the Championship Series when the PGA Tour’s format changes in 2028.

Of the four winners this fall, Novak is the only one without multiple years locked up on the Championship Series, as players have been able to effectively stack exemptions with trophies. Austin Smotherman and Michael Brennan are exempt through 2029, while Jacob Bridgeman is exempt through 2030. Feels like a good opportunity some aren’t taking advantage of!

Novak was nails for most of the week, particularly on the greens where he was on pace for a record performance, according to Rick Gehman. Through three rounds, he gained more than 12 strokes with the putter — a blade putter, mind you, so us ethical hoopers can rejoice — but with golf being golf, he fell back down to earth in the final round. Novak lost four strokes on the greens on Sunday en route to his closing 69.