JAKARTA: Indonesia’s top-ranked amateurs Randy Bintang and Rayhan Latief will spearhead a six-man team to the 17th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai Links’ South Course in New Zealand from October 29 – November 1, 2026, with the ambition to challenge for the nation’s first title in the prestigious Championship.
Kenneth Sutianto, William Wijaya, Jayawardana Dornan and Asa Najib Bhakti will complete the Indonesian lineup at the Championship, which was launched in 2009 by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the region.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur champion will receive an invitation to the 2027 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 155th Open.
The best finish by an Indonesian player in the Championship’s history was George Gandranata, who finished T17 in 2011 in Singapore, before Rayhan, a sophomore at the University of North Texas, matched the achievement in Dubai last year in his fourth start in the Asia-Pacific Amateur.
“This tournament is very important to me,” said the 19-year-old Rayhan. “It’s an annual tournament that I really prioritise every year because of how special the opportunity is. If you win, you get the chance to play in two major championships, so that’s definitely one of the reasons why it means so much.”
The Indonesian challengers will no doubt head to New Zealand with the desire to contend for the Asia-Pacific Amateur title at Te Arai Links, a stunning links-style venue which consistently ranks in the top 100 courses in the world and features 16 ocean-view holes looking directly at the Pacific Ocean.
Rayhan believes an Indonesian breakthrough would do wonders for the game in his native country.
“It would definitely mean a lot to Indonesian golf. I think it could help make the golf industry in Indonesia even bigger and encourage more people to get into golf,” he said.
“I also think it could create a new Indonesian role model or a new Indonesian star who can inspire the next generation to play golf. So whether it’s me or another Indonesian player, I think winning the AAC would be a huge moment for Indonesian golf and it could have a really positive impact on the future of the sport in Indonesia.”
Randy, 22, holds a career-best finish of T19 achieved in Japan in 2024, the year when he emerged as the first-round leader. This year will be his fifth successive appearance in the region’s premier amateur Championship.
“I’m very excited for New Zealand especially at Te Arai Links where it will be challenging playing at a links course,” said Randy. “I’m going to try to give every effort and my goal is to win the tournament. It is a matter of time because of young and talented golfers in Indonesia are progressing very fast and I hope if it wasn’t me, someone else can win it and make our country proud.”
The 18-year-old Kenneth has made three starts previously, with a best of T53 last year, and he hopes to keep making progress with another strong showing. “It’s on my top list every year. All the best players in Asia-Pacific will be in this tournament and my goal will be top-20 this year,” said Kenneth, who holds nine World Amateur Golf Ranking event wins, including five junior titles this year.
“Hopefully I can get my A-game at Te Arai Links. Nothing is impossible for those who want to work hard and smart. If an Indonesian wins the AAC, it will be very good news for the golf industry in Indonesia.”
William, 17, missed the halfway cut in his lone appearance to date in 2024 but is determined to shine at Te Arai Links after being part of a select group who participated in the AAC Academy at the venue earlie this year.
“Being part of the group who attended the AAC Academy is such a privilege and honour,” said the high school student.
“The experience I had, playing the golf course and having multiple sessions with different coaches definitely improved my knowledge of the game. Being able to have a sneak peek of the golf course is such an advantage, not to mention the advice given by the coaches to help me navigate the course.”
A total of 117 players from 40 APGC member organisations to date have been confirmed for the 120-man field at the Championship.
The field is highlighted by eight players inside the top 60 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Harry Takis of Australia (No. 17), Zackary Swanwick of New Zealand (No. 19), reigning champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand (No. 29), Nguyen Anh Minh of Vietnam (No. 30), Josh Duangmanee of Thailand (No. 40), 2024 runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China (No. 46), Taishi Moto of Japan (No. 49) and Jaden Dumdumaya of the Philippines (No. 51). Representatives from five countries have claimed titles at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, including China (five), Australia (four), Japan (four), the Republic of Korea (two) and Thailand (one).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and 2026 Open champion Ryan Fox. Over the Championship’s 16-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 Fox, the Republic of Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan.
