Asia Pacific Amateur Championship – Fergus Bisset's Favourite Memories

I can’t quite believe it was 15 years ago that I flew halfway across the top of the world to watch Hideki Matsuyama win the second instalment of the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC). A great deal has happened in that time.

My dog died for a start. Don’t worry too much though, I have a new one. Anchoring of the putter was banned. That didn’t affect me really as I didn’t do it. We painted our house a sort of greenish/blue colour. Some people don’t like it, but I do. And lots of other stuff happened that has been well documented.

I am very lucky to have been invited to cover the AAC five times over the last 15 years and I have some incredible memories from those championships.

I have witnessed the tournament evolve and grow and I’ve seen the incredible impact it has had on golf in this region and around the world. That impact has not only been at an elite level but also right down to the grass roots.

Participation in emerging territories has significantly increased in the last decade and that is, in no small part down to the AAC and the other elite amateur events that followed its blueprint.

I was reminiscing on attending past events last night over dinner and I thought I would put my memories down on paper, well, on screen at least. I’m feeling wistful but not enough to get out my scroll and quill.

2010 – Kasumigaseki Golf Club, Japan

It was my first AAC and my first time in Japan. I would like to say I am now, “big in Japan,” but that would be a lie.

I was a little green around the gills and, must confess, slightly intimidated to be travelling for work to such a far-flung destination, all on my little lonesome.

But I didn’t have time for nerves. Immediately upon arriving at my hotel, after 15 hours of flying, my phone rang. “Can you be at the club in half an hour?”

Yes, I could. Although I hadn’t washed or shaved, and I was really rather tired. “Why do you need me?”

“Because we want you to chair round-table interviews with R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson and Augusta Chairman Billy Payne.”

Talk about an AAC baptism of fire! Well, I think I just about muddled through and both men were extremely generous and neither mentioned my 5 o’clock shadow and crumpled jumper.

It was an incredible experience all round. From a golfing perspective, I saw a new star emerge. The 18-year-old Hideki Matsuyama outclassed the field and thrilled the home crowds – which were sizeable.

There have only been a few times in my career that I’ve witnessed a young player and been convinced they would do great things. Firstly, when I saw Rory at Carnoustie in 2007, then Hideki at Kasumigaseki, later Joaquin Niemann at the Latin America Amateur in 2018, Santiago.

Other stand out memories from the trip to Japan were – flying over the vast whiteness of Siberia. Being caught in a giant spiderweb in the trees off one fairway and having a close encounter with its owner. Also, my very small hotel room in Kawagoe City – A Tokyo commuter town.

It was an interesting place. Not somewhere tourists visit so it was challenging to find the right places to go. On my first night, I went into a restaurant and had no idea what the menu said. I pointed at something, and the waiter laughed and shook his head. They very kindly brought me a steak and a beer.

I then made friends with my fellow journos, and they helped me out – There was a spot called Beerosaurus which was right up my street!

2018 Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

I had quite a break between my first and second AAC trips and I was delighted to return to the beautiful Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore in 2018 where I remember being very sweaty for most of the week. It’s a humid place, that’s for sure.

It was another Japanese player who triumphed that year – Takumi Kanaya. He’s another graduate of the AAC who has gone on to enjoy professional success. In fact, he’s won nine times as a pro.

There was an incredible stat in the founders’ press conference yesterday – No fewer than 160 professional tournaments have been won by AAC graduates since this event was established. That’s amazing.

My abiding memories of Singapore, off the golf course, come from the amazing city views at night. We went on a boat ride around the waterways and historic shore lines. We went up to the terrace of the Marina Bay Sands hotel where none other than Tom Watson was speaking. I know… Crazy!

We also went to Raffles and drank Singapore Slings and ate monkey nuts. The whole nine yards!

Singapore is far too classy a place for me. As a fellow golf journo once said of us, “We are the most underpaid yet overprivileged people on the planet.” That about sums it up.

2019 – Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China

Another first for me – a trip to China! It wasn’t the most straightforward to organise.

I have a reputation with the team from The R&A for always making a meal of my journeys to either the AAC or LAAC… It once took me 53 hours to get to Puerto Rico… None of it was my fault!

What was very nearly my fault was when I came far too close to missing a flight from Madrid to Santiago, Chile. I was sitting patiently in Madrid for the Santiago flight to board, and I played it cool, waiting to get on last. When I went up, I was told – “Sir, you are not on this Santiago flight. You’re on the Iberia Santiago flight that is closing at gate 7!”

Cue a mad dash across the airport, met halfway by a very flustered Iberia staff member who gave me a telling off like I was a naughty child. Bad Fergus.

Anyway, it wasn’t the journey that was tricky on this occasion. It was getting the right paperwork. Obtaining a visa to go to China required me to provide more information about myself than I actually knew. I had to do some research – it was rather enlightening.

Even then though, I wasn’t sure I had the right visa. I spent much of the week in Shanghai expecting to be turfed out.

Thankfully I wasn’t and Shanghai was incredible.

The tournament was a thriller with Yuxin Lin securing a memorable home victory. He won a playoff over defending champ Takumi Kanaya.

Sheshan is a fabulous course and it was in immaculate condition. It was hosting the WGC HSBC Champions tournament the following month and was set up for it… Spectacular stuff.

Off the course, there was another rooftop soiree. Rooftop bars are a theme of both the AAC and LAAC. Nobody has fallen off yet!

We were also treated to an incredible (massive) tuna that a club member had flown in from Tokyo at, apparently, extreme expense, (see picture of it above). A master chef carved it in front of us in the most impressive fashion and it was simply delicious.

2023 Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Australia

I bought a new jumper at Royal Melbourne. I had to fork out for it as it was quite a bit cooler than I had expected. I was a bit miffed at first, but eventually got over it and now wear it with pride.

Royal Melbourne is one of the very best golf courses I have been to, and I was fortunate enough to play it on the Monday after the tournament.

I think it would be fair on golf to say; I didn’t do it justice. Set up for tournament play, it was just too tough for me. The greens were firm and fast, and my short game is soft and slow.

The tournament was another cracker with local favourite Jasper Stubbs coming out on top after a three-way playoff. As I write this, I realise that three of the four AACs I’ve previously attended have been won by home stars… How are the UAE players getting on out there?

Melbourne is a great city and we stayed right in the centre. It’s a bustling and lively, sporting metropolis and I think the memory that stands out for me was our visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

We were given a tour and were even allowed to walk out onto the hallowed turf. It’s an inspiring place that can seat over 90,000.

Almost equally as inspiring was when, after our tour and an incredible dinner in the MCG committee room surrounded by paintings of the greats of Australian cricket, I stood up and recited a poem I had just written about golf. Another first apparently.

2025 Emirates GC, Dubai

TBC.