Japanese prodigy Taisei Nagasaki produced a breathtaking third round at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) on Saturday, firing a seven-under-par 65 to seize a commanding five-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round.

The 16-year-old, who has impressed spectators all week with his composure and precision, tops the leaderboard at 17-under 199, putting himself on the brink of history in one of amateur golf's most prestigious tournaments.

Nagasaki followed up two earlier rounds of 67 with another clinical display at the Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course. Japan's Rintaro Nakano, last year's third-place finisher, sits second at 12-under-par (67, 66, 71), while Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee is one shot further back in third on 11-under (66, 69, 70).

Ahmad Skaik continues to fly the flag for the UAE and the wider Middle East, carding rounds of 68, 72, and 70 to sit at six-under-par (210). Fellow Emirati Sam Mullane holds 20th place after a steady 71, while Rayan Ahmed battled to a 72 to sit tied for 37th.

Nagasaki began the day one back in a three-way tie for the lead but quickly separated himself with birdies on four of his first seven holes. Despite a bogey at the par-4 12th, he finished strong with four more birdies for the best score of the week. His 54-hole total surpasses the previous tournament record of 14-under.

Earlier this year, Nagasaki earned co-medalist honors at the Toyota Junior World Cup and finished runner-up at the Japan Amateur Championship. A student at Tommy Nakajima's Academy, he revealed that he and Nakajima have made a promise to“go to the Masters together.” Nakajima, a legend of the Japan Golf Tour, won 48 times and posted top-10 finishes in all four majors during his illustrious career.

Drawing inspiration from past champions, Nagasaki said he looked up to 2021 winner Keita Nakajima, who triumphed in Dubai.

“Keita Nakajima won in Dubai [in 2021], so I want to follow in his footsteps,” said Nagasaki, who also referenced the Asia-Pacific Amateur as the event he most wanted to play after joining the Japan National Team.“I will do my best to show my full potential and aim to win while having fun.”

Meanwhile, Ahmad Skaik continued his strong showing, picking up his first birdie of the day at the 2nd before reeling off ten successive pars under humid desert conditions and the strongest breeze of the week. Back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 briefly lifted the 28-year-old into the top seven, though bogeys on 15 and 16 halted his momentum. He bounced back immediately, nearly driving the green at 17 before converting another birdie and closing with a steady par at the 18th.

Skaik said after his round:“I didn't have the best finishes before (at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship), missing cuts. So, to make the cut gives me confidence.

"My goal here was to win. But you've still got to perform and top 12 is pretty good,” he added.“The level is really high, and these guys are great golfers. So, it's good to play, for example, playing with Thailand's TK (Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat), an Asian Tour winner, to watch him, and he said that I'm good enough to turn pro. If he's saying that, then I've got the game.”

Seventeen-year-old Geoffrey Laklak, who made history as the first Lebanese player to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, backed it up with an impressive 70 to sit tied for 20th.

Salem Alabdallat, the 13-year-old representing Jordan, continued his remarkable week with rounds of 73, 70, and 75 for a total of 218, tied for 32nd.

The championship also welcomed a group of Emirates Golf Federation (EGF)“Future Falcons”, who were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the tournament. They witnessed the week's first hole-in-one, made by Japan's Kanichiro Katano on the 170-yard 11th hole while playing alongside Skaik.

The winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur will receive an invitation to the Masters Tournament and an exemption into The Open, with the runner(s)-up earning a spot in The Open Qualifying Series. The top three finishers also gain entry into The Amateur Championship.

Tee times for the final round begin at 9:00 a.m., with the leaders set to go off at 11:01 a.m. in a two-tee start. For more information, visit .

Leading Third-Round Scores
(7,289 yards, Par 72 – 62 players made the 36-hole cut)

• T. Nagasaki (Japan) – 67, 67, 65 - 199

• R. Nakano (Japan) – 67, 66, 71 - 204

• F. Laopakdee (Thailand) – 66, 69, 70 - 205

• B. Dowling (Australia) – 66, 72, 68 - 206

• K. H. Le (Vietnam) – 66, 67, 73 - 206

• H. Takis (Australia) – 67, 66, 73 - 206

Other Notables:

• A. Skaik (UAE) – 68, 72, 70 - 210

• S. Mullane (UAE) – 67, 76, 71 - 214

• G. Laklak (Lebanon) – 73, 71, 70 - 214

• S. Alabdallat (Jordan) – 73, 70, 75 - 218

• R. Ahmed (UAE) – 72, 75, 72 - 219

• S. Alkaabi (Qatar) – 74, 75, 72 - 221

• A. Al Shahrani (Qatar) – 75, 71, 78 - 224

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