Randy Bintang scored an eagle from the bunker amidst unfriendly weather conditions during the 2026 AAC tournament.

Indonesian Golfer Randy Bintang delivered one of the standout moments of the first round at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC). Battling heavy winds and rain at Te Arai Links in Auckland, New Zealand, Randy pulled off a spectacular eagle shot directly from a bunker.

This play occurred on the par-5 7th hole. Randy's bunker strike bounced once on the green before dropping straight into the cup. The moment became the talk of the day amid brutal course conditions that challenged every competitor.

"That shot was out of the bunker, playing directly into the wind. It bounced once then just went in," Randy stated on Thursday, 29 October 2026.

Despite this highlight-reel shot, Randy was not able to fully master the challenges across the entire opening round. He finished his round with a score of 73, two strokes over par.

This result places him among the top performing Indonesian golfers, alongside Rayhan Latief who posted an identical score.

Appearing for the fifth time at Asia-Pacific's most prestigious amateur championship, Randy had to contend with strong winds blowing in off the Pacific Ocean. Rain also swept across the course three separate times during play.

"The wind has been blowing hard since early this morning. We got caught in rain three times as well, we were just trying to put together the best round we could. I played at Royal Melbourne back in 2023, but I have never faced conditions like this," Randy explained in an official AAC press statement Friday.

Randy did manage to card one eagle and two birdies during his round. However, six bogeys meant he ended the opening round sitting two over par.

The severe wind force even forced him to adjust his club selection to compensate for wind direction and power. On the 150-yard 8th hole, playing directly into the headwind, Randy elected to use a 5-iron.

"Take the 8th hole for example, it was a headwind, around 150 yards and I pulled a 5-iron. It was absolutely brutal," he added.

Aside from the weather conditions, Randy identified Putting accuracy as the key area he needs to improve.

Strong gusts made ball roll lines on the greens completely unpredictable. Fixing this part of his game will be the critical priority ahead of the upcoming rounds.

Rayhan Latief Matches Randy's Score

Rayhan Latief was the other Indonesian representative to post a leading first round score. He also finished on 73, two over par, after recording five birdies and seven bogeys.

Meanwhile, the four remaining Indonesian golfers face an uphill battle to improve their positions.

Jayawardana Dornan carded a 76, while Kenneth Sutianto finished on 83. Asa Najib Bhakti and William Justin Wijaya closed the first round with scores of 85 and 86 respectively.

All players now head into the second round fighting to stay inside the cut line. Course conditions and weather will again remain the deciding factors as competition progresses towards the final two rounds.

Defending Champion Tops Leaderboard

At the top of the Standings, defending champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand demonstrated his class. He shot an 8-under par 63 to take the early tournament lead.

Fifa holds a three stroke advantage over local player Joshua Bai, who sits second on 66. Fellow New Zealand golfers Ryan Xie and Cooper Moore share third place, both having carded rounds of 67.

The 17th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is the marquee event for elite amateur golfers across the Asia-Pacific region.

More than just the championship title is on the line: the tournament winner earns invitations to compete at two major championships, The Masters and The Open Championship.

For Randy and the entire Indonesian squad, the opening round made clear just how tough the test at Te Arai Links will be.

That bunker eagle was a special highlight, but consistent play over the full round will determine how far they can advance in this prestigious tournament.