Malaysian players Farez Azihan, Anson Yeo, Hariz Hezri and Joshua Lim give a thumbs up on the No. 13 hole during a practice round ahead of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship being played at the Emirates Golf Club Majlis Course in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday 21 October 2025. Photograph by AAC
Buoyed by winning form, Malaysia’s Zubair Firdaus will take aim at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship starting on Thursday ready to challenge the region’s best with a fresh boost of confidence.
The 23-year-old, who recently graduated from San Jose University where he was in the golf team, triumphed at the Bahrain Amateur Open two weeks ago, overcoming a five-stroke deficit to win by two shots.
The success comes at an opportune time as he is part of a seven-strong Malaysian team challenging for honours at the Emirates Golf Club, where the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion will earn coveted spots to play in next year’s Masters and The Open.
“Golf is a lot to do with confidence and momentum,” said Zubair. “It’s very important. if you can keep this going, things just fall your way easier. I think it’s good coming into the week being very hot. I feel great about that. Ball-striking and putting worked well (in Bahrain), which are two huge keys here. I’m looking for a great week.”
He will make his fourth successive appearance in the region’s premier amateur Championship – his best finish was T32 in 2022 – alongside fellow Malaysians Anson Yeo, Zia Iqmal Abdul Rashid, Hariz Hezri, Maverick Chua, Farez Azihan and Joshua Lim. Zubair, however, believes he is now a different golfer than the first time he first teed up in the Asia-Pacific Amateur.
A trip to Dubai this week also feels like a happy homecoming as Zubair lived in the cosmopolitan city famed for its stunning skyline in the United Arab Emirates for eight years from the age of six due to his father’s work.
“I think it’s a great golf course. You need a lot of good tee balls and keep it on the fairways and give yourself opportunities to make birdies. I think that’s the key here,” said Zubair, whose win in Bahrain earned him an invitation to the DP World Tour’s Bahrain Championship in January.
“I grew up playing on this golf course, so I’m used to this wind style. You need to shape your shots and keep it under the wind, which I’m quite comfortable with this kind of golf.”
Spending four years in the U.S. Collegiate golf system, where he won the Alister Mackenzie Invitational in California last year, has made Zubair a more accomplished competitor and it’s not all purely on how he is striking the golf ball these days. It has everything to do between the six inches between his ears too.
“I feel I’ve improved a lot. Definitely more controlled with my emotions. I feel I’m calm on the golf course and a lot more composed. I play within myself,” he said. “The U.S. was very good for me. U.S. college golf is very competitive. When you’re out there, everyone is elite, so you just rise up to the level of the environment.”
While no Malaysian has won the Asia-Pacific Amateur since the event’s inauguration in 2009, Zubair hopes to change the narrative with a strong run but he won’t be blinded by the prized trophy and major rewards that come on Sunday
“I don’t think it changes anything. It’s still golf, I’m still hitting the same shots that I know how to hit. A clear mental space will allow me to play well, that’s what I hope to do. I need to stay in the present for sure. With all the advertising boards, the media, it’s easy to get caught up. It’s just golf, and I know how to play and I’ll do that,” he said.
This will also be Anson Yeo’s fourth straight appearance in the Championship and the 19-year-old from Kuching is ready for the big test in Dubai. He made the cut in every appearance, with a best of 29th position in 2022.
“The golf course is challenging, it’s pretty long and the winds pick up in the afternoon. You need to have a game plan, hit fairways and good irons into the greens. I’m proud to represent Malaysia again. I will try my best and improve on my previous position,” said Yeo, who is the highest ranked Malaysian in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at No. 232.
“Playing in the Masters and The Open is everybody’s dream. It’s an opportunity to play this week and I’ll have to play my best. Who knows, maybe I can win this.”
