Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterThe Masters is underway at Augusta National this week, and there's a name there who may be familiar to football fans.An ex-pro turned to golf, maybe? Gareth Bale upped his game since retirement?Er, not quite. You may like Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter takes aim at Gianni Infantino and 2026 World Cup FIFA president Gianni Infantino misreads the room on a global scale with crass celebration of World Cup 2026 'excitement' World Cup 2026 Playoffs: The complete guide Thai golfer at the 2026 Masters named after FIFANo, in actual fact, there's a golfer at this year's Masters named after football itself or more accurately, the game's chief organisers.Fifa Laopakdee, on first glance, may perhaps look like a traditional name from another culture, but the 21-year-old's nickname is based in football.Fifa Laopakdee from Thailand has qualified for the Masters and The Open next year by making birdie on the first 3 playoff holes to win the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. He started the day 6 shots back and is now the first Thai player to ever win the title! https://t.co/dzlDPrQT2ROctober 26, 2025Laopakdee whose real first name is Pongsapak, but he is competing as Fifa explained that it comes from his dad's love for the game."My dad is a huge soccer fan, and he was choosing between Fifa from FIFA World Cup and Uefa from UEFA Champions League," the promising golfer revealed.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."So luckily it ends up with Fifa!"His father, Peter, a golf teacher, said: "Fifa enjoyed a typical childhood. He played golf simply for fun and laughter."We never pressured him toward a specific sport. But with golf clubs around the house, he grew to learn about the equipment within his reach, leading Fifa to fall in love with the sport that was already a part of our daily lives."Fifa qualified for the tournament for the first time after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Dubai last year, the first-ever Thai champion.He ended day one in 82nd on the leaderboard, so still has work to do at the top table, but he's never likely to be short of a conversation starter.And who knows, when his golf career is done, maybe he's destined for a life in football administration instead? It is, after all, in the name.Isaac Stacey StrongeSocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterIsaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.
