The fairytale of a place at the Masters for a tearful 16-year-old Japanese boy has died -- as well as the hopes of two battling young Australians.
But the dream has come true for Thailand's Augusta-bound Pongsapak 'Fifa' Laopakdee, the new Asia-Pacific Amateur champion after the most extraordinary final-day drama.
"I told my coach, Matt Thurmond, I'll be the first Thai to win this event and be the first Thai amateur to play in the Masters," beamed Laopakdee after his historic triumph in Dubai on Sunday.
"Coach, I did it! It means the whole world to me."
But the 20-year-old's joy was in contrast to the misery of teenager Taisei Nagasaki, who missed a four-foot putt on the final green in regulation at the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Club which would have earned him victory and a ticket to both next year's Masters and British Open.
Nagasaki had led by five going into the final round but was denied by a comeback for the ages from Laopakdee, who rallied from a six-shot deficit to fire a four-under 68 and end up beating the teenager on the third hole of a compelling playoff.
Even the winning shot for Laopakdee, a junior at Arizona State, was hard to believe. His 6-iron approach cleared the water by inches, nestling precariously on a bank just beyond the yellow hazard line.
From there, he got up and down for a fifth straight birdie.
Earlier, he thought he'd lost it when Nagasaki stood over his short putt. The youngster had seen his overnight lead evaporate but had regained equilibrium and looked set to become the second youngest winner after 14-year-old Tianlang Guan in 2012.
Even after his miss, the youngster, who shot a 74 to join Laopakdee on 15-under 273, played sterling stuff in the playoff, but after he fell short, the disappointment really hit the kid who had only turned 16 earlier in the month.
"Very disappointed," Nagasaki said through an interpreter, as he used his shirt to wipe away the tears. "I really struggled to make a score."
Laopakdee, who shot five-under on the back nine, had his nickname bestowed by his football-crazy dad, and reckons Tiger Woods, who's half-Thai, has been one of his inspirations.
Meanwhile, rising 20-year-old Australian stars Harry Takis and Billy Dowling were fourth and fifth, respectively, after their bold final-day bids fell short.
They were trying to emulate the seven-shot comeback of another Aussie Curtis Luck back in 2016, but though they made inroads, Takis's 70 and Dowling's 71 weren't quite enough.
Paired together, Dowling had made a charge with three birdies in four holes in the run-in, trailing by just two with five to play but ending up in the water at the last, while Takis made an eagle as his parting shot. "I wish it would've come sooner," he sighed.
"I felt like I played really well all week, and was proud of the way I bounced back today and hung in there when it wasn't really going my way."
Another Australian Declan O'Donovan ended his amateur career with the joint-low round of the week, a seven-under 65, to tie for 11th.
