SOUTHPORT, England (AP) – Shouts in support of FIFA went up around the Royal Birkdale rink this week.
No, we are not a highly supervised soccer organization.
Instead, they were addressed to Thai university students with memorable names and who had just experienced a memorable week at university. british open.
OK, FIFA’s Laopakdee shot an 80 on Friday and missed the cut, but he stands out in this corner of north-west England, not least because of the playful nickname his soccer-loving father Peter gave him as a baby, in keeping with Thai culture.
According to 21-year-old Raopakdee, it was a choice between two names. One is FIFA, named after the World Football Organization, and the other is UEFA, named after the European football governing body.
FIFA agreed, and as the golfer’s career progressed, he would continue to call himself by that name rather than his real first name, Bongsa Park.
“I think if you use FIFA when you turn professional, you’ll be more memorable,” he said. “People seem to remember my name more.”
So what does he think about having the same name as Gianni Infantino’s football organization? This football organization sometimes attracts headlines for the wrong reasons – for example. World Cup currently in progress Is it happening in North America?
“They’ve been called dictators, cheaters, stagers, corrupt, etc., but I think that’s funny because I’m a big football fan,” he said. “I think it’s very interesting.”
Laopakdee, who supports English soccer team Chelsea, attends Arizona State University and is playing in the Open after winning last year’s Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. This also secured him a spot in this year’s Masters, but he sat out the weekend after posting rounds of 80 and 75.
What he has experienced over the past three months has been life-changing.
“It’s certainly a great opportunity for me to feel this pressure, accept this pressure, and have the opportunity to represent Asia’s amateurs and play in this tournament,” he said. “It’s a great honor. I can’t wait to come back.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
