5 things to know about the return of the Asia-Pacific Amateur this week in Dubai

Fans may recognize Lukas Michel as the 2019 winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, a victory that earned him a spot in the 2020 Masters Tournament. Shortly after playing that event, Michel, 27, won the Australian Master of the Amateurs and played largely in his native Australia in 2021 until returning stateside for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur. He could play his way back into the Masters this week with an AAC victory.

Having played Augusta National, Michel is no longer in the dark about what’s at stake this week despite this being his first time teeing it up at the AAC.

“I was a bit naïve about everything that came with it,” he said of his Mid-Amateur victory. “It really is life-changing. There might be more pressure knowing that it’s such a big deal and being able to get that opportunity again is really special.”

Interestingly, in addition to traveling extensively to play elite amateur golf, Michel has an eye for architecture. He works with course designer Mike Clayton, which gives him perhaps a different perspective on some of the venues he sees for amateur events.

“I think sometimes you have to turn the blinkers on and just enjoy the competitive element of playing a golf tournament,” he said of striking a balance between competing and eyeing course design. “So certainly when I’m playing, I try to think less about the architecture and more just about just shooting the best score. But for me, I find my interest in architecture just makes me enjoy golf more, more than most people.

“Some people treat golf like a job. Whereas for me, I’m not just looking at trying to shoot a low score I’m also enjoying the environment and looking at how certain things are shaped and how the bunkers look, and I’m interested in learning as much as I can while I’m at a place, as well. It’s a good distraction sometimes.”