Thai nickname culture surprises foreigners! SportBible digs into the origin of “FIFA,” the first Thai golfer to compete at the major tournament ‘The Masters’.
On 10 Apr 2026 GMT+7, an event added color that caught the attention of the world-renowned sports media outlet SportBible. The story focused on “FIFA” Phongsapak Laopakdee, a 21-year-old rising amateur golfer and AAC champion, who is making history as the first Thai amateur golfer to compete at the 90th edition of the major tournament “The Masters” at Augusta National Golf Club in the United States.
FIFA vs UEFA: When a love for football turns into a golf scoreboard nickname.
SportBible revealed a charming detail that brought smiles to international sports fans: the origin of the name “FIFA.” His father, an avid football fan, had been torn between naming his son “FIFA” (after the FIFA World Cup) or “UEFA” (after the UEFA Champions League) before finally choosing “FIFA.”
The peak moment came when the name “FIFA LAOPAKDEE” appeared boldly on the scoreboard at hole 16, Par 3, 170 yards, at the sacred Augusta National course. This instantly went viral since it’s rare to see such a unique and eye-catching name on a world-class leaderboard, garnering over 29,000 likes!
It’s not just an interesting name—his skills are impressive too. In the first two rounds (9-10 Apr), “FIFA” competed in the same group as Fred Couples, the legendary 1992 champion, and Min Woo Lee, the world’s 25th-ranked professional golfer.
This is a proud “Only in Thailand” phenomenon. Besides waving the Thai flag at a major tournament, it also introduced the world to our country’s creatively unique nickname culture!