New Zealand closed the week with two players inside the top-20 at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.
Rising Canterbury golfer Cooper Moore was the pick of the Kiwis at the club’s Majlis Course.
Moore, 17, who won the Otago strokeplay title last year, led the team with a final-round 73 to finish 4-under par and tied for 17th.
Robby Turnbull posted a closing 74 to finish one shot back at 3-under and T19, while Joshua Bai signed for a 73 to finish T34 at 3-over.
The New Zealand trio stayed in the fight over the tournament, even when the scorecards did not fully highlight the quality of their play.
The experience gained competing head-to-head with the Asia-Pacific region’s strongest field is invaluable, and Golf New Zealand is eager to see how the young men use it to develop their careers.
Turnbull now returns to college golf at Eastern Michigan, Bai heads back to the University of Florida, and Moore turns his attention to the New Zealand Amateur starting at the Invercargill club tomorrow.
Thailand golfer Fifa Laopakdee won the Asia-Pacific title in a three-hole playoff after erasing a six-shot deficit on the final day.
Laopakdee birdied three consecutive extra holes to secure the title.
The victory earns him starts in both the Masters and British Open next year.
The Asia-Pacific Championship now comes to New Zealand with Te Arai Links confirmed as the 2026 host venue.
The New Zealand golfer will have the next 12 months to prepare for the region’s premier amateur event to be played on home soil.
— Allied Media
