Cooper Moore has been in consistent form at the Asia-Pacific Amateure Championships PHOTO: GOLF NZ
Seventeen-year-old Canterbury golfer Cooper Moore has continued his outstanding performance through two rounds at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai to sit inside the top-10
After opening with a composed three-under 69, Moore had to recover from a bogey-bogey start to reel off five birdies across the remaining 16 holes.
Round two saw Moore build on that momentum, carding a four-under 68 to reach seven-under for the tournament and sit in sixth place heading into the weekend.
Patience was the hallmark of his day, as after four steady pars to start, birdies on the 5th and 7th holes sparked his charge. A lone bogey on the 15th briefly interrupted his rhythm, but he closed with three composed pars, including an impressive up-and-down on the 18th after finding the water with his approach.
Fellow Kiwi Robby Turnbull also impressed on day two, rebounding from an opening 75 to fire a three-under 69, climbing 32 places up the leaderboard into a share of 23rd.
Turbull’s bogey-free back nine and clutch par save on the final hole demonstrated both grit and touch around the greens.
Joshua Bai showed similar resilience, overcoming difficult tee shots to post rounds of 75 and 73 and safely make the cut at four-over. His sharp iron play and short game repeatedly gave him birdie chances, keeping him in the mix despite a few near misses on the greens.
With Moore leading the New Zealand contingent inside the top 10, the Kiwis are well positioned for a strong finish over the final two rounds at Emirates Golf Club.
