The winds continued to test the field on Friday at Te Arai Links\u2019 South course in New Zealand, but defending champion Fifa Laopakdee held onto his lead at the halfway point of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Two New Zealanders, Cooper Moore [pictured] and Ryan Xie, remain within striking distance as they look to deliver the host nation\u2019s first victory in the championship\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
After opening with an eight-under 63 on Thursday, Laopakdee followed with a 72 in the second round to sit at seven-under overall. The 21-year-old Thai is bidding to become just the second player to win consecutive Asia-Pacific Amateur titles, joining Hideki Matsuyama, who accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2011.<\/p>\n
The eight-strong Australian contingent is not without hope. Brisbane\u2019s Harrison Gomez (69 today) sits at even-par after 36 holes in a tie for eighth place. Tasmanian Jonty Lunson (70), who was a late addition to the field, is just shot further adrift at one-over while Kayun Mudadana (75) is two-over and Harry Takis (75) sits three-over.<\/p>\n
\u201cConditions are brutal out there today,\u201d Gomez said. \u201cAfter yesterday\u2019s round, I knew that this afternoon was going to be really windy so I went down to the range and I was working on hitting the ball low, focusing on that just in preparation for today.\u00a0I felt like that really helped me and I did a good job of navigating the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore followed his opening 67 with a one-under 70, moving to five-under overall and two strokes behind Laopakdee. The Christchurch golfer closed his round with a birdie on the 18th to move into second place, putting himself in position to challenge for the title over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Moore has already put together an impressive amateur career. Earlier this year, he finished runner-up at the New Zealand PGA Championship and reached the semi-finals of the US Junior Amateur. He also represented the International team in the Junior Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, where he had the opportunity to spend time around some of the game\u2019s biggest names, including Scottie Scheffler and fellow New Zealander Ryan Fox.<\/p>\n
The 18-year-old is making his third Asia-Pacific Amateur appearance, having finished tied for eighth in 2024 and tied for 17th last year. He also won the Australian Boys\u2019 Amateur and Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Boys\u2019 Junior Championship in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all believe in each other to go out and win this week,\u201d Moore said. \u201cTo have three of us in the top four is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xie, meanwhile, sits three off the lead at four-under after an even-par 71 on Friday. The Kiwi overcame two early bogeys with an eagle at the par-4 third hole and took advantage of the contours of the green at the short 14th to keep himself in contention.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy with how I handled it today,\u201d Xie said, describing the wind as \u201cinsane\u201d while expressing satisfaction with his ball-striking performance.<\/p>\n
The Aucklander is part of a rising generation of New Zealand golfers making an impression internationally. Xie won the 2025 New Zealand Under-19 Championship and recorded five top-10 finishes in American Junior Golf Association events before joining Santa Clara University in California this northern autumn.<\/p>\n
For Xie, the opportunity extends beyond competing for a national milestone. The winner of this week\u2019s championship receives an invitation to the 2027 Masters and a place in the Open Championship at St Andrews.<\/p>\n
A spot in the 2027 Masters is on the line at this week\u2019s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.<\/p>\n
The winner will earn an invitation to Augusta National next April. pic.twitter.com\/2ALtDdS2Eo<\/a><\/p>\n