Kiwi Moore Primed for Australian Junior Defence

Ballarat, Australia: Cooper Moore will be bidding to emulate Jeffrey Guan by making a successful title defence at the Australian Junior Amateur this week.

New Zealand’s 17-year-old Moore, winner of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Junior Boys’ title, is among the favourites at the historic Ballarat Golf Club from April 7-10.

Moore, who holed a bunker shot on the third play-off hole to claim the 2025 Australian title, recently finished runner-up at the New Zealand PGA Championship against a strong professional field.

This is Moore’s final year of eligibility in the junior ranks and he’ll be keen to follow in the footsteps of Australian Guan, who triumphed in 2021 and 2022.

At Ballarat Golf Club, a field of 156 of the nation’s top junior amateurs, alongside a mix of international talent, will be cut to two champions – one boys’ and one girls’ – following 72 holes of stroke play on the Championship Course, designed by legendary Australian golfer Peter Thomson in partnership with renowned architect Ross Perrett.

Conducted by Golf Australia, the championship offers World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and contributes to the GA National Junior Order of Merit.

Established in 1895, Ballarat Golf Club is Australia’s oldest continually played course, with a rich history that makes it a fitting stage for one of the country’s premier amateur events.

The Australian Junior Amateur has long served as a launching pad for the next generation, with past winners including Major champions Adam Scott, Jason Day, Cameron Smith, Minjee Lee and Grace Kim.

Unlike Moore, South Australian Raegan Denton will not be back to defend the title she won last year when she made a clutch birdie in a three-way play-off.

The 18-year-old Denton has climbed into the WAGR top 50 following a string of strong performances, highlighted by victory at the Australian Master of the Amateurs and recently marked her Australian Open debut in spectacular fashion with a hole-in-one, before capping three consecutive co-sanctioned WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour starts with a top-25 finish at the Australian WPGA Championship.

Ineligible to defend her junior crown, Denton finished tied fourth at last week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur – the best result by an Australian in the event’s history.

Following last year’s dramatic finish, Sydney’s Camilla Kim returns seeking redemption after being one of two players beaten in the play-off and arrives in strong form with two top-five and two top-10 finishes in WAGR events this year.

Victorian Amelia Harris looms as a major contender, having claimed her first professional win at the final Women’s NSW Open regional qualifying event in February, before securing back-to-back victories at the Rene Erichsen Salver and Keperra Bowl.

In the boys’ field, Western Australian Spencer Harrison will again be in the mix after finishing sixth last year and third in 2024, with the 2025 Junior Order of Merit winner chasing the title that has eluded him.

Other strong challengers include NSW Junior champion Ti Fox and South Australia’s Jackson Leonard, the leading junior at the Australian Amateur Championship (tied seventh), highlighting the depth of talent across both fields.

The 2026 Australian Junior Amateur is supported by the Victorian Government and the City of Ballarat.

*Article courtesy Golf Australia