Hong Kong SAR, China: ‘Put your hands together for Moore Cooper, the 2025 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Boys’ champion’. So roared the presenter when calling on the winner to receive his trophy at the official prize-giving ceremony.
Cooper Moore, the 16-year-old New Zealander, smiled sheepishly at the incorrect interpretation of his name as he arose from his seat to accept the accolades.
In winning the APGC Junior Championship, Moore displayed poise and precision that will serve him well as his career develops in the years ahead.
Indeed, based on his form of the past eight months, it would seem inevitable that we’re going to be hearing plenty more of Cooper.
“He’s well organised, hard-working and a pleasure to travel with,” said Golf New Zealand National Coach Jay Carter, Manager of his country’s young representatives at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“Cooper also has tremendous support from his family, which is very important,” added Carter, who cites last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) in Japan as a key moment in Moore’s progress.
Moore, who hails from Christchurch and is a member at the Clearwater Golf Club, was not among the players originally selected to compete in the region’s showpiece amateur championship in Japan last October. As fate would have it, he received a late call-up as an alternate – and grasped the opportunity with both hands.
At the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, Moore compiled rounds of 69, 67. 69 and a closing 71 to claim a share of eighth place on four-under 276, making him comfortably the leading New Zealander.
“That was a real boost to my confidence,” said Moore, reflecting on the upward trajectory his career has taken in the ensuing months.
Just a fortnight after the AAC, Moore won the New Zealand Amateur Championship. Since then there have been further triumphs in the Canterbury Stroke Play, Australian Boys’ Amateur and South Island Under-19 Championship, all World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR)-counting events.
On the back of those performances, Moore arrived in Hong Kong in 254th place in the standings, putting him third among New Zealanders, behind only Zach Swanwick (124) and Joshua Bai (169).
With the late withdrawal from the APGC Junior Championship of Indian Kartik Singh due to a back injury, it meant Moore was the highest rated player in the starting line-up in Hong Kong.
It was a billing he lived up to in impressive fashion, making light of challenging weather conditions and twice recovering from adversity.
After 17 holes of the second round, Moore found himself atop the leaderboard. On the par-four 18th, though, a stroke of misfortune cost him dear.
Moore struck what he thought was a decent tee shot only for his ball to clip an over-hanging branch and ricochet out of bounds. Although he salvaged a four with his second ball, that double-bogey six meant he finished with a 69 and dropped into third place, one stroke behind Thailand’s Parin Sarasmut and Vietnam’s Nguyen Tuan Anh.
For Moore, it was especially galling given the poor weather forecast for the last day, with some predicting the tournament would have to be reduced to 36 holes with the final second-round scores being decisive.
To Moore’s relief, play began on time on day three, although missed birdie opportunities at the opening two holes were compounded at the fourth where he pulled his drive into trouble and walked off the green with a triple-bogey seven to his name, falling further behind the pace-setters.
But rather than lose his cool, Moore re-focused. “I just told myself to remain patient. There were plenty of holes to go and I thought there would be chances later in the round,” said Moore, who was still upbeat at the turn, despite a five-stroke deficit to Tuan Anh.
It did not take long for the tide to turn in his favour. At the 10th, Moore chipped in for birdie and he picked up another stroke at 13. While his playing partners began to find the going tough in the deteriorating conditions, the New Zealander moved up a gear.
“It got a little rough out there, but I don’t mind that,” said Moore, who claimed the lead for the first time with his fifth birdie of the day at the long 17th. When a beautifully shaped draw with his pitching wedge approach to 18 stopped four feet from the pin, Moore knew victory was his.
His post-round assessment was similarly uncomplicated and to the point. He said: “I made bogey on nine and was five back. There was quite a bit to make up, but I played some of my best golf all week on the back nine, found myself in contention on the 18th tee and just went with it.
“I didn’t really change too much with my gameplan, just kept aiming for the middle of the green most of the time, just trying to avoid trouble … hoping that the weather may come in and the other guys may struggle a bit.”
Carter was suitably impressed with what he saw. “The way Cooper played the back nine was clinical. In the end it was his composure and course management that took him through.”
For Moore, who turns 17 in June, a bright golfing future appears assured. “For now, I want to keep travelling overseas, playing in big amateur tournaments and improving my ranking. I want to be the best in the world by the time I turn pro,” said Moore, who’s next major assignment in the US Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas in late July.
