Japan’s Taishi Moto supplied the shot of the day, but three New Zealanders will head into the weekend directly behind defending champion Fifa Laopakdee at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Moto recorded a spectacular hole-in-one at the par-three eighth on Te Arai Links’ South Course during a demanding second round shaped by strong winds.
It was his first ace in competitive golf and helped him to an even-par 71, leaving him tied sixth at one-under overall.
“I couldn’t make any putts because it was super windy out there so the hole-in-one definitely helped a lot,” Moto said.
For the home crowd, however, the biggest excitement sits near the top of the leaderboard.
Moore Leads Kiwi Pursuit
Cooper Moore produced a one-under 70 to reach five-under, moving into outright second and just two shots behind Thailand’s Laopakdee.
Ryan Xie is another stroke back in third at four-under after a level-par 71, while Zack Swanwick made one of the biggest moves of the day with a brilliant four-under 67.
Swanwick’s response to his opening 72 lifted him to three-under and outright fourth.
That leaves three New Zealanders occupying the three positions immediately behind the defending champion with 36 holes remaining.
No New Zealander has won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, giving the home trio an opportunity to create history at Te Arai.
The champion will also earn invitations to the 2027 Masters at Augusta National and The Open at St Andrews.
Laopakdee Holds Firm In The Wind
Laopakdee was unable to reproduce the fireworks of his opening 63 but did enough to preserve his advantage.
A one-over 72 left the defending champion at seven-under, two clear of Moore.
Friday’s strong winds made scoring considerably more difficult across the South Course, particularly on the exposed greens.
Laopakdee now enters the weekend attempting to become only the second player in championship history to successfully defend the title.
Bai Slides After Fast Start
Joshua Bai began Friday in second after opening with a five-under 66 but endured a far tougher second round.
A 78 dropped the Aucklander to two-over overall and a share of 12th.
Zach May improved with a 70 to reach one-over and tied tenth, while Yuki Miya finished at four-over.
Samuel Ding sits six-over and Ishaan Shah seven-over heading into the weekend.
Robby Turnbull endured the toughest day among the New Zealand contingent, with an 85 leaving him at 13-over and around the displayed cut mark as the second round concluded.
New Zealand After Round Two
| Player | Position | Total | Round Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Moore | 2nd | -5 | 70 |
| Ryan Xie | 3rd | -4 | 71 |
| Zack Swanwick | 4th | -3 | 67 |
| Zach May | T10 | +1 | 70 |
| Joshua Bai | T12 | +2 | 78 |
| Yuki Miya | — | +4 | — |
| Samuel Ding | — | +6 | — |
| Ishaan Shah | — | +7 | — |
| Robby Turnbull | — | +13 | 85 |
Kiwi Challenge Takes Shape
Thursday belonged to Bai among the New Zealanders.
Friday shifted the spotlight to Moore, Xie and Swanwick.
Moore is closest to Laopakdee, Xie remains only three shots away and Swanwick has surged into contention after one of the best rounds of the day.
Moto produced Friday’s unforgettable individual moment with his ace.
But with three Kiwis immediately behind the leader, the biggest story heading into the weekend may yet be whether New Zealand can finally produce its first Asia-Pacific Amateur champion.
