Searching for their country's first Asia-Pacific Am win, host Kiwis move into contention as defending champ leads

The winds continued to test the field Friday at Te Arai Links’ 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 and Ryan Xie, remain within striking distance as they look to deliver the host nation's first victory in the championship's history.

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 Arizona State senior from Thailand 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.

Moore followed his opening 67 with a one-under 70, moving to five under overall and two strokes behind Laopakdee. The Christchurch native 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.

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 semifinals of the U.S. 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's biggest names, including Scottie Scheffler and fellow New Zealander Ryan Fox.

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' Amateur and Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Boys' Junior Championship in 2025.

"We all believe in each other to go out and win this week," Moore said. "To have three of us in the top four is incredible."

Ryan Xie, meanwhile, sits three back of the lead at four under after an even-par 71 on Friday. The Santa Clara freshman overcame two early bogeys with an eagle at the par-4 third and took advantage of the contours of the green at the short 14th to keep himself in contention.

"I'm very happy with how I handled it today," Xie said, describing the wind as "insane" while expressing satisfaction with his ball-striking performance.

The Auckland native 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 this fall.

For Xie, the opportunity extends beyond competing for a national milestone. The winner of this week's championship receives an invitation to the 2027 Masters and a place in the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

"To play two majors, it's an amateur's dream," Xie said.

Fellow New Zealander Zack Swanwick also produced a notable recovery after opening Thursday's first round with four bogeys. The 20-year-old University of Florida junior, one of the highest-ranked players in the field, fought his way back into solo fourth.

New Zealand has yet to produce an Asia-Pacific Amateur champion since the tournament began in 2009. Its six-player national contingent, including Xie, Moore and University of Florida teammates Joshua Bai and Swanwick, has developed through Golf New Zealand's talent pathway. Their aspirations have been strengthened by the success of Fox, whose rise has provided inspiration for the country's younger players.