Two senior titles for 13-year-old

At just 13 years old Canterbury youngster Cooper Moore made it two senior Waitikiri Club Championships in succession with his recent triumph.

Caption: Cooper Moore with his Waitikiri club trophy.

Last year he added a runner up at Russley to his win. This year he lost in the semi final to the eventual winner in the Russley Senior Championships

With a handicap index of +0.4, his win at Waitikiri was hardly a huge surprise but for one so young it is still a wonderful achievement to win several matches against mature men and a 36-hole final to boot. He finished a handy second top qualifier on countback after a one under par 70.

In the quarter final he defeated Aorangi representative Blair Franklin 3 and 1. Then in the semi-final he played Canterbury masters rep Simon Marshall and won a little more comfortably 4 and 3.

So to the final where he met long time Canterbury masters rep and recent South Island Masters Champion Aaron Forsyth ( +1.5 hcp).

This was a great battle for most of the match. Both players were even through the first eight holes, then Moore chipped in for birdie on the par three ninth hole to go one up. However it was back to all square after 16 holes before Moore’s brilliant tee shot on the par three 17th left him a six inch birdie putt for a one up lead. He doubled his lead on the par four 18th thanks to holing out from 45 metres to go 2 up going into the afternoon round.

There was a similar scenario in the afternoon with both players trading shots and neither player getting the upper hand until the 30th hole when Forsyth missed a six foot par putt to give Moore a two up advantage.

This proved pivotal, especially when Moore drained a 35 foot birdie on the next hole. If that wasn’t enough he then sank a 25 foot birdie putt on the 32nd and a 20 foot putt on the 33rd hole for game set and match and a 4 and 3 victory.

With Forsyth having been in great form in the leadup this was the matchup club members were wanting to see play out. It certainly did not disappoint as it produced quality golf and as a result plenty of birdies. — By Neville Idour.