The Eagles have landed in Southland
With over 260 attendees from all around New Zealand, the 58th National Convention (“Wild South”) started on Monday with the AGM and cocktail evening welcome at the Ascot Park Hotel.
The Eagles Golfing Society of New Zealand members have arrived in Southland and their 2025 Annual Convention is underway.
Established in 1964, the Eagles Golfing Society is a charitable society whose members are involved in and support the Halberg Disability Sports Foundation and Junior Golf.
The Eagles presented a cheque for $207,143 to the Halberg Foundation this year.
With over 260 attendees from all around New Zealand, the 58th National Convention (“Wild South”) started on Monday with the AGM and cocktail evening welcome at the Ascot Park Hotel.
Tuesday is the first day of the Convention two-day golf tournament at the Invercargill Golf Club and Green Acres courses for the men and at Winton and Queens Park for the ladies.
Tuesday night is the main event with the Golfer of the Year dinner at the Ascot Park Hotel where Cooper Moore (16) from Canterbury will be honoured again after winning the award last year.
Cooper started playing golf when he was just four. His coaches and mentors all talk about his fantastic approach to the game on and off the course, and he continues to surprise many with his abilities at such a young age.
His behaviour and attitude are nothing shy of world class, and he is very well respected among his peers all across the country.
As a talented all-round student at St Bede’s College in Christchurch, Cooper has just completed Year 11.
He has represented Canterbury in junior teams since 2020 and made his senior debut when he was fourteen. In the last 12 months his golf has soared to another level.
As a member of the New Zealand Junior Team he had placings of 12th in the Australian Junior Championship, 10th in the Royal Open Japan, 2 nd in the Junior Open Championship in Scotland, 3rd in the Queensland Junior Open Championships and 9th in the Asia Pacific Junior Championship Phillipines.
Those results saw him as one of five who were elevated from Golf NZ’s Talent Development Squad to the National Academy.
In the final round of the Junior Open in Kilmarnock, Scotland, Cooper shot a bogey-free 4 under par round of 68 in severe winds to move from 8th to 2nd place.
Other highlights of the year include:
Canterbury Men’s Golfer of the Year.
Captain of the Canterbury Mens SI Interprovincial team
Canterbury U16 Champion
Otago Men’s Stroke Play Champion
Canterbury Men’s Stroke Play – tied 2 nd
Canterbury Order of Merit U19 & Men’s Champion
Canterbury Champion of Champions – Tournament winner
Invited to play in NZ PGA Championship tournament – made the cut, finished 27th overall
Invited to play in the NZ Open, 2025
Previous GOY winners include Sir Bob Charles (1968), Steven Alker (1990), Danny Lee (2008) and Dame Lydia Ko (2011-13).
Nice nice nice. Great work Eagles and congrats Cooper.