New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori wins prestigious Western Am
Kazuma Kobori – seen here following his Australian Amateur win earlier this year. Image Australian Golf Media
New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori has won the Western Amateur Championship in Glenview in Illinois, one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur events in the USA, joining his fellow countryman, Danny Lee, as a winner of the time-honoured event.
Kobori, the current Australian Amateur Champion, finished in 9th place in the stroke-play qualifying earlier in the week, safely earning his place amongst the 16 players who qualified for the knockout stages of the event.
Kobori, from the Christchurch area in New Zealand’s South Island, then negotiated his way through the opening three rounds before taking on South African Christiaan Maas in today’s final which he would win 1 up.
Kobori went 2 up early in his match but Maas won the 5th, 9th and 10th holes to move 1 ahead. Kobori would then win the 12th and 17th holes before holding on to win the match 1 up.
Kobori, who currently has full status on the PGA Tour of Australasia, will now set his sights on the US Amateur Championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado beginning on August 14th where he will look to emulate the same double won by Danny Lee in 2008.