Kazuma Kobori goes back to back at Rosebud Country Club
Kazuma Kobori – kissing trophies becoming a habit – image courtesy of Australian Golf Media
There was every suggestion that New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori would make an immediate impact on turning professional but the speed in which he has established himself amongst the elite of the PGA Tour of Australasia has been particularly impressive.
Today the 22-year-old from Rangiora north of Christchurch fought off a final round challenge from the resurgent Tasmanian Matthew Goggin at the Webex Player Series Victoria to eventually win by one over Malaysian lady golfer Ashley Lau in the mixed-gender event with Goggin bogeying his final hole to slip back into third place alone.
Today’s win follows his victory in a similar event last week on the Murray River, providing a rare back-to-back win.
Kobori turned professional last October after completing perhaps New Zealand Golf’s most successful year by an amateur, winning the Australian Amateur Championship the historic Western Amateur in Chicago and the top spot in the Eisenhower Trophy’s individual title, in addition to leading the qualifiers at the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Tour School.
In now seven starts in the paid ranks, Kobori has won two events and recorded two other top tens and has now moved to 2nd position on the 2023/2024 PGA Tour of Australasian Order of Merit.
With Min Woo Lee (winner of the Australian PGA Championship and only player ahead of Kobori at this stage) unlikely to play any further events on this season’s PGA Tour of Australasia and therefore not complete the required number of events to feature on the Order of Merit, Kobori is well placed to take one of the DP World Tour cards on offer to the leading three players at season’s end.
Kobori took a one-shot lead into today’s final round at the Rosebud Golf Club and through nine holes he was tied with Goggin at 17 under.
Kobori birdied two holes early in his back nine then held on as Goggin tried to draw level at the last but three putted to allow Lau to sneak into second place on her own.
Five more events remain on the PGA Tour of Australasian schedule including the New Zealand Open in Queenstown which carries the same level of points as the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championships and with Kobori having finished an impressive 6th in that event last year he might well finish close to Min Woo Lee by season’s end.
