Kazuma Kobori makes it three from five at Webex Players Series Sydney
Kazuma Kobori – image Australian Golf Media
In just ten starts in his short professional career New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori has now won three PGA Tour of Australasia events and recorded three other top tens to make a remarkable start in the paid ranks.
The 22-year-old from north of Christchurch today won his third title in his last five starts with a one-shot win over South Korean Jenny Shin in the mixed-gender Webex Series Sydney at Castle Hill Country Club in the northeastern suburbs of Sydney.
Kobori will move into second place on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit but essentially to all intents he is actually on top, as the current leader, Min Woo Lee, is sure not to play the required minimum of four events to qualify for Order of Merit standing.
The A$170,000 he has earned since the decision to turn professional in late October will also provide a great boost in the early stages of his career.
Kobori began the final day tied with Shin, NSW’s Harrison Crowe, and fellow New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle, and with an outward nine of 31 he had a stranglehold on the lead which he would not relinquish.
Current New Zealand Open holder, Brendan Jones, threw out a strong final round challenge to get within one of Kobori but the eventual winner was mistake-free over the closing stages and held on to win over Shin who birdied her final two holes to move into outright second place with Jones another shot away in 3rd place alone.
For Kobori the win comes just three weeks ahead of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown an event in which he finished 6th last year behind Jones so Kobori is firming as one of the favourites to take his national title at Millbrook Resort starting on February 29th.
The All Abilities event was again won by Cameron Pollard and the Juniors by Harry Whitelock.
