New Zealand and Japan claim Australian Amateur titles
Kazuma Kobori and Mizuki Hashimoto – with their trophies – photo Golf Australia
New Zealand sensation Kazuma Kobori has today become just the third New Zealander since World War 11 to win the Australian Men’s Amateur Championship, the 21-year-old edging clear of a congested final round leaderboard to win by two shots following a final round of 66 at the New South Wales Golf Club.
He joins Michael Campbell 1992 and Tae Koh (2014) as New Zealanders to win the title in that period.
Kobori, whose sister Momoka is making her mark in the professional ranks after a successful collegiate career at Pepperdine University, won the New Zealand PGA Championship four years ago at the age of just 17, and adds this significant title to his impressive resumé.
Kobori took a three way share of the lead into the final round along with Japan’s Taishi Moto and Ireland’s Robert Moran but with Moran only able to record a round of 79 on day four and Moto unable to match the brilliance of his eight birdie final round with the consistency needed to stay in the fight, Kobori edged clear when he birdied the 16th to Moto’s bogey and the cushion had been established.
Kobori won by two over Moto and England’s Arron Edwards Hill.
In the women’s championship, Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto held off spirited final round challenges from her fellow countrywoman, Saki Baba and Queensland’s Justice Bosio to win by just one shot over the latter pair.
Hashimoto was also the Women’s Asia Pacific Champion in 2021.
Bosio, from Caboolture on the Sunshine Coast, finished runner-up for the second consecutive year, having been defeated by New Zealand’s Fiona Xu twelve months ago.
