Kobori adds to New Zealand success with first win as professional
Kazuma Kobori – image Australian Golf Media
Kazuma Kobori’s amazing twelve months of golf continued today when he claimed his first title as a professional with a two-shot victory at the Webex Player Series event at Cobram Barooga on the Murray River.
Just a few hours after fellow New Zealander Steve Alker claimed the opening event of the 2024 PGA Tour Champions season in Hawaii and perhaps twelve hours ahead of the possibility of another victory by New Zealander when Lydia Ko leads into the final round of the LPGA tour event in Florda, Kobori won his second professional event but his first in the paid ranks.
That first win came of course at the New Zealand PGA Championship as an amateur in 2017 in Christchurch but, in 2023, Kobori’s career came alive with wins at the Australian Amateur Championship, the Western Open in Illinois, the Individual title at the Eisenhower Trophy and on top of this he led the qualifiers in April for the PGA Tour of Australasia on which he is now competing.
Kobori led by three into today’s final round and although challenged on occasions by several players including his sister Momoka he was never caught or headed and eventually led by two playing the last before a 12 foot par saving putt there saw him win by two over female Shannon Tan in this mixed gender event, Tan’s final round of 65 setting the mark in the clubhouse 20 minutes ahead of Kobori.
Kobori earns $45,000 and will jump inside the top ten on the current PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
