Stunning Q school win for Kazuma Kobori

By Neville Idour

Star Canterbury amateur golfer Kazuma Kobori stunned a strong field at the Moonah Links Open Course, Melbourne, in winning the Q school final in a playoff with Chris Crabtree (Queensland).

With his win Kobori now has a best category card for the Australasian Tour in the 2023/2024 season along with four other Kiwis.

Playing together in the final round, Crabtree had a one shot lead. It was toe for toe until Crabtree had a handy two shot lead with three holes to play. However there was a two shot swing on the 16th where Crabtree bogeyed and Kobori birdied. They both finished par, birdie and 11 under par.

They headed back to the 18th hole for the playoff and the 21-year-old Kobori, the Australian Amateur champion, again birdied the par five to take the win. However as Kobori is an amateur the $10,000 winner's cheque went to Crabtree.

Big opportunities lie ahead for Kobori who will head to the United States in June where he will compete in the major amateur events there. Following that he will represent New Zealand at the Eisenhower Trophy in mid-October then return to Australia for the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships at Royal Melbourne.

A win would open the door for a start at both The Masters and The Open which he would find hard to pass up if he turned professional after these events, which he will do if those opportunities do not eventuate. Following in the footsteps of older sister Momoka, he feels he will be ready for the professional ranks when the time comes, especially given his success in professional events to date.

A winner of the 2019 New Zealand PGA Championship, when just 17, a sixth placing at the recent New Zealand Open, fourth at the New Zealand PGA Championship and a Charles Tour win under his belt, a successful professional golf career appears to be beckoning.

It was an outstanding week for the Kiwi contingent. The four other Kiwis who finished in the top 30 and earned their cards were ;

Kazuma Kobori's scores 69, 69, 70 and 69 for -11.

Sung Jin Yeo third with 76, 70, 64 and 68. -10 .Won $A4000.

Kit Bittle fourth with 68, 69, 70 and 74. -7. Won $A3000.

Rhys Thomas sixth with 70, 70, 71 and 72. -5. Won $A500.

Tyler Wood 27th.