Kobori chasing a third straight pro win at Vic Open
New Zealand rising star Kazuma Kobori is aiming to become the first golfer since Robert Allenby in 2005 to win three consecutive Australian PGA events at this week’s Vic Open.
Kobori, 22, has been impressive over the past twelve months, playing just eight tournaments in his professional career, including wins at the Australian Tour School, Australian Amateur and World Championships. He came close to winning his first professional tournament at the Vic PGA in December before winning each of the last two Webex Players Series events at Cobram and Rosebud.
The last player to win back-to-back Australian Tour titles was Adam Scott, who completed a historic US Masters campaign by winning the PGA and Australian Masters in 2013. You have to go back to 2005 when Allenby won the Australian Open, the PGA and the Masters in a matter of weeks for the final treble.
Now this lightweight Kobori frame is riding the hot track. “Fighting for two weeks is very tiring, so I try to conserve my energy as much as possible,” he said on Wednesday.
“The expectation going pro at first was to try to get through every round because it’s all about experience. “If you can play four rounds a week for two weeks, you’ll double your experience, right?
“So that was my goal and as I got closer to the Vic PGA I realized I could really do it and be competitive every week. “It’s good to get two early wins.”
Every time he wins, Kobori’s playing horizons expand.
He is currently second on the Australian Tour’s Order of Merit behind Australian PGA Champion Lee Min-woo. A top seed will automatically qualify for the British Open at Royal Troon in July, while the top three players will qualify for the 2024-25 DP World Tour season starting in November.
Kobori is also scheduled to compete in the New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort starting February 29. Another win here would guarantee an Asian Tour card and open the door for further invitations from sponsors. Japan’s Kobori is already a world-class putter, which will serve him well on the flat greens on beach no. 13.
“I was never a good player and I was never into it,” he said. “But I can’t hit the ball too far. So I have to do something to compensate.
“Then I started practicing little by little. “When I was little I was a mosquito. We’ve been through hot and cold runs.”
Kobori will play the first two rounds of the Vic Open alongside compatriot and reigning champion Michael Hendry.
The field also features Australians Elvis Smiley, Matthew Goggin and Ben Eccles. Multiple winners Karrie Webb and Jiayi Shin of South Korea were the biggest names in the women’s Vic Open, along with Australians Su Oh, Karis Davidson and Sarah Jane Smith.
