Kazuma Kobori
| Kazuma Kobori | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | 25 October 2001 Karuizawa, Japan | ||||
| Sporting nationality |  New Zealand | ||||
| Residence | Rangiora, New Zealand | ||||
| Career | |||||
| Turned professional | 2023 | ||||
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour of Australasia | ||||
| Former tour(s) | Charles Tour | ||||
| Professional wins | 5 | ||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 4 | ||||
| Other | 1 | ||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||
| |||||
Kazuma Kobori (born 25 October 2001) is a New Zealand professional golfer.[1] He won the 2019 New Zealand PGA Championship as an amateur, as well as the individual title at the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy.[2]
Amateur career[edit]
In 2019, Kobori was runner-up at the Australian Boys' Amateur. He won the SEC NZ PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia and was runner-up at the Carrus Open on the Charles Tour.[3]
In 2023, Kobori cemented his position as New Zealand's top male amateur golfer. He won the Australian Amateur two strokes ahead of Arron Edwards-Hill of England.[4] He also won the Western Amateur at North Shore Country Club near Chicago, an Elite Amateur Series championship,[5] and captured the individual honors at the Eisenhower Trophy in Abu Dhabi. He was only the second New Zealander to win the individual title following Phil Tataurangi in 1992.[6] He claimed an early lead at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and ultimately finished 6th.[7]
Kobori started in five events on the 2023 PGA Tour of Australasia as an amateur and recorded three top-10s, including a tie for 6th at the New Zealand Open. He was awarded the Bledisloe Cup as the leading amateur.[8] He turned professional after finishing sixth at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Melbourne.[9]
Professional career[edit]
In November 2023, Kobori made his professional debut at the Queensland PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia where he finished in a tie for 9th, 2 strokes behind winner Phoenix Campbell. At the start of 2024, he won three consecutive WebEx Players Series tournaments.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Kobori was born in Karuizawa, Japan, and moved to Canterbury, New Zealand, with his family when he was six. His older sister, Momoka, is also a golfer.[11] Kobori was educated at Rangiora High School.[12]
Amateur wins[edit]
- 2017 Boys Championship of Victoria
- 2018 Southland 54 Hole Strokeplay Championship, Boys Championship of Victoria
- 2019 Canterbury Men's Stroke Play Championship, South Island Stroke Play Championship,
- 2021 Southland 54 Hole Strokeplay Championship, Otago Strokeplay Championship, South Island Stroke Play Championship
- 2022 Otago Strokeplay Championship, Canterbury Stroke Play, Muriwai Open
- 2023 Australian Amateur, Western Amateur, Eisenhower Trophy (individual medalist)
Source:[13]
Professional wins (5)[edit]
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (4)[edit]
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Mar 2019 | SEC NZ PGA Championship (as an amateur) |
−21 (67-65-66-69=267) | 4 strokes | David Smail
|
| 2 | 21 Jan 2024 | Webex Players Series Murray River | −21 (65-66-64-68=263) | 2 strokes |  Shannon Tan
|
| 3 | 28 Jan 2024 | Webex Players Series Victoria | −18 (66-66-65-69=266) | 1 stroke |  Ashley Lau
|
| 4 | 11 Feb 2024 | Webex Players Series Sydney | −24 (65-64-69-66=264) | 1 stroke |  Jenny Shin
|
Charles Tour wins (1)[edit]
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Apr 2022 | Autex Muriwai Open (as an amateur) |
−10 (66-65-69-68=278) | 4 strokes | Harry Bateman
|
Team appearances[edit]
Amateur
- Nomura Cup (representing New Zealand): 2022
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing New Zealand): 2022, 2023
References[edit]
- ^ "Kazuma Kobori". Japan Golf Tour. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "NZ golfer Kobori clinches Eisenhower Trophy prize". Radio New Zealand. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Amateur Kobori wins the NZ PGA Championship". Golf Australia. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Australian Amateur titles head overseas". Golf Australia. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Jourdan, Cameron (5 August 2023). "Kazuma Kobori wins 121st Western Amateur, captures Elite Amateur Series title". Golfweek. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Canterbury golfer becomes second Kiwi to win Eisenhower Trophy". Otago Daily Times. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Kazuma Kobori loses lead at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship". Stuff. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Kazuma Kobori". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Kobori and Jones move into the professional rank". Pacific Golfer. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Emanuel, Jimmy (11 February 2024). "Kobori clinches rare Aussie hat-trick". Golf Australia. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Egan, Brendon (17 January 2021). "Momoka Kobori looks at coaching pathway after historic New Zealand golf win". Stuff. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Knowler, Richard (11 March 2019). "Teenage golf sensation Kazuma Kobori wins NZ PGA Championship and returns to school". Stuff. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Kazuma Kobori". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
External links[edit]
- Kazuma Kobori at the Official World Golf Ranking official site