By Michael Davis
IN elite sport, they are saying the second victory is nearly as robust as breaking via on your maiden win.
In golf, it generally takes years. Certainly, some gamers by no means win one other occasion.
Which makes the successive triumphs on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia by 22-year-old Japanese-born New Zealander, Kazuma Kobori, earlier than a 3rd only a few weeks later at Fortress Hill in Sydney’s northwest, extraordinarily particular.
Two in row was a feat that had not been achieved since Adam Scott did it greater than 10 years in the past, three on the trot has historians reaching for the document books.
His third victory in his tenth begin additionally means Kobori has the identical win document as Tiger Woods on the similar stage of their respective skilled careers.
“Sounds good,” he mentioned of listening to the statistic. “Most likely have to get a number of extra wins beneath my belt, to be in the identical dialog as that man, nevertheless it looks like I’m heading in the right direction.”
SMILING: After three wins in his first 10 begins as a professional, Kazuma Kobori has each cause to be happy with himself.
As for comparisons to Scott, the winner of the 2013 Masters at Augusta, and we’re not saying Kobori will at some point don the inexperienced Masters jacket, however his second win did come on the beautifully manicured, Rosebud Nation Membership, also known as ‘the Augusta of the Mornington Peninsula’. Sure, we agree it’s a lengthy bow however….
The younger Kiwi, who comes from Rangiora in Canterbury, jumped to second on the tour’s order of advantage at Rosebud and maintained that standing after his victory at Fortress Hill, nearly assuring Kobori of incomes a DP World Tour card for subsequent season with solely two occasions remaining on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The highest three on the finish of the season win 2025 taking part in playing cards in what was once often known as the European Tour.
Kobori completed at 18-under par at Rosebud to win by one shot from Malaysian girls’s golfer, Ashley Lau. Veteran Mathew Goggin completed third.
“They at all times say the primary win’s exhausting, and I’ll inform you what, I can talk about it now that the second’s simply as exhausting. However I’m glad to get the job achieved,” Kobori mentioned after the win at Rosebud.
It was Goggin who offered the most important problem for the Kiwi for a lot of the remaining day, taking part in in the identical group.
Finally, the New Zealander led by a shot from Goggin after they reached the 18th tee, a shortish par 4. Goggin hit a pleasant strategy to 25 toes, pin excessive. As soon as Kabori dumped his second shot into the fitting greenside entice, it was recreation on.
It got here all the way down to Kobori’s par putt, which was for the outright win. It rolled in useless centre.
“I used to be very nervous as you in all probability noticed,” Kobori mentioned.
“Just a few suggestions that my coach gave me simply got here again to me. I simply took my time, after which the putt wasn’t troublesome. It was useless straight. I had it there, and I knew it was going to drop.
At Fortress Hill, opening rounds of 65-64 put him properly and really within the combine, earlier than a 69 on Saturday and a 6-under par 66 in Sunday’s remaining spherical, for a 24-under par complete, beat Jenny Shin by one, with the skilled Brendan Jones third.
It capped off a outstanding few weeks and a tremendous previous 12 months, with Kobori successful the Australian Novice, the World Novice representing New Zealand, the Australian tour faculty, and now three tournaments as a professional.
He solely joined the pay for play ranks in November final yr, with every of the three wins netting him $45,000. His maiden win got here on the Webex Gamers’ Collection Murray River at Cobram Barooga.
Emigrating from Japan to New Zealand as an toddler, he adopted his elder sister, Momoka, into skilled golf. Fittingly she was at Rosebud to greet him with a hug quickly after the final putt dropped.
