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Just seven months ago, Kazuma Kobori left the amateur game with a tremendous record and simple goal, with the Kiwi unable to predict his meteoric rise in the professional ranks that continues with a major debut at next week’s PGA Championship.
Turning pro at the Queensland PGA Championship in November, Kobori’s game had earned global attention in the amateur ranks, yet the now 22-year-old wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“Starting my professional career in November, I was like, ‘I’m just going to try and keep an Aussie Tour card this year. Maybe grab a top-10 Order of Merit to get me into second stage Q school for Europe’,” Kobori said yesterday.
Doing far more than that, Kobori claimed the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown after a dream debut season that means he has a guaranteed DP World Tour card next season, as well as a start at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon.
His achievement of topping the season-long points list on his home circuit was cause for the PGA of America to extend in invite for the year’s second major to be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky as it did to his predecessor David Micheluzzi last year.
Learning of his invitation upon waking on Tuesday morning, Kobori might still be digesting what has transpired as he prepares to make the journey from Canterbury to Louisville.
“It was pretty unexpected. I got a WhatsApp message this morning (Tuesday) when I woke up at seven and my manager was like, ‘You’re in the PGA’,” Kobori said.
“I knew he was pushing for the invite but because my word ranking’s not quite as good as some of the other players in the world, I didn’t think I’ll get it.”
Making his major debut two months earlier than expected, Kobori’s hot start to life in the play-for-pay ranks no doubt piqued the interest of the PGA of America, so too others with invites extended to DP World Tour and Asian Tour events.
Winning three Webex Players Series events in the space of four weeks on his way to the Order of Merit title, his start at Valhalla will be just the 15th of Kobori’s pro career.
Recent appearances on the DP World Tour, and now the PGA Championship, are offering him a chance to measure his game against the world’s best.
“To be honest, I just want to want to be able to play my game so by the end of the week, I’ll have a really good understanding on where my game compares,” the New Zealander said of his approach to the PGA.
“This is one of four times, I guess you can count the Olympics as well, but very rare occasions where I can play against the best in the world. So I’m going to use this as an opportunity to have a bit of a benchmark to see where I’m at.”
Hoping to “stay out of my own way”, Kobori plans to reach out to experienced compatriot Ryan Fox on the topic of playing a major, and perhaps a practice round, while time spent with DP World Tour winner Daniel Hillier has helped develop an understanding of the next steps up the professional golf ladder.
“Honestly, just spending time around him has probably been the best one,” Kobori said of Hillier.
“He doesn’t really give me advice or anything, and it’s not that I really need it, I just need to be able to see how he operates and then set my standards based on that.
“Playing against good players definitely enables me to set high standards and then that’s been very beneficial for my game.”
Admitting to having few memories of the last PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014, when Rory McIlroy won his most recent major and Kobori was just three years into his golfing journey, the former Eisenhower Trophy individual winner is attempting to create familiarity and comfort quickly.
His occasional caddie last season, Tyler Wood, will be on the bag and perhaps looking to his boss for the week for inspiration after gaining a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia card at the recent Qualifying School.
Meanwhile a well-timed round should hold Kobori in good stead ahead of the biggest start of his burgeoning career.
“I actually had a round, or a session, with a sports psychologist today (Tuesday) that I work with, and he just said, honestly, just be a bit more mindful of everything you’re doing,” Kobori said.
“Everything’s just going to be a little bit more, like the crowd’s going to be a bit bigger, the nerves are going to be a bit bigger, so just be a bit more mindful of what you’re doing. Whether it be breathing, your nutrition, your gym work, your practice and all that.
“That was his advice and I’m going to take it on board.”
Kobori joins fellow Australasians Fox, Cam Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Smith and Lucas Herbert, who also received a special invite, in the field for the 106th PGA Championship.
The 2024 PGA Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
A number of new scholarships have been launched to give more students the opportunity to study at Australia’s only golf registered training organisation, the PGA Institute.
As a leader in education for the golf industry, the PGA Institute prepares students for a successful future, offering distinctive programs that equip students with the essential knowledge and skills required to excel in the broad world of golf.
The new scholarships have been launched to help encourage diversity and inclusion in the golf industry.
PGA of Australia Chief Executive Officer Gavin Kirkman is pleased to support the next generation of golf industry leaders.
“At the PGA Institute, we blend business, golf training, hospitality, and sports education to shape the next generation of golf industry leaders,” he said.
“Our new scholarships pave the way for aspiring professionals seeking excellence in golf management, sport, and business.
“The PGA Institute is a gateway to a career in the golf industry. Our innovative courses, backed by the PGA of Australia, and partnerships with top higher education providers like Griffith, Deakin and Torrens Universities, as well as Holmesglen Institute offer diverse career pathways.”
The new scholarships fall under four distinct areas where the PGA Institute has seen that its support can bolster a robust golf industry for the future.
One area of opportunity is to develop regional golf operations by providing assistance to regional clubs to upskill their staff, and for students residing in regional areas an opportunity to take a step towards working in the golf industry.
Another is to provide an educational pathway for metropolitan Melbourne students to provide recent year 12 graduates the opportunity to study the diploma of Golf Management at the Institute and earn credits for bachelor degrees at Holmesglen Tafe.
The “Achieving Potential” scholarships are focussed on providing Indigenous Australian students the opportunity to study at the Institute, while the final area of focus is on international students and affording them the opportunity to live, work and study in Melbourne.
“Whether you are starting out in the golf industry or want to upskill yourself or your staff our comprehensive programs blend business and management, and golf training expertise. This is an opportunity to progress your career in the sports or management field,” said Kirkman.
To find out more about these new scholarships, and details on the application process, click HERE.
Kazuma Kobori has gained another reward for claiming last season’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, with the Kiwi set to make his major championship debut next week at the PGA Championship.
Following in the footsteps of the previous Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi on the pathway provided for the region’s best players to access the game’s biggest events, Kobori has received a special invitation into the year’s second men’s major.
Micheluzzi made his majors debut in last year’s PGA Championship.
The invitation from the PGA of America was extended due to Kobori’s victory on the season-long points list in Australasia, with the 22-year-old’s outstanding beginning to his professional career and achievements as an amateur clearly not going unnoticed around the world.
After turning professional in November at the Queensland PGA, Kobori claimed three Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia titles in the early months of 2024 on his way to the Order of Merit crown that had already secured him a DP World Tour card for next season.
Planning on commencing his major career at The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon this July, another perk of winning his home Tour’s Order of Merit, the New Zealander was alerted in the early hours of Tuesday morning of his invitation.
The world No.432 is now headed for Kentucky and Valhalla Golf Club with the opportunity to test his game against the world’s best players.
Western Australian amateur Adam Baillie has upstaged a host of Tour winners to claim the 2024 South West Isuzu South West Open at Bunbury Golf Club.
The reigning club champion at Lakelands Country Club in Perth’s northern suburbs, Baillie followed up a round of 3-under 69 on Saturday with 5-under 67 on Sunday to finish level with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regular James Marchesani (68-68) at 8-under par.
The pair squared off in a playoff where Baillie leant on his superb short game to claim victory, Marchesani having to be content with the winner’s prize purse.
Two strokes off the lead after Round 1, The National Tournament winner Cameron John shot 2-under 70 in the second round to finish outright third at 7-under.
Brady Watt (67) and Scott Strange (69) shared fourth spot at 6-under followed by Braden Becker (69), Marcus Fraser (70) and Zach Maxwell, whose 6-under 66 was the round of the tournament.
Third in the Gosnells Open two weeks ago, Baillie is eyeing off a potential move to the US to attend college.
A member at The Vines Resort, and coached by PGA Professional David Harris and Associate Daniel Hoeve, the 21-year-old is proving to be more mentally resilient of late and needed every ounce of it coming down the stretch.
Playing in the final group with John and fellow WA amateur Zach Capelli, Baillie birdied three of his final five holes to match Marchesani’s two-round total.
The next event on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series WA swing is the GMW & Radlink Wembley Pro-Am at Wembley Golf Course on Wednesday.
Ripper GC made it back-to-back wins in Singapore but it was an otherwise week of near misses for Aussies around the world.
Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman both finished two shots back of Brooks Koepka at LIV Golf Singapore, their collective efforts elevating Ripper GC to a three-stroke win in the teams event at Sentosa Golf Club.
“I kind of knew all year that we were going to get the ball rolling at some point,” said Smith, who combined with Leishman to win the teams event in a playoff at LIV Adelaide.
“I think internally that we’re the best team out here, and we’re going to be tough to beat when we all have our best stuff.”
Smith and Leishman were not the only Aussies to come within a whisker of individual success.
Queenslander Scott Hend lost out to Englishman Peter Baker in a playoff at the Barbados Legends on the Legends Tour while Stuart Appleby was denied a shot at a maiden PGA TOUR Champions title by weather.
The self-proclaimed “new kid on the block” with a Legends Tour win already to his name, Hend started the final round tied with Baker at the top of the leaderboard.
He held a two-stroke lead after a birdie at the par-4 15th but fell one behind when he made double-bogey at the par-3 16th to Baker’s birdie.
A birdie at the par-5 18th for the third straight day saw Hend join Baker at 10-under to force the playoff, Baker’s birdie at the first extra hole enough to edge Hend.
Appleby was not afforded that opportunity after rain heavily disrupted play at the Insperity Invitational in Houston.
All 36 holes of the scheduled 54-hole event were played on Saturday, heavy rain preventing any play Sunday as Scott Dunlap was declared champion.
Bettering his previous best finish – a tie for third at 2022 Regions Tradition – Appleby said after play on Saturday that he was coming to terms with what it takes to contend again.
“You’d think as you get older you’d just let it come when it comes and whatever doesn’t, it doesn’t,” said Appleby.
“Just try to get out of my own way, just enjoy the playing, go through my routine.
“When I played my best golf I got stuck into one shot at a time and that is something I have not done well enough.
“If I can boil it down to what the top players out here do, which is that, they really isolate a shot a time or putt at a time.”
Min Woo Lee was the best-placed Australian at the PGA TOUR CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, Junseok Lee finished just outside the top 10 at the Asian Tour event in Korea and Jason Scrivener’s tie for 23rd led the Aussies at the DP World Tour Volvo China Open.
Results
PGA TOUR
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas
1 Taylor Pendrith 64-67-63-67—261 $US1.71 million
T24 Min Woo Lee 66-68-66-69—269 $77,425
T30 Adam Scott 69-65-68-68—270 $52,293
T41 Aaron Baddeley 68-67-67-69—271 $33,725
T52 Harrison Endycott 67-66-71-70—274 $22,406
T59 Jason Day 66-70-71-68—275 $21,375
MC Ryan Fox (NZ) 68-72—140
DP World Tour
Volvo China Open
Hidden Grace GC, Shenzhen, China
Event reduced to 54 holes due to lightning storm
1 Adrian Otaegui 67-66-65—198 €356,293.78
T23 Jason Scrivener 70-70-68—208 €19,596.16
T23 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 67-69-72—208 €19,596.16
MC George Worrall 81-65—146
MC Kieran Muir (NZ) 72-80—152
Asian Tour
GS Caltex Maekyung Open
Namseoul Country Club, Korea
1 Hongtaek Kim 69-65-71-69—274 $US227,790.43
Won on the first hole of sudden-death playoff
T11 Junseok Lee 72-67-70-72—281 $15,322.70
T44 Todd Sinnott 74-66-74-74—288 $5,618.83
T56 Brendan Jones 74-68-73-76—291 $4,403.95
T63 Jack Thompson 71-69-75-79—294 $3,416.86
66 Wonjoon Lee 70-69-78-80—297 $3,037.21
MC Travis Smyth 72-72—144
MC Kevin Chun (NZ) 72-72—144
MC Andrew Dodt 74-71—145
MC Justin Warren 74-71—145
MC Kevin Yuan 73-73—146
MC Deyen Lawson 77-70—147
MC Zach Murray 72-77—149
MC Jed Morgan 77-77—154
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Singapore
Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course), Sentosa, Singapore
1 Brooks Koepka 66-64-68—198 $US4 million
T2 Cameron Smith 71-65-64—200 $1.875 million
T2 Marc Leishman 67-67-66—200 $1.875 million
T27 Lucas Herbert 67-67-74—208 $180,000
T37 Matt Jones 74-68-70—212 $140,333
T49 Danny Lee (NZ) 72-76-69—217 $60,000
Japan Golf Tour
Chunichi Crowns
Nagoya Golf Club (Wago Cse), Aichi
1 Ren Yonezawa 68-67-67-65—267 ¥22 million
T16 Michael Hendry 68-64-73-71—276 ¥1,622,500
T59 Anthony Quayle 72-70-71-75—288 ¥251,900
MC Brad Kennedy 72-73—145
PGA TOUR Champions
Insperity Invitational
The Woodlands CC, The Woodlands, Texas
Event reduced to 36 holes due to rain
1 Scott Dunlap 65-70—135 $US405,000
T2 Stuart Appleby 69-67—136 $216,000
T4 Steven Alker (NZ) 68-69—137 $145,800
T10 Rod Pampling 67-73—140 $58,050
T19 Richard Green 72-70—142 $28,418
T19 Mark Hensby 72-70—142 $28,418
T31 John Senden 71-72—143 $18,225
Legends Tour
Barbados Legends hosted by Ian Woosnam
Apes Hill Barbados, Saint James, Barbados
1 Peter Baker 67-67-69—203
Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff
2 Scott Hend 68-66-69—203
T21 Michael Campbell (NZ) 69-68-76—213
T28 Michael Long (NZ) 77-68-71—216
T45 Peter Fowler 71-73-76—220
Epson Tour
Casino Del Sol Golf Classic
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona
1 Madison Young 69-65-71—205 $37,500
T20 Fiona Xu (NZ) 69-70-71—210 $2,790
T37 Su Oh 71-73-68—212 $1,541
MC Cassie Porter 71-76—147
MC Amelia Garvey 78-74—152
PGA TOUR Americas
KIA Open
Quito Tenis Y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador
Event reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather
1 Thomas Longbella 66-69-65—200 $US40,500
T3 Harry Hillier (NZ) 65-71-67—203
T60 Charlie Hillier (NZ) 72-69-72—213
T71 Jason Hong 72-70-75—217
Royal Fremantle Golf Club amateur Zach Capelli leads a star-studded leaderboard by two strokes entering the final round of the South West Isuzu South West Open at Bunbury Golf Club.
The first event of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series WA swing has drawn a quality field of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regulars but it is Capelli who leads allcomers after a superb round of 7-under 65.
He will start Sunday’s final round with a two-stroke buffer from the most recent winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Cameron John (67), while former PGA TOUR winner Andre Stolz (68) shares third with James Marchesani (68) and Englishman David Andrews (68).
Starting from the 10th tee, Capelli was level with the card when he gave back birdies at 11 and 12 with bogeys at 14 and 15 but played his next 11 holes in 7-under par to take top spot through Round 1.
“I got off to a pretty standard start really,” Capelli said.
“I parred the first and then had birdies on 11 and 12 but a couple of bogeys got me back to square.
“Played solid after that. Hit the ball in the right spot and kept myself on the right side of the hole and rattled off a few birdies, which was nice.”
Capelli had seven birdies in total along with an eagle at the par-5 second where he hit 8-iron for his second shot and proceeded to hole the putt.
John shapes as Capelli’s biggest threat, the Victorian shaking off the rust in his first start since his breakthrough Tour win at The National Tournament in March.
“I haven’t played for a while so it feels like it’s all just coming back to me,” said John, who had seven birdies and two bogeys in his round of 67.
“I just hit driver really well. It felt like a day where I had a lot of opportunities. There were probably a few missed ones but that’s just golf.”
After a short break, John said it was an easy decision to travel to Western Australia for the series of Pro-Ams.
“This Perth Pro-Am swing is one of the best,” he said.
“We always play good courses so coming over from Melbourne really is a no-brainer.
“One of my best friends, Braden Becker, he puts me up, so it’s really simple.”
Veterans Daniel Fox, Marcus Fraser and Scott Strange are in a tie for sixth with Kathryn Norris and amateur Adam Baillie at 3-under followed by Becker, Ryan Peake, Ethan Andrews and amateur Bailey Hampson at 2-under.
The final group of Capelli and John tees off at 12:09pm AWST.
Three weeks focusing on the flatstick paid immediate dividends for Bathurst’s Dylan Thompson who went bogey-free in his two-stroke win in the Campbelltown Golf Club Pro-Am.
Campbelltown Golf Club drew a field littered with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia talent but it was Thompson’s 5-under 65 that shone brightest, two clear of James Conran (67) and Josh Armstrong (67).
Seeking his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win since the Kew Country Club Pro-Am last August, Thompson credited “countless hours” on the practice putting green with his third career victory.
“I hit it well at Yenda and Griffith but putted very poorly,” Thompson said.
“I’ve spent countless hours putting the past few weeks and it showed today.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Starting with birdies at one and four, Thompson was quick to establish his name prominently on the leaderboard.
A string of seven straight pars followed with numerous up-and-downs that would prove crucial in the final wash-up.
The 27-year-old moved to 3-under with a birdie at the par-3 12th but it would be the chip in for eagle at the par-5 13th that ultimately proved the difference.
Conran was the early front-runner with four straight birdies from the second hole but back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11 would halt his momentum.
Armstrong’s challenge came late with birdies at 15 and 16 but he was unable to find the two more he needed to match Thompson’s 5-under total.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“No bogeys, made a lot of up-and-downs, chip-in eagle and holed a lot of short putts.
“I didn’t hit it into any bad spots at all. I always had a shot. Fairways and greens pretty much. Three birdies, an eagle, it was pretty straightforward golf really.
“Hopefully a few solid rounds in the Pro-Am Series, a few Monday pre qualifiers, see how that goes. No real goals at the moment, just play as much as I can around coaching and working in the shop.
“Hopefully a few rounds come together and I can finish high enough on the Order of Merit to move along next year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Dylan Thompson 65
T2 James Conran 67
T2 Josh Armstrong 67
T4 Andrew Evans 68
T4 Jason Perkin 68
T4 Andrew Richards 68
T4 Soo Jin Lee 68
NEXT UP
The WA swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series starts Saturday with the $40,000 South West Isuzu South West Open at Bunbury Golf Club.
Victorian Daniel Gill has won the Victorian PGA Associate Championship in a playoff after a dramatic conclusion to the final round at Club Tocumwal.
Gill birdied the 18th hole of the Captain’s Course at Tocumwal to post a final round of 3-under 69 and 7-under total.
At that point he held the lead in the clubhouse but with 54-hole leader Baxter Droop (Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Resort) standing on the 18th tee at 9-under par, it didn’t look like being enough.
Unfortunately for Droop (73) his tee shot at the 72nd hole sailed out of bounds, the resulting double bogey dropping him to 7-under and tied with Gill.
The two players returned to the 18th hole and it was Gill who immediately took the upper hand.
As he found the fairway, Droop’s tee shot finished in the rough left of the fairway. Droop’s second shot came up short of the green but after chipping up to 12 feet was unable to make the putt for par.
Gill hit his approach to 20 feet on the left side of the green and showed great touch to roll his first putt down to just two feet.
With the championship there for the taking, Gill stepped in, holed his putt for par and claimed the biggest win in his two years in the Membership Pathway Program.
“This is my 12th win as a PGA Associate but my first major win,” said a jubilant Gill.
“Being four shots back standing on 17, I knew I had to birdie the last to have a chance but I didn’t think it would lead to a playoff.
“I would like to thank my home club, Peninsula Kingswood, who have been more than accommodating with my playing.
“They have allowed me to go part-time so I can spend more time on my playing career, which I’m very thankful for.”
Gill also paid credit to the team at Club Tocumwal for the presentation of the golf course and hospitality extended by everyone during the week.
“The course has been unreal every year and keeps getting better and better,” he added.
“I played golf as a junior here and so it was something special to take the win.”
The only player without an over-par round all week, Sheradyn Johnson (The National Golf Club) missed the playoff by just one stroke, ending her week with a round of 1-under 71 and 6-under total.
Damon Stephenson (69) and Jack Wright (73) shared fourth spot while Adam Naaman and Adam Migur shared the best score in the final round with rounds of 5-under 67.
Murray River local Baxter Droop has come within a whisker of setting a new course record as he assumed top spot at the Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Club Tocumwal on Thursday.
Completing the Membership Pathway Program under his father, Evan Droop, at Yarrawonga Mulwala Resort just 30 minutes up the Murray, Droop surged to a two-stroke lead with a superb 8-under 64 in Round 3.
That was just one short of the course record at the Captain’s Course but, at 8-under heading into the final round, provides a handy two-shot buffer from 36-hole leader Jack Wright (72).
Sheradyn Johnson (70) is third at 5-under followed by Daniel Gill (68) with Toby Walker (67) and Joseph Hodgson (69) in a tie for fifth at 3-under.
Trailing Wright by seven shots after Round 2, Droop was just 2-under on his round as he made the turn. From there he threw the after-burners to max, making six birdies in his next eight holes with what he claimed was a very simple strategy.
“Just focused on hitting fairways, as cliché as it sounds,” Droop said.
“Spent some time on the range concentrating on my driver and 3-wood to get myself in the best positions off the tee.”
Late on day three it appeared likely that there would be a tie at the top heading into the final round, only for Wright to drop shots at each of his final two holes in his round of 72.
The NSW/ACT Associate champion in 2023, Wright looms as Droop’s greatest threat as he seeks to go two better than his third-place finish in this event 12 months ago.
Although he will start the final round seven shots off the lead, Victorian Associate Noah Best has produced one of the most remarkable performances of the championship.
An opening round of 9-over 81 put Best in a difficult position to make the cut but back-to-back rounds of 5-under 67 will see him start the final round inside the top 10 and in red figures.
Queensland’s Jack Wright has his sights set on a second state Associate Championship after establishing a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the Victorian PGA Associate Championship at Tocumwal Golf Club.
In a dominant first season in 2023, Wright claimed the NSW/ACT Associate Championship and finished runner-up in his home state.
With rounds of 71-67 at Tocumwal’s Captain’s Course, Wright leads at 6-under par, one stroke clear of Damon Stephenson (69-70) with Sheradyn Johnson (69-72) from The National Golf Club two strokes further back in outright third at 3-under
Trailing Baxter Droop by three after Round 1, Wright started his second round from the 10th hole and soared up the leaderboard with three straight birdies from the 12th hole.
He dropped a shot on 18 but it would be only a temporary setback, picking up shots on his inward nine at four, six and nine to shoot 5-under and assume top spot.
Stephenson had five birdies and three bogeys in his second round of 2-under 70 while Johnson bounced back impressively after starting day two with a double bogey. She played her back nine in 3-under 33 to remain in the hunt heading into Round 3.
Joining Wright, Zac Wood and Noah Best with the equal best round of the tournament to date was NSW Associate Cameron Shearer, who shot an impressive 6-under par 30 on his back nine to sit in a tie for sixth and just five shots off the lead.
Runner-up 12 months ago, Joel Mitchell is in a tie for fourth after rounds at 74-68, level with Wood at 2-under.
The cut fell at 7-over with 56 Associates advancing to the final two rounds.
Those in the Murray River region are welcome to watch some superb golf live in person or you can follow the live scores here.
