A tournament that was reduced to three rounds due to the torrential rain that saturated the course early in the week was ultimately decided over a three-hole playoff, Pike’s approach shot to two feet securing his third ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia title.

Starting the day with a three-shot advantage, Pike made a par save at his opening hole but the putter that served him so well in Saturday’s round of seven-under 62 was less responsive in the final round.

There were birdie putts that failed to drop at six, seven, eight and nine, holes that Kobori took full advantage of to take a three-shot lead into the back nine.

Bogeys by Kobori at 11 and 14 kept the chasing pack within reach but as Lawry Flynn (67) and Ben Wharton (68) threatened to post a number only to both drop a shot at the closing hole, it was always set to be a two-person showdown.

Pike birdied 13 and 16, Kobori edged ahead with birdies at 15 and 17 but a birdie miss on the 72nd hole from three feet opened the door for Pike to force a playoff.

His approach shot into the final hole plunged into the rough at the back of the 18th green but a chip shot to five feet and successful par putt ensured the tournament would be extended into additional holes, the two leaders tied at eight-under.

Both failed to find the fairway with their tee shots yet Pike threaded a brilliant approach around a tree to just 12 feet behind the hole as Kobori found the front edge.

Pike’s birdie try just missed on the low side and when Kobori holed out from four feet the playoff went to a second hole.

They were both successful in finding the fairway at their second attempt and traded pars once again, Pike two-putting from the front edge as Kobori’s birdie attempt from the left side of the green stayed on the high side of the hole.

But it was Pike’s laser-like approach to two feet at the third extra hole that earned the 36-year-old the title, a title he admits would have eluded him not so long ago.

“I didn’t feel like I was doing much wrong to be honest,” Pike said of his front nine of two-over 37.

“I wasn’t hitting bad shots. I probably wasn’t hitting great shots but I certainly wasn’t hitting bad shots and then when I gave myself chances they just weren’t dropping.

“Six, seven, eight, nine, I had really good looks on all four of those holes but that’s golf.

“The old me probably would have got headless and started blowing up and maybe had two or three-over for the day but I just kept plugging away.

“That’s the key with me. If I can stay patient and stay in the moment, good things can happen.”

Kobori was seeking to join her younger brother Kazuma as a PGA Tour of Australasia winner and showed remarkable composure for a 22-year-old so young in her career.

Even as she and Pike went back-and-forth in the playoff she barely flinched, only succumbing when Pike produced the knockout shot on the third extra hole.

“I couldn’t believe she was four-under through nine. I don’t know what golf course she was playing,” Pike said.

“She’s obviously playing like a gun at the moment. She’s been top-10 in everything that’s been on.

“It’s a matter of time until she wins, not if.

“I said that when I played with her at Rosebud. Don’t think I said it to her but I said it to a few of the other guys, I said, she’s winning, and she’s going to do it quick.

“It’s a shame she didn’t get over the line this time but I’m sure it’s happening.”

The TPS Junior Players Series Hunter Valley also went extra holes, Newcastle’s Ella Scaysbrook winning at the second playoff hole over Long Reef Golf Club’s Chun-Ta Wu.