Kazuma Kobori wins Webex Players Series Murray River

Kiwi Kazuma Kobori has buried the demons of a ultimate spherical collapse on the Victorian PGA Championship to finish a two-stroke victory on the Webex Gamers Sequence Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Membership.

Admitting that his three-stroke in a single day lead made for a stressed evening’s sleep, Kobori conquered scorching and blustery situations at Cobram Barooga’s Outdated Course to shut with a 3-under par spherical of 68 and 21-under whole.

That was sufficient to carry off a spirited cost from Singapore’s Shannon Tan (65) in her maiden occasion as an expert with older sister Momoka Kobori (68) tied for third with Aussie pair Aaron Wilkin (68) and Andrew Martin (69).

Though Kono Matsumoto (8-iron, 134 metres) and Zach Murray (pitching wedge, 151 metres) each made hole-in-ones on the par-3 ninth on Sunday, low scores had been the exception to the rule.

Tan and Jake McLeod returned the day’s greatest with rounds of 6-under 65, Kobori having to regulate his pre-round technique of persistence being his best advantage.

“Firstly I did assume I used to be going to only attempt to reap the benefits of the par 5s and dangle on however quickly realised that Shannon was shifting up fairly rapidly,” Kobori conceded.

“That technique modified fairly rapidly.”

After a birdie on the par-5 first, a poor chip on the par-4 second was the primary squeeze of strain positioned on the 22-year-old.

With Ashley Lau in tight on the again pin, Kobori was pressured to stare down a 15-foot putt for par to maintain his benefit from all however disappearing.

“That one was huge as a result of Ashley hit it in shut and I used to be like, She’s most likely going to make that,” mentioned Kobori.

“I flubbed my chip and I used to be like, we will’t have a two-shot swing this early within the spherical.

“Holed that, gave it a wee fist pump in order that was good after which went from there.”

Birdies at six and 10 ensured Kobori had a three-shot buffer for a lot of the afternoon.

A 3-putt for bogey on 11 – simply his fourth bogey of the week – briefly gave Tan and others a glimpse on the prime of the leaderboard, his birdie from the perimeter on 12 restoring a two-shot benefit with six to play.

Six pars would show to be sufficient, sister Momoka joined by fellow Kiwi Hanee Tune and younger South Australian Jack Buchanan in showering her youthful brother in champagne.

“It was simply nerve-wracking as a result of I had that have at Moonah, blew a six-shot lead,” Kobori mentioned of his ultimate spherical of 77 at Moonah Hyperlinks in November.

“However I realised that it doesn’t change my life. It’s simply one other spherical of golf and having that have freed me up in the present day to have the ability to unleash on each single shot.”

Sunday’s win is Kobori’s second on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia having gained the 2019 New Zealand PGA Championship as a 17-year-old beginner.

It was that have that he drew upon to earn his first victory as an expert.

“It does really feel like a lifetime in the past as a result of quite a bit has modified since then nevertheless it’s one thing that I nonetheless draw confidence from too,” mentioned Kobori, who turned skilled on the Queensland PGA Championship final November.

“I’ve completed it as soon as, why can’t I do it once more.”

Making his first look within the Webex All Skills Gamers Sequence, Wayne Perske shot rounds of 80-71 to win the Murray River leg by seven pictures from defending champion Cameron Pollard.

Within the Webex Junior Gamers Sequence, Nicholas Horvath produced two very good rounds of 70-68 for a 4-under whole, six away from Shepparton junior Bailey Goodall with Australian Newbie runner-up Amelia Harris third.