Kazuma Kobori headlines Kiwi contingent at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Kazuma Kobori believes New Zealand has the best chance of finally etching a Kiwi name on the trophy this week.

A place in The Masters and The Open Championship is all that is holding Kazuma Kobori back from transitioning into the professional game.

He won the Australasian Tour Q-School earlier in the year and has status should he wish to turn professional. However, a victory at this week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne will earn him a spot in the field for the two major championships, an opportunity that is too good for the 30th-ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) in the world to pass up, especially given his current form.

Last week, Kobori, who celebrates his 22nd birthday this week, won the individual competition at the Eisenhower Trophy, becoming the second New Zealander after Phil Tataurangi in 1992. He’s also added the Australian Amateur Championship, the Western Amateur Championship, and the Elite Amateur Series to his growing trophy cabinet and says a victory this week would mean a lot.

“My track record at this event hasn’t been very good. Obviously, I’m looking to change that this week. I’ve won the Western Amateur and the Australian Amateur this year, but winning this one might just top those two.”

He understandably fancies his chances on the famous Melbourne Sandbelt course. He’s the third highest-ranked amateur in the field this week behind Japan’s Yuta Sugiura (15) and China’s Wenyi Ding (17) and beat four of the top five ranked amateurs in the world last week’s World Amateur Team’s Championship.

He says his game feels great but will need to adapt to the vastly different playing conditions and golf course if he wants to hoist the Asia-Pacific Amateur trophy.

“I played really nicely last week, but we’ve obviously got completely different conditions this week. I think we’ve lost like twenty degrees in temperature, which is something I’ll need to consider.

“It’s a great field and a great course. I’m looking forward to getting underway.”

Should he fall short of winning this week, Kobori will turn professional immediately and begin the next chapter of his golfing career at the Queensland PGA Championship in Brisbane next week.

He says he is in a favourable position in his golfing career.

“If I fall short this week, I’ll be heading straight to Brisbane for the Queensland PGA, where I’ll make my professional debut. It’s a win-win situation for me – if I win this tournament, I get the privilege of playing two major championships, and if I don’t, then I get a head start on my professional career. Either way, it helps me to not have as much pressure, which hopefully, will help me perform a bit better.”

Kobori is one of seven New Zealanders in the field for the 14th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Other Kiwis joining him in the field in pursuit of a couple of major starts are his World Amateur Teams Championship teammates Sam Jones and Jayden Ford, alongside Joshua Bai, Zack Swanwick, Jimmy Zheng, and Mako Thompson.

Kobori believes New Zealand has the best chance of finally etching a Kiwi name on the trophy this week.

“If it’s not me, I hope it’s one of them.”

Kiwi Round 1 tee times (NZ time):

Zack Swanwick: 10.14am off 9th tee.

Jimmy Zheng: 10.25am off 9th tee.

Kazuma Kobori: 10.47am off 9th tee.

Sam Jones: 10.58am off 9th tee.

Jayden Ford: 10.58am off 1st tee.

Joshua Bai: 3.58pm off 9th tee.

Mako Thompson: 3.58pm off 1st tee.