Kobori outfoxes the blokes in historic win
Rising golf prospect Momoka Kobori beat European Tour star Ryan Fox to make history as the first female winner of amixed field New Zealand PGA event.
The 21-year-old from Rangiora tied for first place with Harry Bateman at lastweekend’s 36-hole Whitford Park Pro Amin Auckland.
Bateman started the day with a four-shot lead over Kobori, but the Canterbury golfer quickly narrowed the gap.
Kobori startedwith a bogey but made three birdies to turn at two-under while Bateman mixed in two birdies with two bogeys to turn at even par.
Neither knew where the other stood so it was amatter of play what was in front of you and try to get to the finish line first.
Bateman stumbled, making bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes before a par on the last to sign for a one-over 72 and an eight-under total. Kobori, on the other side of the course, made a crucial birdie on the eighth hole (her 17th) and signed for a three-under 68 and an eight-under total.
Dongwoo Kang, Tae Koh and Kieran Muir all tied for third placewith a total of sevenunder. Koh had the round of the day with a six-under 65, while Kang and Muir shot 67 and 68 respectively.
Fox and anotherwellcredentialed golfer, Gareth Paddison, were among those two shots behind Kobori and Bateman.
Kobori also left the 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic champion Mark Brown and former New Zealand Eisenhower Trophy amateur representative Daniel Hillier in her wake, with both finishing three-under for the two rounds.
Kobori, who graduated from a golf scholarship at Pepperdine University in California, has been mixing it with male rivals on the domestic Charles Tour this season.
She told Locker Room in November that she ‘‘enjoys playing against the guys’’.
‘‘There aren’t too many places in the worldwhere women can test themselves against the guys in the same field in a competitive tournament’’.
Twenty-nine pros shot under par at thewhitford Park tournament which marked the start to the 2021 season.
The next Proamevent is at Hastings on January 25.
Kobori has been mixing it with male rivals on the domestic Charles Tour this season.