ROOKIE PARADE
There seems to have been a plethora of young players recently who have hit the ground running upon moving into the pro ranks. Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg comes to mind as does 20-year-old American Rose Zhang.
The following newly minted pros will all be gunning to start their professional careers with the same authority as their international counterparts.
The big-name locals joining the play-forpay ranks will continue to ply their trade on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and have the carrot of the Order of Merit and the potential of gaining a DP World Tour card dangling in front of them.
finished in a tie for ninth on professional debut at the Queensland PGA Championship. Hailing from the small town of Rangiora, some 40 minutes’ drive north of Christchurch, it has been one-way traffic during his amateur career, the Kiwi claiming titles all around the globe.
Kobori might not be the longest or strongest player to join the pro ranks, but he hits it gun-barrel straight. He keeps himself out of trouble, has a mature head on his shoulders and (as you will find out) is an unbelievably good putter. I won’t jump the gun and say it is world-class just yet, but it isn’t far away.
As mentioned, Kobori’s amateur record is impressive, to say the least. Last year, he won the Western Amateur at North Shore Country Club in the U.S. Victory there saw the then 21-year-old claim Elite Amateur Series championship, which grants him a tee time in a PGA Tour event (yet to be announced), a Korn Ferry Tour event and final qualifying for the U.S Open this year.
So, he has some lucrative starts in the States to look forward to, but the amateur accolades don’t come close to stopping there.
Last year, he became the second New Zealander to be the leading individual at the Eisenhower Trophy, following in Phil Tataurangi’s footsteps. He also was the