It was bit of a pity that in a week when the sports media in this country was endlessly infatuated with the ongoing struggles of Liam Lawson as he tried to improve his very poor showings in his first two Formula One outings, another talented young sportsman from this country, golfer Kazuma Kobori, achieved a major milestone on the DP World Tour but was largely ignored by the media here.
Playing in the Singapore Classic, Kobori ripped apart the course with 9 birdies in his final round which saw him surge from near the back of the field into 9 th place overall, his first top ten finish in this the game’s second biggest Tour. A pity really that it received such scant attention back here. However in NZ golfing circles, this achievement in his first year on the DP World Tour will have brought much joy and was widely praised.
His only blemish unfortunately for him came on his last hole where he made bogey.
Statistically there was indeed much to admire in Kobori’s final round. His 25 putts were the lowest total of anyone in the field. His 8 under par 64 was also the lowest score posted by anyone in the field and just for good measure he was Number One on that last day in scrambling.
Kobori’s real strength is his accuracy off the tee. After 9 tournaments this season, he stands as the 3rd most accurate driver on this Tour. Ironically in Singapore he was ranked only the 19th most accurate off the tee.
He certainly isn’t a big hitter, averaging around only 265 meters or 288 yards with his driver, leaving him 150th in driving distance. However it’s abundantly clear from these stats that his ability to find the fairway off the tee is more than compensating for his shorter hitting power. As every golfer knows, it’s always easier to hit the green from the fairway than the rough.
Also it should not be forgotten that his 9th place finish earned him E43,000, boosting his season earnings now to E123,000. These are figures you wouldn’t expect from a rookie in his first year on a Tour as big as this one. A few more performances like this will, I’m sure, make the media back here sit up and take notice of this exciting young Kiwi golfing talent.
Also competing in Singapore was Daniel Hillier, the more highly ranked of the two Kiwis competing on the DP World Tour. Hillier finished 4 shots behind Kobori in a tie for 37 th place.
Meanwhile in Florida, Ryan Fox, competing in the Valspar Championship on the USPGA Tour, had another mixed week. He started well with a 3 under par 68 which had him in 8 th place after Round 1. Things didn’t go anywhere near as well on Day 2. After a double bogey and 2 bogeys, Foxy thankfully snatched a late birdie which saw him make the cut by 1 stroke. Another 3 over 74 in Round Three saw him wallowing near the tail of the field. A return to somewhere near his best with a final 2 under 69 saw him finish in a tie for 42 nd place. Ryan’s form of late has seen him start well but unable to keep that form going for 4 rounds. That, no doubt, will be something Foxy and his team will be prioritising.
This week the itinerant DP World Tour touches down in New Delhi for the Indian Open.
Also the USLPGA returns this week after a 3-week break, following the Asian swing during February and early March. Hopefully Lydia Ko will be back in action and keen to continue her outstanding early season form.
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