Nerves? Forget it.
Canterbury amateur Kazuma Kobori couldn’t be more laid back as he heads into the weekend leading the Kiwi charge at the $1.7 million New Zealand Open.
The 21-year-old is tied for fourth at nine-under the card through two rounds at Arrowtown’s Mllbrook Resort, three shots behind Australian leader Chris Wood after his second round 67 on the par-71 Coronet course.
But you’d be wrong if you thought Kobori, who hails from Rangiora and won the New Zealand PGA Championship in 2019 as a 17-year-old, is daunted by what’s ahead the next two days.
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In fact, he believes being an amateur, one who won the Australian Amateur Championship in January, might just be an advantage.
“Hopefully I will go pro at some stage. It’s a weird one, because would you have played the same if money was on the line?” Kobori asked, knowing if he goes on to win the event he won’t pocket the $297,000.
“There is no hard and fast answers to that question. I’m just happy with where I’m at. I”m just going to keep playing golf, whether it be amateur or pro and see where it takes me.”
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Kazuma Kobori is just three shots off the NZ Open lead headed into the weekend.
While the majority of players from the afternoon groups had difficulty with the increasingly gusty wind, including Kiwis Steven Alker (tied for 12th) and Daniel Hillier (tied for 26th), Kobori kept his card clean for a second straight day.
He hit 12 of 14 fairways and knocked in four birdies on Friday, not that it came without its challenges.
“I had a shot where I was literally trying to hit it 220m and it’s gone 270m because it was sheltered by the hill or something. I didn’t feel it. Stuff like that you just have to be mindful of, which I will take into tomorrow,” he said.
“I nearly dropped a shot on No 1 today (he started his round on the 415m par four 11), flared one into the tussock on the right, hacked it out but hit a wedge to three feet. That kept the momentum right up there. Then I birded the next.”
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Australian Christopher Wood stretches during day two of the NZ Open in Arrowtown.
Having finished six over the card when he played the 2020 New Zealand Open, Kobori admitted he came into this year’s event simply aiming to be in play at the weekend.
On a day low scoring ensured the cut was four-under, he did so comfortably and is the only Kiwi inside the top-10 at the halfway mark.
However, fellow Kiwis Alker, who had a solid day but couldn’t get his putts to drop, Harry Hillier, Gareth Paddison and Ben Campbell are in a share of 12th a couple of shots back.
“No, I don’t think so,” Kobori said when asked if he faced nerves ahead of the weekend.
“I’ve played a fair amount of Australasian tour events and what not in Japan as well. I mean, who knows? Golf is weird, I might pull up tomorrow and be nervous, but I think I should just be fine.”
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Australian Christopher Wood holds a one-stroke lead headed into the weekend of the NZ Open.
Fresh from firing a sizzling opening round 61, Queenslander Wood kept his nose in front with a 2-under 69 on the Coronet course.
But his one-stroke lead over fellow Australian Shae Wools-Cobb was looking significantly healthier before a dusty finish.
He’d gone 31 holes with a clean card before making bogey and double bogey within the space of three holes.
“It got a little bit gusty… I actually hit quite a good seven iron into that par 3, just caught the left bunker, didn’t make up and down. Then my right foot slipped in the bunker on the fairway trap on eight, and I just hit in the hazard.
“It wasn’t like I hit bad shots, I just had maybe a little bit of unlucky breaks here and there.”
Amongst those to miss the cut were previous champions Dimitrios Papadatos and Matthew Griffin, and Kiwis Mark Brown and Josh Geary.
AT A GLANCE
130: Chris Wood (Aus)
131: Shae Wools-Cobb (Aus)
132: Scott Hend (Aus)
133: Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Jaewoong Eom (Kor), Terumich Kakazu (Jpn), John Lyras (Aus)
