New Zealand's Kazuma Kobori one step closer to PGA TOUR dream

He matched Tiger Woods’ mark of three wins in his first 10 starts as a professional. Now rising Kiwi star Kazuma Kobori will take the next step toward making his PGA TOUR dream a reality.

Kobori was crowned the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner on Sunday after a rookie season in which he won three times in four weeks. As a reward, Kobori will have an exemption on the DP World Tour for the 2025 season and take his place among the heroes he used to watch on TV at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Through his management company, SPORTFIVE, Kobori has received tournament invites to play the Hero Indian Open and the ISPS HANDA Championship in the next six weeks, giving him a glimpse into what to expect at the highest level. Although his focus is squarely on the DP World Tour, he is one step closer to the realization of a dream that, as a kid growing up in New Zealand, was somewhat far-fetched.

“When you’re a kid, when you just start golf, you’re like, 'I want to make it on the PGA TOUR,'” said Kobori. "But as you keep playing golf, you soon realize that the reality is that 0.003% of golfers make it onto the PGA TOUR. Then you go from wanting to do it to, 'This is actually going to be pretty hard.' There was definitely a realization and a bit of doubt that, 'Can I really do this?' When you’re 14, 15, it could go so many different ways.

“My coach told me to just keep putting in the work, don’t think too far ahead or really put much pressure on what you’re doing when you’re 14, 15. That was good advice from him and that’s what I keep doing, just keep plugging away. I was a good junior golfer, but I wasn’t like a superstar. Until my last year of amateur golf, I was never really a world-beater either so it’s pretty good to see that the work I have been putting in has paid off.”

A Western Amateur victory at North Shore Country Club (Glenview, Illinois) was part of a stellar finish to his amateur career that also included the Australian Amateur and individual honors at the Eisenhower Trophy in Abu Dhabi. He turned professional after finishing sixth at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last October and in his second start in the pro ranks, let a six-shot lead slip in the final round of the Victorian PGA Championship.

The 22-year-old returned in the new year determined to make amends, winning three Webex Players Series events in four weeks in Australia to all but wrap up the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

He also won Rookie of the Year, a roll call of winners that now boasts Min Woo Lee and Haydn Barron.

But he will have precious little time to reflect, his first DP World Tour start since winning the Order of Merit now just a week away.

“It’s actually really nice because I basically get a free run at it,” said Kobori after closing out his rookie season at The National Tournament. "I can almost play those and see how it goes. Having played those, I will be better for when my exemption category through this Order of Merit starts. Really looking forward to it.”