Kazuma Kobori made his first mistake on day three after 52 flawless holes. Photo / Photosport
Kazuma Kobori made his first mistake on day three after 52 flawless holes. Photo / Photosport
Amateur Kazuma Kobori is once again leading the Kiwi charge at the New Zealand Open after three rounds — but one disastrous hole will leave him with a bit more work to catch the leader.
Kobori, along with the rest of the New Zealand hopefuls, will be chasing new Australian leader Shae Wools-Cobb, who went low again to take a two-shot lead into the final round over fellow Queenslander Christopher Wood.
Wools-Cobb backed up his hot seven-under on day two with a six-under 65 to put himself in a strong position to claim his maiden professional victory.
Kobori continued to play some of the best golf of his amateur career, carding a three-under 68 to remain the top Kiwi at 12-under in a tie for seventh — five shots behind Wools-Cobb.
But after managing to stay bogey free for 52 holes, the 21-year-old double bogeyed on the 17th after finding the water, a mistake he says he would like to quickly “erase from the memory”.
“I played well. That sucks making double man,” a still jovial Kobori said after his round. “I was just bogey free for f***ing 52 holes and just made a double, not even a bogey.
“But then again ... you can’t be too disappointed and just go from there.”
Kazuma Kobori still believes he has a shot at chasing down the lead. Photo / Photosport
A birdie on the last hole made his first blemish feel slightly better, and Kobori believes he still has a shot at the title.
“That birdie on the last helps. Four or five [shots], we can make that work probably. What’s past is past right? I would love to have that double back, but just moving forward, put my best foot forward and see where it takes me.
“I’m playing well and that’s the best part.”
Kobori and the rest of the field will need to step it up to chase down Wools-Cobb, who still managed one of the best rounds of the day despite increasing late wind and a long wait for slower groups ahead.
“It was kind of hard,” he said about his round. “I was hitting it nicely and I think I had five birdies in a row and then I don’t even know how long the wait was, but it felt like it was an hour.
“I had a pretty easy par five and not birdieing that was a little bit of a dampener. But I’m pretty proud of the way I made a few birdies coming in.”
Wools-Cobb is hoping for more of the same on Sunday as he faces unknown territory.
“Pretty much just the same as how I’ve been going,” he said of his approach for tomorrow. “It’s my first time doing it (leading into the final round). It’s exciting and I’m in a pretty good head space at the moment.”
Shae Wools-Cobb in action during day three of the New Zealand Open. Photo / Photosport
Japan’s Terumichi Kakazu is three shots back in third, while Aussie trio Brendan Jones, Rhein Gibson and Scott Hend share a tie for fourth at 13-under.
2017 champion Michael Hendry, the last New Zealander to have his name on the Brodie Breeze trophy, is within touching distance at 11-under after a strong six-under 65, while Daniel Hillier, Kiwi amateur Sam Jones and Queenstown local Ben Campbell are in a six-way tie for 12th at 10-under.
Like many of the New Zealanders hoping to break the recent Aussie run of winners at the Open, Hillier believes it could take “something special” to catch the lead — but as the scoring showed throughout the week, anything can happen at Millbrook, especially as the pressure ramps up on the final day.
“I think it’s going to take something special,” Hillier said. “Just got to stick to my game plan and see how well I can execute it tomorrow ... but nothing’s impossible out here.”
