Three-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournament winner Kazuma Kobori is off to his third major championship after qualifying for The Open at Royal Birkdale.
FROM THE VAULT: ‘I am such a nobody so it’s pretty much a free crack at The Open’
The 2023-2024 Order of Merit champion finished tied for second after two rounds at the West Lancashire qualifying event, helped by a seven-under-par 65 in the second round.
Kobori finished at nine-under to claim his spot at The Open which will be held from July 16-19.
He joins Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier as Kiwis in the field at Royal Birkdale in his third major appearance after missing cuts at the PGA Championship and The Open in 2024.
“It feels incredible to have qualified for The Open. I played really good golf out there and I felt like I deserved it,” Kobori said.
“The second round, I felt more familiar with the golf course. I was able to read the greens better and see how the bunkers played. I got used to the links conditions and played the tougher holes better.
“I played Troon two years ago and I really loved the experience there. All my friends on the DP World Tour have already qualified and they were just waiting for me so it’s great to have made it happen.”
Unfortunately none of the Australians competing in Final Qualifying advanced to The Open where the Aussie contingent includes Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Elvis Smylie, Travis Smyth and Cam John.
The best-placed in qualifying was Austin Bautista, who finished T-7 at Royal Cinque Ports, two shots off the score needed to feature in a playoff to advance.
