Momoka Kobori has Japan Tour in her sights

Caption: Canterbury golfer Momoka Kobori who has been playing well in Australia recently.

By Neville Idour

Having enjoyed some excellent results in Australia in recent weeks it was refreshing to catch up with the 22-year-old Cantabrian Momoka Kobori and learn about her outstanding golf career to date.

So when did she first play this great game?

“I started playing golf when I was 12 years old at Rangiora Golf Club in Christchurch.

``Ladies were running coaching sessions there. So I went along to them, then I began getting coaching from club professional Peter Giles. It was great because we had quite a few events for juniors to play in.”

Progression was quick and when she was a 15- and 16-year-old she when playing events in Australia in the New Zealand golf team. Also she was good enough to play all the national events in New Zealand as well as begin playing New Zealand’s Charles Tour. It took just around three years to go from learner to a scratch golfer. Testament to her talent.

Kobori was schooled at Rangiora High and finished year 12 in 2016. She played many sports as a youngster.

``Soccer was the main one, plus basketball, swimming and track and field which were easy to play when at school. Golf won out though.

“In 2016 when I was 17 I went to the USA and Pepperdine University, California, on a golf scholarship. It was a four-year scholarship.

``The process was pretty straightforward. With the help of my parents we contacted some of the schools I was looking at as possibilities. I got replies from Pepperdine and a couple of others. I got the chance to play some events there a year before I went over. So I was able to visit the campus and meet the coach as well as one of my teammates, which was good.

“I really liked what I saw so picked a degree I wanted to pursue which was sports medicine. It was nice to find something I wanted to do. The days were busy with team workouts in the morning. Classes were throughout the day. There would be practice in the afternoons usually and golf, depending on the schedule. Usually classes would go from about 8am to 1pm.”

Clearly there was no sleeping in with breakfast and workouts before 8am.

Kobori’s team was in division one and there were up to 12 events a year. While they played individually their results contributed to the team score. The school term goes from August to early December then three weeks holidays. Then it goes from January to May.

“During the three month summer period we could play in events of our choosing. So I played the Canadian Amateur in a strong field and a few other tournaments in various places. While there were no outstanding results I did have a win at a New Mexico tournament for the team plus a couple of top five finishes.

“The reason I chose Pepperdine was because of the chance to play against all the top schools which attract a lot of the best players.”

So what was the goal after Pepperdine?

“I was thinking of going to q-school in Japan. But at the time it was a tough option with the covid travel restrictions. My flight home from Los Angeles was the last one to New Zealand. Two days after I returned we went into the level four lockdown.

“At this point I needed to find a job so I started my traineeship with the NZPGA (New Zealand Professional Golfers’ Asscoation). I finished my first year as a trainee professional at Pegasus in Christchurch in December 2021. Doing the coaching and playing means I can play pro-ams and the Charles Tour as a professional. “

What about goals now and long term?

“I am again looking at going to q-school in Japan. I would like to play the Japan Tour rather than go to the US now. However the states would be the ultimate goal. At present the USA would be much more expensive for travel and going to q-school. Whereas Japan is a pretty small country and it is easy to get around. There are plenty of events I can play if I get on to the LPGA circuit. Of course I can speak the language which is a wee bonus. So I hope this will happen in August and September 2022.”

There are three stages of the q-school. The first is the pro test stage to see who might qualify for the two main stages. Each is four rounds so it is a testing programme.

Kobori is enjoying success in Australia in a fine start to 2022 which will give her confidence that her goals are achievable. She is a young lady with a clear plan and her ducks in a row