Masanori Kobayashi wins the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in style
Masanori Kobayashi produced a magical performance in the final round of the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, to take home his first ever Asian Tour title on Sunday, September 23, 2012.
The US$1.9 million event was being played at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club and was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour.
The Asian Tour rookie stunned his opponents in the field by matching the second best nine-hole score on the tour. He drained a total of five birdies and a sparkling eagle on the front nine for a seven-under par score before the turn.
The back nine of the course witnessed him add another three shots to his scorecard while conceding only a single bogey.
At the end of the round, he settled for a nine-under par 62, which took him to the top of the leaderboard, with a 17-under par overall score.
In the meantime, his Japanese compatriot Koumei Oda carded a 16-under par tournament score and held the second position. Masamichi Uehira was further two strokes back and took the third spot on the leaderboard.
Kobayashi, who earned the Asian Tour card for the first time in his career, was pleased to record a debut victory on the tour.
While talking to the reporters, he stated that he always wanted to play and win on the Asian Tour. Therefore, it was like a dream come true for the 36-year-old.
“My dream was always to win on the Asian Tour and in Japan and I’ve enjoyed the best of both Tours. This is indeed a very happy occasion in my career,” he said.
Standing on the last green, the Japanese star had the chance to turn in the ball for a birdie. However, he missed the cup and tapped in for a par.
That was a time when Oda had the opportunity to force the game to enter the playoffs with a birdie, which he missed in the end.
“When I missed that putt, I thought I was going to be in a play-off with Koumei (Oda). I was very nervous until fans started coming over and congratulating me because Oda made par on 18,” he smiled.
The victory also earned him the winner’s cheque of US$381,000 and he is now eligible to play each of the next Asian Tour events this year.
“This win does so much for me because I get to play in all the events on the Asian Tour. There are many big events coming up so this win puts me in good position,” added Kobayashi.
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