Sure to attract plenty of support from the local fans, the contingent includes Kazuma Kobori, Michael Hendry, Nick Voke, Kerry Mountcastle, Josh Geary and Tyler Hodge – all established winners on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.<\/p>\n
Leading the group is Kobori, a DP World Tour member who enjoyed a breakout season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in 2023\/34, winning three tournaments and the Order of Merit title.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t had a chance to play in a big professional tournament in Auckland before so it’s something I\u2019m really looking forward to,\u201d Kobori said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had plenty of Kiwi winners on the Tour in the last few years. Hopefully one of us can get this title at the first attempt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick Voke, who balances playing professional golf with a burgeoning online golf presence, is a member at Royal Auckland & Grange and would love to win on his home course.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m excited to see how they set it up. If they wanted to, even-par could win it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’ll be a few of us home members there. I’ll be one of them and I’m thrilled it’s there. It’s a proper championship course. I’m playing well. Who knows?.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hendry, Kobori and Hodge are all previous winners of the NZ PGA Championship, with Hendry also having a NZ Open title on his outstanding career record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t had a chance to play in a big professional tournament in Auckland before so it’s something I\u2019m really looking forward to.\u201d – Kazuma Kobori.<\/p>\n
PGA of Australasia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship, co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour, would be an outstanding event to finish the three-week swing of professional events in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic to see such a high-quality group of New Zealand professionals committing to the inaugural ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship,\u201d Dastey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a strong presence on our Tour. Each of these players has proven themselves as a winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, showing the depth of talent coming out of New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n \u00a9 Golf Australia. All rights reserved.
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