Smyth wins JAC title, Kobori best Kiwi
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Australian Travis Smyth has won the inaugural ISPS HANDA Japan Australasia Championship at Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club, making a birdie on the sixth sudden death hole.
Smyth finished ahead of countryman Jack Thompson to win the final tournament of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s three-week stretch in New Zealand.
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The pair were tied on 15-under-par after a thrilling final round that saw seven professionals lead outright or co-lead at some stage.
Thompson equaled the course record with a final round eight-under-64 while the eventual champion carded his third successive five-under-67 to finish a shot ahead of Justin De Los Santos from the Philippines following regulation play.
DP World Tour player and the Kiwi pre-tournament favourite Kazuma Kobori finished as the best of the 17 Kiwis in the field, sharing sixth-place at 12-under-par.
Before the playoff began, Thompson had waited almost two hours watching challengers fall short of his total, before Smyth rolled in a clutch birdie to match. The par-5 18th green on the composite course didn’t yield a single birdie in the playoff, prompting a switch to the short par-4 third to try and find a result.
Smyth eventually drove the green and two-putted for birdie to win the inaugural title and claim the winners share of the A$1.2 million prize purse.
Of the seven Kiwis who made the weekend, Kobori and Voke were in contention heading into today’s final round.
The pre-tournament favourite, Kobori, put up a valiant title effort, but was unfortunately unable to conjure the same magic he displayed in rounds one and three, shooting a one-under-71 with four birdies and three bogeys on his scorecard this afternoon.
Royal Auckland and Grange members Voke and Cameron Harlock had memorable weeks in front of their home fans, finishing in equal 11th and 15th respectively.
Voke finished a shot behind Kobori following rounds of 70, 66, 70, and 71, while Harlock stormed up the leaderboard over the final three days, shooting scores of 73, 69, 68, and 68.
Michael Hendry and Kerry Mountcastle finished off their three-week domestic stretch in a tie for 35th at five-under, while local amateur Ryan Xie finished in a tie for 60th at one-under after equaling the course record in round three.
Josh Geary rounded out the Kiwi contingent that made the cut, finishing on a even-par total in a tie for 62nd.