Hyogo, Japan: Fresh from an impressive Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) debut, Takumi Kobayashi swept into the first-round lead in the Japan Golf Tour’s ACN Championship.
The 21-year-old amateur outplayed his professional rivals by posting a seven-under-par 64 at Miki Golf Club.
Reflecting on his round, Kobayashi said he was pleased with how calm and composed he felt throughout the day.
“I felt really relaxed out there. My putting was good, and my tee shots were solid, so I was able to hit most of my approaches from the fairway. That gave me plenty of birdie chances, and a few long putts went in, which helped a lot,” said Kobayashi.
Kobayashi added that his recent stretch of tournaments has helped him stay sharp mentally and technically.
“I’ve been competing for several weeks straight, including the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai. So, I’ve been able to stay in a good tournament rhythm. I’ve been in good form all year, and I feel like I’ve found a nice balance with my game.”
On his AAC debut, Kobayashi tied for 21st at Emirates Golf Club with a four-day total of two-under-par 286. It was a continuation of the good form that has seen him rise to 340th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Among his highlights to date in 2025, Kobayashi has won the Kansai Amateur and Kansai Collegiate championships, finished third in the Japan Amateur and tied-fifth in the Japan Collegiate.
Last year, he represented Japan in the Asia-Pacific Men’s Amateur Team Championship for the Nomura Cup in Vietnam, finishing ninth individually.
At Miki Golf Club, Kobayashi opened his campaign with birdies on holes two and five. Although he dropped a shot on the par-five seventh, he was quick to shrug it off.
“I got a bit aggressive going for the pin and found the bunker, but overall it was close to a perfect round.”
He picked up further gains on eight and 10 before going on a four-hole birdie blitz, starting from the par-five 12th. He dropped another shot on 16 but recovered with a birdie on 18.
“At first, I just wanted to play near the top, but now I’m aiming to win. It’s the perfect start,” said Kobayashi.
