Shintaro Kobayashi has shifted his gear in to top, literary top position after the R2 of the Casio World Open. Shintaro scored another 67 today, and totaled to 10 under, 2 shot lead against the tough field. Now he has the chance to gain his Tour Card, zooming up from all the way at the bottom.

It was bright sunny day at Kochi Kuroshio CC, totally opposite weather from yesterday's heavy rain. Shintaro got into the good rhythm from the beginning. On the Par 3 2nd, which the tee position was moved forward and the measurement was 175 yards, he went to 4-meters right of the pin and made that birdie to get on the roll. He went on making 4 straight birdies from there.

In 2016, on his 8th year as a Pro, he gained his first ever Tour Card, but couldn't hold on to it in the next season. He has been suffering since. This season he has chosen to concentrate on the Sub-Regular's AbemaTV Tour and focused on getting his golf back together.
"The goal was to rebuild my golf from the scratch. I took away every unnecessary things. I challenged to do the only real basic things that you need to do to play."

His decision to walk away from the Regular Tour and work on the basics gave him enough time to concentrate.
"When you have to attend the tournament every week, you don't get to put enough time to think and challenge about so many things such as choosing the gears and finding the correct swing. I was able to take enough time to fix everything. It was not a rush job, so I think I was able to rebuild a real thing."

This season on AbemaTV Tour's Ryo Ishikawa everyone PROJECT Challenge, he has lost to an amateur at the playoff, which got him mentally depressed, but it also gave him a good lesson.

"I know that this is not a detour, I needed to take time to improve. I was able to see my golf from every aspects which got me to progress. I know I am a better golfer now, then I was back then with the Tour Card."

He was in the field of SEGA Sammy Cup in July but missed the cutline. He hasn't been in the Regular Tour since then, so his total Prize Money is zero, with no rankings. Shintaro is in this field this week with the Sponsors Invitation. He has succeeded in making the cut this week, so his first prize money of this season is promised.
"I am so focused on each and every shot in front of me, so I don't have any time to think about prize money, but I think that is working."