The St Clair greenkeeper shot rounds of 72 and 73 to edge out his clubmate Brent McEwan by a single shot with Otago professional Mahal Pearce finishing a further shot back in third place.
Hobbs is determined to trial well this year after having to withdraw in 2010 due to ill health. He is keen to be selected in both the senior and masters (over-40) teams and is on target after the first two trials.
Hobbs used his No 1 iron six times during the event - twice from the par 5 third hole (usually the 15th) making a birdie in the morning and a par in the afternoon.
Accurate iron play helped his cause which led to two birdie 2s in his afternoon round on the ninth and 16th holes.
McEwan led after a one under par 70 in the morning and he scored par figures on the outward nine in the afternoon.
But the wheels fell off on his final nine holes when he made one birdie, four bogeys and a double-bogey on the par 4 10th hole.
Dunedin-based professional Pearce joined the amateurs as he has only played one tournament in the last three months.
He played close to par in the morning round but blew out to an 80 when he made a disastrous 11 on the par 5 14th hole.
But in the afternoon he showed his class in the strong winds,and with the help of seven birdies, was six under par with four holes to play.
A double-bogey 6 on the exposed Lawyers Head hole cost him two shots but he finished with a 67 for the lowest score of the day.
The next Otago trial event will be at Wanaka next Saturday, followed by the 72 hole tournament at North Otago on September 17 and 18.
