Kurt

Kitayama

Kitayama saved his best for last at Oak Hill Country Club. He gained 3.2 strokes on approach today and paid it off with 2.5 strokes gained putting. “Started making more putts, I think. I got myself in the fairway. I was able to attack and felt like I really putted well today.” Kitatyama walked off the course ranked 3rd in strokes gained approach for the week and 12th in putting. This was his 10th career major championship appearance and the first time he’s posted a top-50 finish. He crushed that previous best as he currently shares a slice of fourth place with play winding down on Sunday evening.

Kitayama traded three birdies with a bogey on his first eight holes but swallowed a triple-bogey 7 just before the turn. “I’m going to sleep really well tonight. Yeah, it’s everything I kind of mentally prepared myself for. It was pretty much as hard as I expected.” He remained calm and steadied on with eight pars and a birdie (13'8" at the par-3 17th). Kitayama was making his tournament debut this week but did have some course knowledge from his caddie, Tim Tucker, who was on the bag for Bryson DeChambeau during his 2021 win at Bay Hill. Entering the week, Kitayama had four podium finishes on his PGA TOUR resume but this will go in the books as his first win, adding to a pair of DP World Tour titles.

Kitayama sprinkled six birdies and stayed blemish-free until his last hole of the day. “When I was out of position I just kind of got myself back into position to either get up and down. You know, didn’t try and take on pins really unless I had a wedge. Even then I was still playing to the safe side. Was able to just hit some really good shots and made a couple like longer putts. Because sometimes that’s what you have to do to make birdie.” This will be the seventh event in the last 13 months that he’s posted inside of the top 5 after round one. That includes the 2022 Mexico Open where he shared a lead with Jon Rahm (current leader this week) and those two eventually finished 1-2 by week’s end.

Kitayama missed the cut last week at the Farmers, losing 4.2 strokes putting in the one measured round on the South Course. When asked what he was most pleased about after three rounds at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he had this to say, “I think my putting. Last couple tournaments I definitely struggled. This week it’s starting to feel a lot better.” Currently one shot off the pace set by Justin Rose, this will be the fourth time that Kitayama has entered round four in a share of second place. All three of those instances have happened since last May and he bagged podium finishes in all three, suggesting he may be close to breaking his maiden on the PGA TOUR circuit.

Kitayama arrived off a missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open where he lost a boatload of strokes putting. He rebounded today with steady striking and solid putting at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. “Just felt really solid today. Hit it well. Finally got some putts to drop. It was just a good overall day.” He striped 11-of-13 fairways to take advantage of preferred lies and pelted 16 GIR. Kitayama will now head over to the host course, Pebble Beach Golf Links, for round two.

Kitayama got off to a fast start this week (5-under 66 to sit T3 after R1). He continues to shine after a fast start as he’s now recorded podium finishes in four-of-five events where he sat T4 or better after day one. Today his only real blemish was a three-putt par at the 15th but he kept all bogeys off his cards while attempting to chase down Rory McIlroy. His three runner-up finishes have now come to Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy. With a big finish he’s now 10th in the early FedExCup standings which may allow him to optimize his schedule moving forward. “It’s a completely different spot than I was last year, so it’s kind of nice I can not stress as much, you know, going into January”

Kitayama started the day tied for the lead with Jon Rahm at the CJ Cup, and he moved in the right direction with birdies on two of his first three holes. But he made only one more the rest of the way, signing for a 1-under 70 that left him tied for second and one shot behind Rory McIlroy heading into the final round. Kitayama has won in Europe but has yet to lift a PGA Tour trophy, having finished second at the Scottish Open and T-2 at the Mexico Open earlier this year. He’ll need some more of that early momentum if he hopes to keep pace with (and eventually pass) McIlroy and Jon Rahm, one of two players tied with Kitayama at 12 under.

Kitayama started the day one shot off the lead, but he moved into pole position with a second-round effort that included six birdies and a hole-out eagle on the par-5 12th, where he jarred a 50-foot shot from a bunker. The American has yet to win on the PGA Tour but has had a number of close calls, including a runner-up at the Scottish Open this summer and a T-2 finish at the Mexico Open. Now he’ll begin Round 3 tied at 11 under with Jon Rahm, who beat him in Mexico in April, with another former world No. 1 (Rory McIlroy) just two shots back. Kitayama finished seventh at last month’s Italian Open but otherwise hasn’t finished better than T-19 in seven worldwide starts since his Scottish runner-up.

Kitayama started his afternoon with a 37'10" birdie bomb and that would be the story of his round. The putter stayed hot with five total conversions from outside of 23 feet today. He walked off the course ranked 1st in strokes gained putting (+2.7). “I think that for the most part my speed was pretty dialed. It’s nice with the grain, you kind of get a good idea with which way it’s going to break and was able to read them right today.” This will be his fifth time posting at T4 or better after round one of a PGA TOUR event. He has a strong track record of keeping his foot on the gas with podium finishes in three of those four previous fast starts. The afternoon wave played 1.59 strokes tougher today so he will likely be happy to get started early tomorrow at Congaree Golf Club.

The 29-year-old is making his second appearance after a missed cut by eight in 2020 (71-76) as a non-member, open-qualifier. He arrived a lofty 41st in the FedExCup standings and off a career-tying-best solo 2nd at the Scottish Open three weeks ago, where he was T4 after 18 holes, followed by a T72 at The 150th Open at St Andrews, where he opened bogey-free and was T5 after 18 holes (68-73-73-73). Today, the UNLV alum ticked five birdies at 11, 13, 14, 15 (from 36'11") and 4, on 13 (of 14) fairways and 17 greens in regulation, gaining 1.832 strokes off-the-tee, 2.008 approaching and eking out a 0.113 on-the-green with 31 total putts.