Kitayama captures PGA 3M Open title with big birdie weekend
That was good enough for a one-stroke victory over countryman Sam Stevens, who had five back-nine birdies to keep the pressure on Kitayama to the finish.
"I feel like the game has been trending and for it to finally pay off now has been awesome," said Kitayama, who was one off the 72-hole tournament record set by Lee Hodges in 2023.
Kitayama, who fired a career-low 60 on Saturday after fighting to make the cut on Friday, sank 20 birdies in the final two rounds -- the most by any PGA Tour winner since 2003.
"On Friday I was like finding my swing and grinding to make the cut," Kitayama said. "Went to the range to find something and obviously found something on Saturday and it continued today with that unbelievable start that I had. Just kind of went from there."
Kitayama also won in 2023 at Bay Hill but this time was even better with his brother as bagman.
"It's very special. It has been awesome having him on the bag," Kitayama said.
Kitayama jumped from 110th to 53rd in the season points chase ahead of next week's regular-season finale at Greensboro, ensuring his spot among the top 70 in points who advance to next month's FedEx Cup playoffs.
Kitayama's stunning start put him on 23-under with a three-stroke lead at the turn.
He birdied first on a putt from just inside six feet, the second on a tap-in after his approach landed inches from the hole and the third on a 22-foot putt.
A tap-in birdie at the fifth, a 10-footer for birdie at six and a four-foot birdie putt completed the early surge.
Kitayama found the deep left rough at 11 and made bogey, but answered with a six-foot birdie putt on 12 and restored his three-shot lead with a tap-in birdie at 14 after dropping his approach two feet from the hole.
Stevens reeled off three birdies in a row to reach 22-under with a birdie putt from just inside five feet at the 16th and Kitayama's three-putt bogey at the par-three 17th sent the drama to the par-five 18th.
Stevens found the rough on his first three shots but salvaged par to stay one back.
Kitayama landed his second shot in a greenside bunker 60 feet from the hole but blasted out to 17 feet and two-putted for par and the victory.
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