Kurt Kitayama's birdie barrage leads to 2025 3M Open victory

USA Today

5 hours ago

On a sweltering hot and humid Sunday in Blaine, Minnesota, Kurt Kitayama was even hotter than the temperature.
The 32-year-old pro from Chico, California, tied the TPC Twin Cities course record with an 11-under 60 on Saturday and picked up where he left off at the start of Sunday's final round. Trailing by one stroke entering the last day, Kitayama birdied five of the first six holes and toured the front nine in 29 to build a three-stroke lead. With his older brother filling in on the bag, Kitayama hung on to shoot 65 for a one-stroke victory over Sam Stevens at the 2025 3M Open.
Kitayama finished with a 72-hole total of 23-under 261 for his second PGA Tour title.
Kitayama opened with a 65 but barely made the cut after shooting even-par 71 on Friday when he lacked control of his ball flight. He rushed to the range, hit some balls and talked to his coach, Chris Como. 'Felt like I found something that I could go with,' he said.
Kitayama made his move on Moving Day with a career-low round of 60 that was five strokes better than his previous best score this season. On Sunday, he remained red hot with five birdies in his first six holes, including stuffing a wedge inside a foot from 120 yards at No. 2, chipping in from 23 feet at No. 3 and stuffing another wedge to a foot at No. 5. He made 17 birdies in a span of 24 holes and tacked on another at the 201-yard par-3 eighth hole, sticking his tee shot to 4 feet. Kitayama had a hiccup at No. 11, bogeying the par 4 after tugging his drive into trouble. His lead was reduced to two over Jake Knapp, who finished in a tie for third with Matt Wallace and Pierceson Coody. But he bounced back with a birdie at 12 and then lifted an iron from the right fairway bunker to 2 feet at No. 14.
'Shot of the day,' CBS's Ian Baker-Finch exclaimed.
Indeed, it was and he brushed in the putt to get to 24 under. He made a bogey at 17 but had enough of a cushion to hang on for the win over Stevens, who closed in 66.
For the second week in a row, Kitayama had his brother, Daniel, filling in on the bag. Kitayama first started playing golf at age 5, tagging along after his older brother, who would go on to play college golf at Hawaii-Hilo.
'We've had a lot of good finishes together,' Kurt said of his brother. 'He knows my game. I think he's just getting more comfortable, too, being out here. It's nice to have him out here.'
But none of those previous finishes compare to tasting victory together at the 3M Open.