Kurt Kitayama

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kurt Kitayama only had to look around at the players next to him in the practice area and right below him on the leaderboard at B...

The exception is Kitayama, who groomed himself for a moment like this with so many close calls against players with polished pedigrees. It was great to be involved with,” he said. “It’s hard because the lead was changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. I just fought back hard, and I’m proud of myself for that.” Instead, his ball spun back into the rough, his chip came out weakly and he finished with a bogey for a 73. Spieth was among six players who had at least a share of the lead over the final two hours. “I wouldn’t have hit any of the putts differently. They all had a chance, mostly because of one swing. He missed four straight putts inside 8 feet from the 14th through the 17th holes — three of them for par. “I think just a little bit of luck finally went my way,” Kitayama said. Needing two putts to win, the first one stopped an inch from the cup. The soft-spoken Kitayama was due.

Kurt Kitayama, grâce à un birdie à l'avant-dernier trou, a résisté jusqu'au bout à la pression, notamment imposée par Rory McIlroy, pour remporter l'Arnold ...

Son putt manqué d’un rien sur le no 18 l’a empêché de placer un birdie qui aurait pu l’envoyer en éliminatoires. « Ça a failli partir en vrille sur le no 9, mais je me suis battu à fond pour rester dans le coup et ça me rend fier », a-t-il déclaré non sans masquer son soulagement sur l’issue heureuse. Kitayama, 46e mondial, a bien cru vivre un cauchemar, quand à mi-parcours, il a commis un triple boguey en sortant la balle des limites du parcours.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kurt Kitayama a permis à un groupe élite de revenir dans la course en commettant un triple bogey, dimanche, mais un oiselet clé et un très ...

Au 17e, Kitayama a pris les devants avec un oiselet à partir de 15 pieds. Je suis content qu’il ait mérité cette première victoire.» Au trou suivant, il a logé un roulé de 50 pieds à un pouce de la coupe, en route vers un 72 victorieux.

La ronde de 72 de Kitayama lui a permis de sortir gagnant du tournoi.

Après une ronde difficile de 75 la veille, le Canadien Corey Conners (72) a dû se contenter de la normale en ronde finale et il a terminé l'évènement au Bay Hill en 21e position. Je me suis battu toute la journée et je crois que je me suis bien accroché, mais je suis arrivé à court. Kitayama a terminé le tournoi à moins-9 grâce à ses deux premières rondes de 67 et 68.

L'Américain Kurt Kitayama (30 ans, 46e mondial) a décroché son premier titre sur le PGA Tour en enlevant l'Arnold Palmer Invitational (-9).

Je suis fier de la manière dont je suis resté dedans mentalement après le 9. Drive au 9 complètement à gauche sur la route (hors limite), sortie de bunker imprécise, triple bogey, une galère. Jusque-là, son principal fait d'arme sur le circuit était une deuxième place à la CJ Cup, en octobre dernier, après avoir mené la danse lors du deuxième tour.

C'était une première victoire à la PGA pour le Californien de 30 ans. Avec trois trous à disputer, il y avait cinq joueurs à égalité en tête.

Au 17e, Kitayama a pris les devants avec un oiselet à partir de 15 pieds. Je suis content qu’il ait mérité cette première victoire.» Au trou suivant, il a logé un roulé de 50 pieds à un pouce de la coupe, en route vers un 72 victorieux.

Facing a leaderboard full of top-ranked tour pros, the 30-year-old California native wound up the last man standing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He then played on the Korn Ferry Tour, his performance pushing him to the PGA Tour in 2021. I’m anxious to see what he can do the rest of this year.” “You travel to every different country, dealing with logistics, food, the culture, language,” he said. Kitayama is the first to acknowledge just how raw a player he was not that long ago. It was a full circle moment when four-time major winner McIlroy stayed around to congratulate the California native Sunday. Now he was a PGA Tour winner in his 50th tour start and has jumped from 46 to 19 in the Official World Golf Ranking. “I’m lucky enough to have it at a very special place.” But Kitayama’s caddie, Tim Tucker, who worked for Bryson DeChambeau when he won at Bay Hill in 2021, gave his boss a pep talk en route to the 10th tee. In his pro career, he had competed on 10 tours around the world before earning a PGA Tour card. As the birdie try rolled toward the hole, 2019 Bay Hill champion McIlroy leaned forward to the TV. The Northern Irishman could have gone to the practice range to hit balls, anticipating a playoff. McIlroy had finished his 72 holes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at eight under par, one shot back of Kitayama as the leader played Bay Hill’s famous par-4 18th.

Kurt Kitayama kept finishing one shot behind the game's best players. He beat them all at Bay Hill on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.

He pumped his fist as the bogey putt curled in to secure his third victory on the over-50 tour. Echavarria is the third Colombian to win on the PGA Tour, following Camilo Villegas and Sebastian Munoz. LPGA: Defending champion Jin Young Ko closed with a 3-under 69 to win the LPGA’s Women’s World Championship by two shots. PGA: Nico Echavarria is a winner on the PGA Tour. The exception is Kitayama, who groomed himself for a moment like this with so many close calls against players with polished pedigrees. Instead, his ball spun back into the rough, his chip came out weakly and he finished with a bogey for a 73. Spieth was among six players who had at least a share of the lead over the final two hours. “I wouldn’t have hit any of the putts differently. “It's hard because the lead was changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. He missed four straight putts inside 8 feet from the 14th through the 17th holes — three of them for par. Needing two putts to win, the first one stopped an inch from the cup. “I think just a little bit of luck finally went my way,” Kitayama said.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kurt Kitayama a permis à un groupe élite de revenir dans la course en commettant un triple bogey, dimanche, mais un oiselet clé et un très ...

Au 17e, Kitayama a pris les devants avec un oiselet à partir de 15 pieds. Je suis content qu’il ait mérité cette première victoire.» Au trou suivant, il a logé un roulé de 50 pieds à un pouce de la coupe, en route vers un 72 victorieux.

After playing the first eight holes in two under and opening up his lead, Kitayama badly pulled his tee shot at No. 9 and got the most brutal break you'll see ...

On the 18th, after hitting his tee shot into the left rough, he found the green with his approach and made the par to pull out the victory. Despite the triple, and despite the fact it was the second straight day he hit a tee shot out of bounds and made a 7, he somehow went back into a tie for the lead, then drained a birdie putt on the 17th hole jump on top all by himself again. A ball has to be completely outside the out of bounds boundary to be deemed out of bounds.

Kitayama emerged victorious at Bay Hill despite a rollercoaster final round of PGA Tour superstars breathing down his neck.

A PGA Tour designated event delivered once again, this time at Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Fourteen players were within three shots of the lead down the ...

was on the putting green earlier and he said, ‘You know, just relax and just make sure to take some deep breaths and walk slow.’ So I thought of that and I was able to recognize it, luckily, and just kind of calm down.” And if I had of known that, I wouldn’t have tried to play the shot that I played on 14, which was unfortunate,” said McIlroy, who shot 70 and missed a 10-foot birdie putt that could have forced a playoff. But the last of the bunch was a three-putt from 56 feet at the par-5 16th. 1 and defend his second title of the season. 12 and 13 to take the lead at 9 under. He took just 12 putts in his first 11 holes but down the stretch he couldn’t get them to drop. “I wouldn’t have hit any of the putts differently. So I think just as a person I was able to grow.” Asked to name the strength of Kitayama’s game, Schauffele said, “He hits it a mile. 1 at the time, at the CJ Cup. But on the ninth hole, he tugged his tee shot left and it stopped out of bounds by six inches, leading to a triple bogey. “I don’t think he was very good at anything,” said J.C.

Kurt Kitayama brushed off a triple bogey and held off a stacked leaderboard at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first PGA Tour victory.

[TaylorMade P7MC](https://golf-galaxy.selw.net/7mWkmr); (7-PW): [TaylorMade P7MB](https://golf-galaxy.selw.net/mgDVgq) 3 and a 46-foot bomb for birdie at the par-3 seventh. [TaylorMade Stealth 2](https://golf-galaxy.selw.net/ZdeYZg), 16.5 degrees P•7MCs are forged from 1025 carbon steel and are the company’s most-played iron on tour. A number of players rode the proverbial roller-coaster Sunday at Bay Hill, and Kitayama was among them, making three birdies but also a bogey on the par-5 fourth hole and a triple-bogey 7 at the ninth when his tee shot came to rest inches out of bounds. Pars from 10 through 16, however, actually saw Kitayama make up ground, then a flushed his tee shot at the 217-yard par-3 17th came to rest just inside 14 feet to set up a birdie that allowed him to retake the solo lead.

Kurt Kitayama finished strong at the Arnold Palmer Invitational to emerge from a packed leaderboard for his first PGA Tour victory.

A two-putt at one of the most famous greens in golf was all that stood between Kitayama and glory, and he nearly did one better. His tee shot found deep rough up the left side of the famous closing hole. He proceeded to hit one of the best shots of his life, leaving himself just inside 14 feet for the go-ahead birdie.

Kurt Kitayama earned his first PGA Tour win at Bay Hill in a final round full of drama.

“I still wish I could have had a couple of shots back today but I guess everyone would say the same thing,” said McIlroy. Bogeys at the next two stalled his run but he came within a whisker of reaching nine under with a birdie try at the last. At the last, Kitayama, 30, rolled a glorious 48ft putt to within millimetres of the cup. “It was a great back nine, it was great to be involved in,” said McIlroy. By the time he tapped in for a seven, the leader was Jordan Spieth. The Californian recovered from a triple bogey at the 9th hole of his final round and held off the challenge of Rory McIlroy to prevail at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kurt Kitayama let an All-Star cast of contenders back into the tournament with a triple bogey, only to beat them all with a clutch birdie ...

His only thought was to “just get it on the green, just give myself an opportunity.” Rahm, meanwhile, finished in a tie for 39th _ his first time outside the top 10 since the Tour Championship last August. McIlroy tried a bold play on the par-3 14th without knowing he was right in the mix, the start of a bogey-bogey stretch that set him back. The exception is Kitayama, who groomed himself for a moment like this with so many close calls against players with polished pedigrees. Instead, his ball spun back into the rough on the 18th and he finished with a bogey. Rory McIlroy roared into the mix with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, only to miss a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole for the lead. The putt stayed to the right the whole way. Jordan Spieth was among six players who had at least a share of the lead over the final two hours. “It’s hard because the lead was changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. He missed four straight putts inside eight feet from the 14th through the 17th holes — three of them for par. They all had a chance, mostly because of one swing. Then, his 50-foot putt on the final hole stopped an inch from the cup.

Kurt Kitayama let an All-Star cast of contenders back into the tournament with a triple bogey, only to beat them all with a clutch birdie and the best lag ...

The exception is Kitayama, who groomed himself for a moment like this with so many close calls against players with polished pedigrees. It was great to be involved with,” he said. “It's hard because the lead was changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. Instead, his ball spun back into the rough, his chip came out weakly and he finished with a bogey for a 73. Spieth was among six players who had at least a share of the lead over the final two hours. I just fought back hard, and I'm proud of myself for that.” “I wouldn’t have hit any of the putts differently. They all had a chance, mostly because of one swing. He missed four straight putts inside 8 feet from the 14th through the 17th holes — three of them for par. “I think just a little bit of luck finally went my way,” Kitayama said. Needing two putts to win, the first one stopped an inch from the cup. The soft-spoken Kitayama was due.

First came the wild tee shot that sailed out-of-bounds on the ninth hole that led to triple bogey and let an All-Star cast – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, ...

The exception is Kitayama, who groomed himself for a moment like this with so many close calls against players with polished pedigrees. It was great to be involved with,” he said. “It’s hard because the lead was changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. Instead, his ball spun back into the rough, his chip came out weakly and he finished with a bogey for a 73. Spieth was among six players who had at least a share of the lead over the final two hours. I just fought back hard, and I’m proud of myself for that.” “I wouldn’t have hit any of the putts differently. They all had a chance, mostly because of one swing. He missed four straight putts inside 8 feet from the 14th through the 17th holes – three of them for par. “I think just a little bit of luck finally went my way,” Kitayama said. Needing two putts to win, the first one stopped an inch from the cup. The soft-spoken Kitayama was due.

Star power littered the leaderboard at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, and as the dust settled on a chaotic Sunday afternoon, perhaps a ...