Kurt Kitayama earns first PGA Tour win at Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO – Kurt Kitayama is a golfer with a number of nicknames.

Arnold Palmer, the golfer identified just as “The King,” would appreciate that Kitayama claimed his namesake party, the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, grinding out a pair of weekend 72s at Bay Hill Club and Lodge to prevail over a stacked leaderboard for his very first PGA Tour title.

“I’ve constantly dreamed of winning on the Tour and to lastly do it, yeah, it is very incredible,” Kitayama said just after tapping in for par at 18 and conquering a triple bogey before in the day. “It’s very unbelievable, actually.”

In fact, it is, looking at that Kitayama, a 30-year-outdated from Chico, California, took a circuitous route to the winner’s circle, touring all around the earth, taking part in on excursions in China, Asia, Japan, South Africa, and Australia.

“We get in touch with him Quadzilla or the Quadfather,” stated Xander Schauffele, who performs routinely with Kitayama when they are each house in Las Vegas.
“He’s received really major legs. So I connect with him Quadz with a Z at the finish.”

Asked to title the strength of Kitayama’s activity, Schauffele stated, “He hits it a mile. He hits it considerably, putts it perfectly, he does almost everything fantastic.”

That, nonetheless, was rarely the situation when he confirmed up at UNLV in 2011, exactly where they called Kitayama “The Task.”

“I don’t feel he was pretty very good at nearly anything,” reported J.C. Deacon, men’s golf mentor at the University of Florida and Kitayama’s swing mentor given that 2017.

Back then, Deacon was an assistant at UNLV through Kitayama’s 4 decades there and recalled that Kitayama could scarcely crack 75 on his arrival. But then-coach Dwayne Knight acknowledged his opportunity and loves his grit. “He just labored so hard,” Deacon continued. “You explain to him something to do and he’d be out there for 10 several hours performing it. He generally outworked what you requested him to do.”

That tenacity and perseverance served Kitayama perfectly when he struggled to gain status on the Korn Ferry Tour and as a substitute went seeking a place to perform where ever that occurred to take him.

“Not acquiring results early below was, yeah, it’s disappointing, but it took me somewhere else to increase,” he claimed. “And it was developing extra than just in golfing, truly. You get to expertise the distinct cultures, journey. I indicate, you locate your self in some appealing places. Spots that you possibly would not ever go. So I imagine just as a man or woman I was ready to develop.”

Kurt’s path to @PGATOUR victory

Chico High School
UNLV
Canadian Tour
Web com Tour
Asian Tour
Asian Improvement Tour
Japan Tour
PGA Tour China
China Tour
Korean Tour
European Tour Q University
Australasia Tour
Sunshine Tour
DP Earth Tour
Korn Ferry Tour
PGA Tour

Preserve battling little ones.

— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) March 5, 2023

Kitayama slowly and gradually founded himself in the entire world of golf, winning twice on the DP World Tour in 2019. In the earlier two seasons, he’s concluded 2nd 3 periods on the PGA Tour, ending second to Planet No. 1 Jon Rahm at the Mexico Open up, Schauffele, No. 6, at the Scottish Open and Rory McIlroy, who rose to No. 1 at the time, at the CJ Cup. On Sunday, the 54-gap leader buckled but refused to break. Fourteen players were within just three pictures of the direct coming down the stretch, such as four big champions and there was a 5-way tie at the best with just three holes to engage in.

Kitayama designed a two-stroke guide with three birdies in his to start with seven holes, together with rolling in a 46-footer at seven. But on the ninth hole, he tugged his tee shot still left and it stopped out of bounds by 6 inches, top to a triple bogey. It could’ve conveniently led to a free-drop into oblivion. As an alternative, on a working day at Arnie’s Put where by the greens became so baked that gamers complained of minor friction, Kitayama in no way manufactured one more bogey.

Continue to, this was anyone’s race. Jordan Spieth charged very first with 4 birdies in his to start with five holes as his trusty putter arrived alive. He took just 12 putts in his 1st 11 holes but down the stretch he could not get them to fall. He designed 3 bogeys in a four-hole span commencing at 14 and signed for 70 and a tie for fourth.

“I would not have strike any of the putts otherwise. I strike my line on every single a single of ’em. I misinterpret all four by just barely,” Spieth said.

Rory McIlroy, who won this tournament in 2018, had an inauspicious start off with two bogeys but rallied with birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 to take the direct at 9 under. Even so, he still believed he was a single or two strokes at the rear of the lead and attempted an intense line at the par-3 14^th and manufactured the 1st of consecutive bogeys to slip again.

“As I was walking to the 14th green, I looked guiding me at the scoreboard, and I was top by a single. And if I had of recognised that, I wouldn’t have experimented with to participate in the shot that I played on 14, which was unfortunate,” explained McIlroy, who shot 70 and skipped a 10-foot birdie putt that could have compelled a playoff. “Game’s rounding into type for the bulk of the period. Even nevertheless I didn’t get the acquire, I’m still very happy with how all the things went this 7 days.”

Scottie Scheffler had a likelihood to regain Globe No. 1 and defend his next title of the time. A single back again, he had a wedge in his hand from the fairway at 18 but in its place managed to make bogey to complete at 7-under and share fourth.

“I place up a good combat,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t have my greatest things right now. I however gave myself a prospect.”

So, also, did Englishman Tyrrell Hatton (72) – “I just didn’t have it today on the greens in the close when I sort of essential it most,” he said – and American Harris English (70), who tied for 2nd with McIlroy and recorded his very best complete considering that profitable the 2021 Vacationers Championship.

“I adore actively playing in U.S. Opens and this is as shut to a U.S. Open setup as we participate in on the PGA Tour,” English explained.

The API’s initially year as a specified party lived up to the hype and appeared destined to be headed to a wild five- or six-guy playoff until finally Kitayama took care of enterprise. He regrouped soon after the triple and designed seven straight pars. But the last of the bunch was a 3-putt from 56 ft at the par-5 16^th. Tied for the lead, he stepped up at the 217-lawn, par 3 and drilled a 6-iron like it was a Tuesday observe spherical.

“I just ripped it and it began leaking minimal appropriate, but I strike it very good sufficient to deal with and it was ideal,” mentioned Kitayama, who finished with a 72-hole aggregate of 9-beneath 279.

He poured in the 14-foot birdie putt and was tagged with his most up-to-date nickname, this time from NBC’s Paul Azinger, who explained him as a junkyard dog feasting on a bone.

Kitayama had to grind out one far more par at 18. As he walked off the tee immediately after pulling his tee shot into the tough, he experienced the self consciousness to notice he was walking too quickly.

“I was like, gradual down,” he recalled. “J.C. was on the putting eco-friendly previously and he said, ‘You know, just chill out and just make guaranteed to choose some deep breaths and wander gradual.’ So I thought of that and I was ready to acknowledge it, the good thing is, and just sort of serene down.”

Kitayama acquired his initially Tour title in his 50^th job start, banking $3.6 million and bettering to No. 19 in the Formal Environment Golfing Ranking, the best placement of his vocation. What a extensive unusual journey it experienced been to the winner’s circle.

“I imagine just discovering these minor successes all around the world” he explained, “and creating it out in this article, placing myself in individuals, in competition, you get started to truly believe that in you, that you belong out below.”