Kurt Kitayama Crowned Champion of the 3M Open with a Spectacular Final Round
In a display of exceptional play, Kurt Kitayama clinched victory at the 3M Open, culminating a dream weekend with a final round of 65 strokes. His performance secured his second PGA Tour win, surpassing Sam Stevens by one stroke.
Kitayama, after tying the tournament record with an impressive card of 60 strokes on Saturday, entered the final round one stroke behind the leaders. On a hot day at TPC Twin Cities, Kitayama demonstrated his dominance by achieving birdies on six of the first eight holes, solidifying his lead.
“Starting like this helps calm the nerves,” Kitayama commented.
Kurt Kitayama
Despite a bogey on the 17th hole, Kitayama remained calm and, after an approach shot on the final hole, managed a par with two putts, finishing with a total of 23 under par, 261 strokes. His older brother, Daniel, was by his side as a caddie for the second time this season.Kurt Kitayama, ganador del Arnold Palmer Invitational en 2023, recibió 500 puntos en la clasificación de la FedEx Cup, asegurando un lugar en los playoffs.Kitayama, who previously won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2023, added 500 points in the FedEx Cup standings, securing his place among the top 70 and a spot in the playoffs.
Matt Wallace, David Lipsky, Pierceson Coody, and Jake Knapp shared third place, three strokes behind the leader.
With this victory, Kitayama significantly climbed in the world ranking, projecting from position 97 to 39.
The 32-year-old player, a California native, displayed impeccable approach play, including a 7-iron shot from a fairway bunker that left the ball less than two feet from the hole.
Sam Stevens, for his part, had an outstanding performance with five birdies in the second half of the course. Although he did not achieve his first victory, this result boosted him in the FedEx Cup, moving from 44th to 29th place.
Jake Knapp, playing with Stevens, was in contention until his second shot on the 18th hole ended up in the water, costing him a bogey and his third top-5 of the year.
Akshay Bhatia and Thorbjorn Olesen, who were leading before Sunday, had a disappointing finish. Bhatia finished in 25th place, while Olesen tied for 14th place.
The defending champion, Jhonattan Vegas, had his best round of the tournament (67) and finished in 44th place.
