America’s Kurt Kitayama secured his second PGA TOUR title with a one-shot victory over Sam Stevens at the 3M Open.
Kitayama closed with a final-round 65 to end an already impressive week, in which he posted rounds of 65-71-60. His tournament-record-tying and career-best 60 on Saturday brought him one shot off the lead coming into the final round at TPC Twin Cities. It was his opening run of six birdies on the first eight holes that gave him the advantage he needed to take the outright lead. Kitayama’s only bogeys came at the 11th and 17th, the latter of which he struggled with for the third day in a row. It cut his lead down to one, but victory was his as he cleanly two-putted for par from 18 feet and fellow American Stevens failed to make a clutch birdie for the win just a group ahead.
“Getting off to a start like that kind of helps settle you down,” Kitayama said. “Final round, second-to-last group, there’s definitely some nerves.”
The American managed to keep his cool under pressure from the chasing pack close behind, crediting the help of his brother Daniel, who had caddied for him throughout the week, the second time he’d done so this season.
“He helped me stay calm out there, make good decisions,” he added. “It just helps having family on the bag.”
The 32-year-old California-native’s only previous win came in 2023 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for sixth at last year’s 3M Open, and missed seven cuts this season. But his sizzling win this weekend has given him a 500-point advance in the FedExCup standings to make it to the top 70 and eligible for the playoffs.
Following Stevens in second, the group tied for third hadn’t been too far back at 20-under, featuring Matt Wallace, the lone Englishman among Americans David Lipsky, Pierceson Coody, and Jake Knapp.
What is the next event?
The next event on both the PGA TOUR is the Wyndham Championship taking place between 31 July – 3 August at Greensboro, NC in the U.S.