BRAINE, Minnesota – Kurt Kitayama completed a scorching weekend with the ultimate spherical of 65 to win the 3M Open on Sunday, beating Sam Stevens by one stroke for his second PGA Tour victory.
Kitayama, who entered the ultimate spherical inside one in all his leaders, filming the 60 that recorded event data at his profession greatest on Saturday, birded six of his first eight holes to construct cushions in a 91-degree afternoon at TPC Twin Metropolis.
“Downing to that form of begin will assist calm you down,” Kitayama stated. “The ultimate spherical, the second group, there’s undoubtedly some nerves.”
Kitayama scored a bogey on the par 3 seventeenth gap for the third day in a row. Stevens was one group first and failed to achieve the reachable par 5 18th place.
After hitting the strategy in a closed gap to the greenside bunker, Kitayama safely blows as much as 18 ft, places twice with ease, ending together with his brother Daniel with 23 beneath 261, caddying for the second time this season.
“He helped me settle there and make good selections,” Kitayama stated. “It simply helps put your loved ones in your bag.”
Matt Wallace, David Lipsky, Piercen Coody and Jake Knapp have been tied up for the third stroke.
Kitayama, who received the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bayhill in 2023, helped him increase the FedEx Cup standings by 500 factors, transferring inside the prime 70 and securing a spot within the playoffs. He was predicted to leap from one hundred and tenth to 53rd.
Kitayama, who completed sixth within the 3M Open final yr, missed out on seven cuts this season. He tied his fifth twice with the John Deere Basic and CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The victory was predicted to knock his world rankings from 97th to thirty ninth.
The 32-year-old native of Chico, California had his strategy recreation in prime format. He slammed seven irons from a par 4 14th place fairway bunker from a fairway bunker inside the final two ft of a 20 birdies over the weekend.
Stevens made 5 birdies on the again 9 and continued his sturdy season, together with three prime three finishes. He was second within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. The 29-year-old native from Fort Price, Texas continues to be searched for his first victory, however this end pushes him from forty fourth to twenty ninth within the FedEx Cup, leaving one common season occasion behind.
“It was like I used to be again six or seven instances again then, as Kurt shot a 29 on the entrance 9. I am free and as aggressive as I would like,” Stevens stated. “I actually did not really feel numerous nerves within the again 9. That is a very good factor. Often I am very nervous, so there was numerous peace in the present day.”
Nap, who’s taking part in with Stevens, was competing till his 18th second shot was splashed into the water, reaching his solely bogey of the day in his third prime 5 end this yr.
Akshay Bhatia and Thorbjorn Olesen have been co-leaders occurring Sunday, however the closing pairing was a disappointing end. Batya shot 75 to tie him in twenty fifth place, whereas Olesen shot 73 to fall right into a six-way tie in 14th place, together with first-round chief Adam Svenson.
Svenson, whose 60 coincided with North Korea on Thursday on Thursday, Thursday, bouncing off 68-65 weekend from 75 on Friday.
Defending champion Jonattan Vegas had the most effective spherical (67) within the event, ending forty fourth at 11 beneath.
