The field was tightly packed all weekend at the 3M Open as scores went low and lower, but in the end Kurt Kitayama played the most spectacular golf, and secured his second PGA Tour victory.
The 32-year-old native of Chico, Calif., followed Saturday’s tournament-record-tying 60 with a six under par 65 Sunday for a one-shot victory over Sam Stevens on a hot, muggy day at the TPC in Blaine.
Kitayama won the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first Tour victory, and navigated the 18th hold delicately on Sunday, needing par for victory. He hit his second shot into a green-side bunker, but got to within 17 feet from there on the par-5 hole and two-putted for the win.
“That bunker shot on 18, making sure I got it on the green, that was big,” said Kitayama, who earned $1.512 million and moved up 57 places in the FedEx Standings to No. 53.
He had six birdies as he played the front nine in 29, then two birdies and two bogeys on the back side. He was 23 under par for the tournament at 261.
Stevens had two bogeys on a front nine 35, then five birdies on the back. Needing a birdie on No. 18, he couldn’t keep the ball in the fairway, although he hit his fourth shot 66 feet from the rough to within a foot of the hole for a par 5.
The two co-leaders entering play Sunday shot two of the worst rounds. Akshay Bhatia was four over and Thorbjørn Olesen two over.
Stevens, tied with Kitayama for second entering the day, fired a 66 on Sunday.