BLAINE, MINNESOTA – JULY 27: Kurt Kitayama of the United States poses with the Elemental Swing … More
This year’s 3M Open was record-setting, highlighted by two rounds of 60, one from Adam Svensson on Thursday and another from Kurt Kitayama on Saturday, who went on to win the tournament.
After narrowly making the cut on Friday, Kitayama was on pace for a historic 59 when he found the bunker to the right of the 17th green, resulting in a bogey. A birdie on the 18th hole brought him back to a 60, tying the course record. Kitayama scorched the front nine at TPC Twin Cities, shooting a 28 in round three and a 29 in round four. His combined front-nine score across the weekend was a remarkable 13-under par. His 20 birdies over the final two rounds tied the highest two-round birdie total on the PGA Tour in the past 20 years.
“It feels amazing to come out on top. It’s awesome,” Kitayama said.
The win comes at a pivotal time for Kitayama. With just one tournament remaining before the PGA Tour Playoffs, he jumped 57 spots in the FedExCup standings to 53rd. That move secures his place in the St. Jude Championship. With a strong showing this week at the Wyndham Championship, Kitayama could also qualify for the BMW Championship at Caves Valley.
BLAINE, MINNESOTA – JULY 27: Sam Stevens of the United States plays a shot from a bunker on the … More
At the 3M Open, Kitayama ranked first in strokes gained: approach to the green and fourth in total feet of putts made. His season-long approach game, ranked 36th on tour, showed moderate improvement this week but it was his putting that made the biggest leap, skyrocketing from 152nd to 4th in strokes gained: putting.
“This tournament’s amazing. I thought the fans were awesome. The course is in great shape. It’s just a great venue, great atmosphere, great setup. I thought that last year, and it’s a place I definitely want to keep coming back to,” Kitayama said.
Other big movers from the 3M Open include Pierceson Coody and Sam Stevens. Coody tied for third and climbed 30 spots in the standings, putting him closer to securing his PGA Tour card. Stevens jumped 17 places into the top 30 in FedExCup points, making him exempt for the BMW Championship.