The weather was scorching hot and so was Kurt Kitayama. He finished first with a minus 23 and gets $1.5 million for winning the tournament at TPC Twin Cities.
“I remember last year it was fairly warm,” Kitayama said. “So I kind of was expecting it. You just gotta stay hydrated. That’s the big thing. I try to drink as much water as I can. That’s kind of the big focus.”
Kitayama was outstanding from start to finish.
He had 20 birdies and shot a career-best and 3M Open record-tying 60 on Saturday.
Brotherly love
Making the win even sweeter is that Kitiayama’s brother Daniel was his caddy.
“Extra special having him on the bag,” Kitayama said. “Very cool experience. Really happy he’s part of it…The caddy change wasn’t my choice actually. I had to find someone that I trusted and my brothers been on the bag before. We won twice in Europe. He’s always been around me at tournaments whenever he can so I figured that was going to be the best fit to finish the season.”
Kitayama received $1.5 million for winning the tournament, 500 FedEx Cup points and a shiny new trophy.
The trip to Blaine was clearly a snapshot in time for Kitayama who fed off the energy and support he received at the 3M Open.
“This tournament is amazing,” Kitayama said. “I thought the fans were awesome. The course is in amazing shape. It’s just a great venue. Great atmosphere. Great set up. I thought that last year it was a place that I would want to keep playing.”
The fantastic four days of golf turned Kitayama into a fan favorite as his autograph suddenly became a coveted commodity at TPC.
Kitayama is from Chico, Calif. – the same hometown as Aaron Rodgers. The 3M Open is his second PGA Tour win.
