Kurt Kitayama birdies six of his first eight holes in final round to build lead he would never relinquish at 3M Open; Sam Stevens second, Matt Wallace, David Lipsky, Pierceson Coody and Jake Knapp tied third;watch the 2025 Ryder Cup on Sky Sports from September 26-28
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Kurt Kitayama finished a sizzling weekend with a final-round 65 to win the 3M Open on Sunday, beating Sam Stevens by one stroke for his second PGA Tour victory.
Kitayama, who shot a career-best and tournament-record-tying 60 on Saturday to enter the final round within one of the leaders, birdied six of the first eight holes to build a cushion on a 91-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities.
Kitayama took bogey on the par-three 17th for the third straight day, which shrunk his lead to one while playing in the second-to-last group. Stevens was one group ahead and failed to birdie the reachable par-five 18th. After hitting his approach on the closing hole into a greenside bunker, Kitayama safely blasted to 18 feet and easily two-putted for par, finishing at 23 under.
Matt Wallace, David Lipsky, Pierceson Coody and Jake Knapp tied for third, three strokes back.
Kitayama, who previously won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2023, got a 500-point boost in the FedEx Cup standings to move inside the top 70 and secure a spot in the playoffs.
He was projected to jump from 110th to 53rd.
Kitayama, who tied for sixth at the 3M Open last year, has missed seven cuts this season. He tied for fifth twice, at the John Deere Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
The 32-year-old native of Chico, California, had his approach game in prime form. He hit his second shot on the par-four 14th from a fairway bunker within two feet of the hole for the last of his 20 birdies on the weekend.
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Source: Skysports
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