BLAINE, Minn. — Kurt Kitayama finished a sizzling weekend with a final round of 6-under-par 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 60 on Saturday to tie the tournament record and enter the final round within one shot of the leaders, birdied six of the first eight holes to build a cushion on a 91-degree afternoon at TPC Twin Cities.
“Getting off to a start like that kind of helps settle you down,” Kitayama said. “Final round, second-to-last group, there’s definitely some nerves.”
Kitayama made a bogey on the par-3 17th hole for the third straight day, which shrunk his lead to one. Stevens was one group ahead and failed to birdie the reachable par-5 18th.
After hitting his approach on the closing hole into a greenside bunker, Kitayama safely blasted to 18 feet and easily two-putted for a closing par, finishing 72 holes at 23-under 261 with his older brother, Daniel, caddying for only the second time this season.