Former UNLV Rebel Wins 3M Open On PGA Tour

The PGA Tour held their 3M Open this weekend, and former UNLV Rebels men's golf star Kurt Kitayama picked up his second PGA Tour victory. He edged out Sam Stevens by one stroke to hold onto the victory. Kitayama birdied six of his first eight holes in the final round to build up a nice lead that he was able to hold onto. Following his big victory, he spoke about how his hot start on Sunday helped settle him down. 

“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.”

Kurt's brother Daniel is his caddy, and Kurt pointed out how having his brother out there on the course with him helped keep him calm and focused. 

“He helped me stay calm out there, make good decisions,” Kitayama said. “It just helps having family on the bag.”

Stevens spoke about how Kitayama's shooting so well on the front nine impacted how he played on the back nine of the final round on Sunday. 

“With Kurt shooting 29 on the front nine, it’s like, well, I’m six or seven back, whatever it was at the time. I can just play as freely and as aggressively as I want to,” Stevens said. “I really didn’t feel that many nerves on the back nine, which is good. Normally, I get very nervous, so I had a lot of peace out there today.”

This is Kitayama's second victory on the PGA Tour. Previously, he had won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2023. The victory this weekend bumped him up 500 points in the FedEx Cup Standings with a projected leap from 110th to 53rd. This victory should lock up a playoff spot for him.

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