GOLF: Kitayama aims to defend 3M Open title after last year's breakthrough

Kurt Kitayama enters the 3M Open this week in strong position in the FedEx Cup playoff race as he prepares to defend his title at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.

The American golfer has made 11 consecutive cuts this season and recorded four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at the signature Genesis Invitational. Those performances have placed Kitayama 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 30 players after the first two playoff events advancing to the Tour Championship.

His current position is a major turnaround from last year when he arrived at the 3M Open ranked 110th in points. A victory at TPC Twin Cities helped him secure a playoff spot, and he finished only five places short of qualifying for the Tour Championship.

Kitayama said the late-season breakthrough played an important role in building confidence for the 2026 season.

"Yeah, just being able to finish the season that well and having that kind of roll into this year definitely helped because all year last year I was struggling," Kitayama said. "Felt like I was close though. Then for it to finally click after this week and then onwards kind of rolled into this season and helped me get off to a good start."

Last year, Kitayama barely made the cut before producing a dramatic comeback. He surged up the leaderboard with an 11-under-par 60 in the third round and completed the victory with a final-round 65.

He recalled making adjustments during a practice session after the second round, searching for something that could improve his swing.

"Just happened that that weekend it worked out," Kitayama said. "Not necessarily (a fix) that's long-term. But I honestly didn't know that after the range session on Friday, I didn't know that was going to be something that was going to stick. Just something that happened."

Kitayama has also performed well at the 3M Open in previous appearances, finishing tied for sixth in 2024. In his two starts at the tournament, he has combined for a score of 36-under par.

"It's nice to know that I have good results here," Kitayama said. "To come back to a place that I've played well at definitely helps to fall back on what I've done in the past and know that even if the game doesn't feel that good, that you can still play well."

The tournament organizers also paired Kitayama with PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun for the opening two rounds, creating a familiar connection through Koivun's caddie, David Flynn. Flynn was Kitayama's teammate for several years on the UNLV men's golf team and now carries the bag for the former No. 1-ranked amateur golfer in the world.

"We went to school together ... Should be fun," Kitayama said. "It's fun, he'll be walking around the course when we're playing a practice round, hang out, so looking forward to it."

-Field Level Media/Reuters