“I think just a little bit of luck finally went my way,” Kitayama said. “When it’s that close at the top, that’s what you need. Anyone probably could have won it. Luckily, it just happened to be me.”
Kurt Kitayama holds the championship trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. – Kurt Kitayama only had to look around at the players next to him in the practice area and right below him on the leaderboard at Bay Hill to know what he was up against Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Part of a five-way tie for the lead with three holes to play, he drilled a 6-iron to just inside 15 feet on the par-3 17th and holed it for birdie to take the lead. From the gnarly rough left of the 18th fairway, he gouged an 8-iron onto the green to 50 feet. Needing two putts to win, the first one stopped an inch from the cup.
English remarkably went bogey-free on brittle Bay Hill for the entire weekend. He missed an 18-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 70. “I wish I played a little bit better, but at the end of the day I put up a good fight,” Scheffler said. “But Kurt played fantastic golf today. I think to birdie 17 and par 18 to finish and win by one is pretty special.”
“It went south on 9,” Kitayama said. “All of a sudden, I'm not leading any more. I just fought back hard, and I'm proud of myself for that.” “But it was a great back nine. It was great to be involved with,” he said. “I’m really happy for Kurt. He’s been playing well for a while now and I’m happy to see him get his first win.”
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