Kurt Kitayama is a professional golfer from the United States who plays on the European Tour and the Asian Tour.
Early life
He was born on January 30, 1993, in Chico, California, and attended the University of California, Berkeley.
Kitayama began playing golf at the age of four and grew up playing at the Butte Creek Country Club in Chico. He played college golf at UC Berkeley, where he was a four-time All-American and won four collegiate tournaments.
After college, Kitayama turned professional and began playing on the Asian Development Tour in 2015. He won his first professional tournament at the PGM Terengganu Masters in Malaysia in 2016. He continued to play on the Asian Tour in 2017 and had two top-10 finishes.
In 2018, Kitayama joined the European Tour after finishing tied for fourth at the European Tour Qualifying School. He won his first European Tour event at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December 2018, which was only his third start on the tour. He followed that up with another win at the Oman Open in February 2019, becoming the first player in European Tour history to win in just his first two starts as a member.
Kitayama’s success story
Kitayama’s success on the European Tour earned him a spot in the 2019 PGA Championship, his first major championship appearance. He missed the cut but gained valuable experience playing against the best players in the world.
In addition to his success on the European Tour, Kitayama has also played well on the Asian Tour. He won the 2018 Panasonic Open India and the 2019 Thailand Open, both co-sanctioned events with the Asian Tour.
Kitayama’s success can be attributed to his strong all-around game. He is a consistent ball striker and ranks highly in greens in regulation and strokes gained tee-to-green. He also has a solid short game and is a good putter, ranking in the top 50 on the European Tour in putts per round in 2019.
Off the course, Kitayama is known for his laid-back personality and love of the outdoors. He enjoys hiking and camping and has been known to bring his camping gear on the road during tournaments.
In conclusion,
Kurt Kitayama is a talented and rising star in professional golf. His success on both the European Tour and the Asian Tour demonstrates his ability to compete at the highest level. With his strong all-around game and easygoing personality, Kitayama is a player to watch in the coming years.