PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Kurt Kitayama is beginning to really feel extra comfy every time he will get in rivalry on the PGA Tour, and the Californian can solely hope that is the case going into the weekend on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am.
Kitayama opened with 10 straight pars earlier than getting on monitor and completed birdie-par on two of the harder holes at Pebble Seashore for a 2-under 70 that gave him a one-shot lead Friday.
Kitayama was at 9-under 134 and led by one over Keith Mitchell, Brandon Wu, Joseph Bramlett and Hank Lebioda.
The best way the forecast appears, getting comfy on the Monterey Peninsula takes on a special which means.
Katayamas final shot at his first PGA Tour win was within the fall within the CJ Cup of South Carolina at Congaree. He was tied for the lead going into the weekend with Jon Rahm, and he was within the ultimate group and one shot behind Rory McIlroy going to the ultimate spherical.
He additionally completed runner-up to Rahm in Mexico final yr, and to Xander Schauffele within the Scottish Open.
I feel the extra you set your self in that place the extra you will get comfy feeling uncomfortable, Kitayama mentioned. It is positively good experiences to fall again on and use coming Sunday, hopefully.
The contenders at Pebble havent got that sort of star energy. Of the main 10 gamers, solely 4 have received on the PGA Tour and Scott Stallings is the one a number of winner.
Way more daunting is the fickle climate at this event.
Beginning occasions for Saturday had been moved up one hour due to sturdy wind, and it would not take a lot in these elements for it to be an issue.
Lebioda felt it coming down the stretch Friday at Pebble Seashore. He was main many of the day till a double bogey on the par-3 fifth gap when he went nicely left of the inexperienced, dumped the subsequent shot in a bunker and took three to get down.
He completed with a bogey and needed to accept a 72.
It was positively tougher, Lebioda mentioned. I believed there was slightly bit extra wind throughout my spherical than I had yesterday out at Monterey. Course might be slightly bit tougher, as nicely. So a mixture of these two issues made it a difficult spherical.
Lebioda strikes over to Spyglass Hill and develop into a singular footnote in historical past. Saturday might be his eleventh consecutive PGA Tour spherical on his eleventh completely different course. That is partially a produce of lacking his final 5 cuts on tour.
He performed Port Royal within the Bermuda Championship. He performed the Plantation and Seaside programs at Sea Island within the RSM Basic. He began this yr taking part in three programs in The American Specific. From there he was off to Torrey Pines on the North and South Course. And this week he is been at Monterey Peninsula, Pebble and Spyglass Hill.
We do our greatest to attempt to strategy every spherical as its personal occasion, he mentioned.
Mitchell (68), Wu (66) and Bramlett (67) all performed at Monterey Peninsula.
Seamus Energy of Eire delivered the low spherical of a day that started with rain earlier than giving strategy to regular wind and sometimes chilly climate when the shifting clouds saved the solar away. He had a 64 at Monterey Peninsula to get inside two of the lead.
The primary 5, six holes sort of wet and the ball simply wasnt going anyplace. Not a lot wind, Energy mentioned. Then we acquired to the flip after which for like an hour, hour-and-a-half, it actually blew like fairly strongly there for awhile. The previous few holes was very nice.
It was a kind of days sort of like again house in Eire the place you get loads of seasons in someday.
Viktor Hovland, who received a U.S. Newbie and was low novice within the U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore, is taking part in this event for the primary time. He shot 67 at Monterey Peninsula and was three pictures to par behind.
Jordan Spieth had a 68 at Monterey Peninsula and was 5 behind.
They subsequent face Pebble Seashore, the hardest of the three programs within the wind as a result of so many holes are uncovered alongside the ocean.
Spieth hoped for slightly higher Friday, however he was mildly happy that the lead did not get too distant from him.
Nonetheless in it, he mentioned. However we acquired what appears like a troublesome couple days developing.