Kitayama banks Bay Hill

[View in browser]( [PGA TOUR Wire to Wire]() [kitayama-trophy-w2w.jpg]() Kurt Kitayama earned his first TOUR victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) TEEING OFF [KURT KITAYAMA HOLDS OFF STAR-STUDDED BOARD AT ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL]() Star power littered the leaderboard at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, and as the dust settled on a chaotic Sunday afternoon, perhaps a new star was born. Kurt Kitayama rebounded from a triple bogey at the par-4 ninth Sunday at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, playing the back nine with eight pars and a birdie for [a one-stroke victory](), his first PGA TOUR title. Kitayama finished 9-under total in Orlando, one clear of Rory McIlroy and Harris English, with Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton just one further behind. The latter six have combined for 54 PGA TOUR titles, whereas Kitayama was making just his 50th TOUR start. The UNLV alum proved his mettle down the stretch at Bay Hill, carving a mid-iron to 14 feet at the oft-demanding par-3 17th, then draining the putt for the ultimately deciding birdie. He missed the fairway left at 18 but played safely to the center of the green, then lagged his birdie putt to an inch for the winning tap-in par. Kitayama moves to No. 6 on the FedExCup, 550 points accrued, as the adopted Las Vegas resident showed Sunday that the bright lights suit him just fine. [NICO ECHAVARRIA WINS PUERTO RICO, AKSHAY BHATIA BECOMES #TOURBOUND]() The Puerto Rico Open also produced [a first-time TOUR winner](), as Nico Echavarria carded 21 under at Grand Reserve GC for a two-stroke victory over Akshay Bhatia, [who secured TOUR Special Temporary Membership]() in the process. Echavarria, who hails from Colombia and considers Camilo Villegas a hero-turned-mentor, entered the week on a skid of four consecutive missed cuts but quickly righted the ship with rounds of 67-67-65-68 that kept the field at arm’s length for the majority of Sunday – and allowing him to withstand Bhatia’s flurry of four consecutive closing birdies. Echavarria earns 300 FedExCup points for his victory, secures a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship and cements full TOUR status through 2025. “I’m happy with life right now,” said an emotional Echavarria on Sunday afternoon. “I’m very grateful that I kept pushing and got it done.” [TOUR HEADS HOME TO TPC SAWGRASS]() TPC Sawgrass and its iconic island green welcome [the strongest field in golf]() to northeast Florida for THE PLAYERS Championship. Eight PLAYERS winners and six FedExCup champions will compete, led by 2019 PLAYERS champion and reigning FedExCup titleholder Rory McIlroy. The evolving battle for the world’s No. 1 ranking will continue in Ponte Vedra Beach, with McIlroy looking to capture his second PLAYERS while Scottie Scheffler and current No. 1 Jon Rahm pursue their first Goldman trophy. All 16 TOUR winners this season will be at TPC Sawgrass. Whoever takes the title and the 600 FedExCup points will not only be up against their peers, but also one of golf’s toughest tests on Pete Dye’s THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. Built in 1980, [the Stadium Course]() first hosted THE PLAYERS two years later. VIDEO OF THE WEEK [fowler-video-w2w.jpg]() Rickie Fowler mic’d up live discussing strategy at the par-5 16th and his friendship with Arnold Palmer. THE TURN MIC CHECK "I want to write a book on my life and my journey, and this is going to be a really good chapter for sure." – Akshay Bhatia, 21, [after securing TOUR Special Temporary Membership]() via a runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open BY THE NUMBERS 3 Three players punched their ticket to The Open this summer via the Open Qualifying Series at Bay Hill. Kurt Kitayama, Harris English and Davis Riley earned spots at Royal Liverpool as the top three finishers not otherwise exempt. Riley tied Trey Mullinax for the week but earned his spot via a world ranking tiebreaker. 31 Consecutive rounds at par or better for Viktor Hovland to begin the 2022-23 season. The streak ended with a 3-over 75 in the final round at Bay Hill; he finished T10. 20 Birdies for David Toms across three rounds at the Cologuard Classic, en route to [his third PGA TOUR Champions title](). Toms finished 15-under total, a stroke clear of Robert Karlsson at Omni Tucson National in Arizona. 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