PGA | Kurt Kitayama wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational

(Orlando) Kurt Kitayama, thanks to a birdie on the penultimate hole, resisted until the end the pressure, in particular imposed by Rory McIlroy, to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first title on the North American circuit. American PGA, Sunday in Orlando (Florida).

Before settling definitively on No. 17, the 30-year-old American, who had clung to the top of the rankings since Friday, found himself tied with no less than five rivals, including three former winners of the event, who did not they didn’t know how to negotiate the last stretch as well.

Northern Irishman McIlroy (3^e world, titled in 2018) and the American Harris English could only make the par and therefore finish second at a length of Kitayama who totaled -9.

The Americans Scottie Scheffler (world No. 2 and winner last year) and Jordan Spieth, as well as the Englishman Tyrrell Hatton (crowned in 2020), committed a bogey on the last two holes, to share the 4^e place with Patrick Cantlay, author of a futile recovery of eight ranks on this last lap.

Kitayama, 46^e world, thought he was living a nightmare, when halfway through, he committed a triple bogey by leaving the ball out of bounds. And if he held the par on the next seven holes, the competition took advantage of his big misstep to go up to his height and even, for McIlroy, exceed the time of 12^e and 13^e holes.

But the Californian, whose best performances in the USPGA came down to second places, the most recent at the CJ Cup last year, found the resources to reward his consistency over this Florida weekend.

“It almost went into a spin on No. 9, but I fought hard to stay in the game and that makes me proud,” he said, not without masking his relief at the happy outcome. “It was really tough and that was all I had mentally prepared myself for. I always dreamed of winning on the circuit. To finally achieve this is quite incredible. »

Rory McIlroy, who had the possibility of taking over the world throne from the Spaniard Jon Rahm, hardly in verve (39^e) on this tournament, narrowly failed. His narrowly missed putt on No. 18 prevented him from birdieing a shot that could have sent him into the playoffs.