Kurt Shun Kitayama is a professional golfer from the United States who plays on the PGA Tour. He was born on January 14, 1993. On the European Tour, he took home victories in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December 2018 and the Oman Open in March 2019.
Kitayama turned professional in 2015. He was ranked 1174th in the world at the end of 2017. With little success, he mostly appeared on the Web.com Tour in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, he mostly took part in the Asian Tour.
To secure a spot on the 2019 European Tour, he tied for third in the European Tour Q-School in November 2018. He won by two strokes in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which was held in late 2018—just the second event of the season.
The Asian Tour and the Sunshine Tour both co-sponsored the event. His victory propelled him into the top 200 global rankings. In March 2019, after winning the Oman Open in just his 11th professional appearance, he became the fastest player in European Tour history to have two victories.
Kitayama finished 23rd in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, which earned him a spot on the PGA Tour in September 2021. At the Honda Classic in February 2022, he placed third. In March 2023, he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first PGA Tour tournament. He is presently ranked 30th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Kurt Kitayama's Caddie
Kurt Kitayama’s caddie is Tim Tucker as of 2023.
American caddie Tucker, who famously spent many years working with Bryson DeChambeau, is presently playing for Kitayama. At the beginning of 2023, there was an unexpected shift that appeared through family channels.
In search of a replacement caddie, Kitayama contacted his brother Danny, a caddie at Bandon Dunes, where Tucker was employed.
Kitayama played the next week at the WM Phoenix Open, where Tucker just happened to be present for some work related to the ballmarker he had invented and marketed, having parted ways with his caddie at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. That week, they made the decision to collaborate.
Following a triple-bogey 7 in the final round, Kitayama overcame a strong field to win the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, proving the rapid efficiency of this association.
Naturally, the majority of people are familiar with Tucker from his work on DeChambeau's bag, where they achieved great success and even won a major at the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot. Adam Svensson and Chesson Hadley, two Tour pros, have also collaborated with Tucker.
Kitayama's prior caddie, Bryan Martin, appeared to have mis-clubbed Kitayama on a hole, resulting in a double-bogey. This may have been the final straw that ended the partnership after four years.
When questioned about it, Kitayama didn't deny the account either, but he also didn't throw Martin under the bus. In an explanation of his caddie shift, Kitayama stated, "I just felt like it was time. A couple of bad things had happened and tough situations, I feel like." "We had a really good run."
Net worth of Tim Tucker
Every year, Tim Tucker was paid a basic salary of $120,000. Usually, caddies receive between five and ten percent of the golfers' earnings after a tournament victory. Based on both that computation and his yearly base income, his net worth is estimated to be in excess of $1.2 million.
FAQs
A. Kurt Kitayama's caddie is Tim Tucker as of 2023.
A. Kurt Kitayama contacted Tim Tucker through his brother Danny, and they decided to collaborate at the WM Phoenix Open in 2023.
A. Tim Tucker previously caddied for Bryson DeChambeau, with whom he achieved great success, including a major win at the 2020 US Open.
A. Kurt Kitayama's previous caddie relationship ended after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, possibly due to a misjudged club selection on a hole.
A. Kurt Kitayama stands 5 feet 7 inches, or 170 cm tall.
