AUGUSTA, Ga. – Kurt Kitayama feels like he possesses a “grind-it-out mentality.”
He needed every bit of that mental fortitude during Thursday’s opening round of the Masters. Kitayama fired a 3-under 69, his second straight round in the 60s at Augusta National after averaging 75.6 in his first five spins around the legendary layout.
The ending number didn’t tell the whole story, however, as Kitayama carded just six pars, only two of which came on a second nine that Kitayama played in even par with four birdies. Kitayama birdied Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 17, but also bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14 while posting a double bogey at the par-3 12th.
At No. 12, Kitayama went long off the tee, chipped through the green and into Rae’s Creek, then dropped and replayed the shot, that time playing a bump-and-run to 17 feet and rolling in the putt.
“Just laugh it off, because I felt like it was a dumb play that I tried to hit with that chip,” Kitayama said. “I should have just took my medicine with more of a bump shot into the hill instead of trying to lay it on the green. Just didn’t let it affect me mentally.”