Kitayama wins 3M Open. Lottie Woad wins in her pro debut and Harrington takes a 2nd senior major
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Kurt Kitayama finished a sizzling weekend with a 6-under 65 to win the 3M Open on Sunday by one shot over Sam Stevens for his second PGA Tour victory.
Kitayama, who tied the tournament record with a career-best 60 on Saturday to enter the final round within one of the lead, birdied six of the first eight holes to take control on a 91-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities.
Kitayama led by one playing the par-5 18th when he hit 5-iron onto the back slope of a bunker. He blasted out to about 18 feet and took two putts for par to finish at 23-under 261.
Matt Wallace, David Lipsky, Pierceson Coody and Jake Knapp tied for third, three strokes back.
Kitayama, whose only other PGA Tour win was the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2023, moved to No. 53 in the FedEx Cup with one week remaining for the top 70 to qualify for the postseason. He also earned a two-year exemption and a spot in the Masters next year.
LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
IRVINE, Scotland (AP) — Lottie Woad never flinched Sunday on her way to a 4-under 68 to win the Women’s Scottish Open by three shots over Hyo Joo Kim in her professional debut.
The 21-year-old Englishwoman is the second player in three years to win on the LPGA Tour in her pro debut, following Rose Zhang in the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National in 2023. Woad finished at 21-year 267 and earned $300,000.
Woad was the No. 1 amateur in the women’s ranking when she won the Women’s Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour three weeks ago. Then, the former Florida State player finished one shot out of a playoff in the Evian Championship in France, an LPGA major, and turned pro.
Nelly Korda shot 71 and finished eight shots behind.
PGA Tour Champions
BERKSHIRE, England (AP) — Padraig Harrington was so focused on his game that he didn’t notice a leaderboard or see Rory McIlroy in the gallery Sunday at the Senior British Open. He closed with a 3-under 67 to win his second senior major of the year.
Staked to a two-shot lead, Harrington made eagle on the first hole on the Old Course at Sunningdale and no one got closer than two shots the rest of the way as he became the fifth player with a Senior British Open and a British Open title.
He won by three shots over Thomas Bjorn (67) and Justin Leonard (68). Harrington joined Darren Clarke, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Bob Charles as players to have won the British Open and the senior version.
LIV Golf League
UTTOEXTER, England (AP) — Joaquin Niemann changed his coach and his caddie and won for the fifth time this year on the LIV Golf League, closing with a 3-under 68 in LIV Golf-UK for a three-shot victory over Bubba Watson.
Niemann missed the cut in the British Open last week for his second straight missed cut in a major. He made big changes by leaving his coach and getting a new caddie but found his comfort zone back on LIV.
Niemann has won seven times, all in the last two years, on the Saudi-backed circuit. He has won just over $21 million this year.
Watson closed with a 65, while Caleb Surratt also had a 65 to finish alone in third. Legion XIII won the team title.
Korn Ferry Tour
GLENVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Johnny Keefer played bogey-free over the final 10 holes and pulled away with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot victory in the NV5 Invitational, his second Korn Ferry Tour win of the year that secures his spot on the PGA Tour next year.
Jeffrey Kang made eagle on the par-5 18th at The Glen Club for a 65 that allowed him to finish alone in second. Neal Shipley closed with a 63 and tied for third along with Kensei Hirata (65) and Davis Chatfield (67).
Keefer regained the top spot on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and joined Austin Smotherman as two-time winners on the circuit this year.
Other tours
Brett White made eagle on the final hole for a 59, and then won the Commissionaires Ottawa Open with a birdie on the second hole of a three-man playoff. It was the second 59 on the PGA Tour Americas in as many years. … … Ayaka Watanabe closed with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot victory in the Daito Kentaku Eheyanet Ladies on the Japan LPGA.
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