KITAYAMA NAMED MW MEN’S CO-GOLFER OF THE WEEK
Rebel junior tied for second at Collegiate Masters, leading UNLV to the win at toughest regular-season tournament in the country
UNLV junior Kurt Kitayama and New Mexico junior Gavin Green have been selected as the Mountain West Men’s Co-Golfers of the Week for tournaments played March 4-11. This is the second MW weekly accolade for both student-athletes.
Kitayama, a Chico, Calif., native, recorded the best finish of his career, tying for second (3-over 219) at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Maters in Las Vegas, which annually hosts the strongest field in college golf during the regular season.
Kitayama led the Rebels to the team title at the event, which featured seven of the top-10 ranked teams in the country. In addition, 11 of the 15 teams competing were ranked in the top 20 and all participants were among the nation’s top 50. The field also featured 20 of the top-30 ranked individuals. Golfweek named UNLV its National Team of the Week on Monday.
On a course that played extremely difficult, no individual finished at even par or better. The individual medalist finished at 1-over, while Kitayama was part of a six-way tie for second place, two shots back at 3-over par. He moved from a tie for eighth into second place on the final day with a 1-under 71 final-round score.
It was the third top-five finish of Kitayama’s career and sixth top-10.
Green also tied for second at the SHCM.
The No. 23 Rebels are in Tucson, Ariz., this weekend competing at the National Invitational Tournament.
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