UNLV’S KURT KITAYAMA NAMED MW MEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK
Rebel senior set career marks in winning his second career tournament
UNLV senior Kurt Kityama has been selected Mountain West Men’s Golfer of the Week for tournaments played March 5-17. This is Kitayama’s third career golfer of the month/week accolade.
The Chico, Calif., native, paced the field at the Jackrabbit Invitational, held March 16-17 in Primm, Nev., after carding a career-low 19-under-par 197, including rounds of 67-64-66 on the par-72, 7,131-yard Primm Valley Golf Club course. It was the second straight year he took home medalist honors at the event.
His 19-under 197 is the second-lowest individual score in UNLV’s men’s golf history for a 54-hole tournament and he posted sub-70 scores in each round of the tournament for the first time in his career. In addition, his 8-under-par 64 in the second round was a career-low and it also equaled the second-lowest round in Rebel history.
Kitayama led UNLV to the team title with a combined 60-under 804 (272-267-265), which was a program record and three strokes shy of the all-time NCAA mark. It was the Rebels’ second straight victory in the event and the squad’s second team title of the season.
Kitayama also tied for 11th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, which annually features one of the toughest fields in all of college golf, held March 10-11 in Las Vegas. He posted scores of 72-71-70 for a three-round total of 3-under 213 on the par-72, 7,374-yard course at the Southern Highlands Golf Club.
Kitayama averaged 68.3 strokes per round in the two tournaments.