Golf: Kurt Kitayama takes narrow lead at Pebble Beach Pro-Am
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Kurt Kitayama of the US plays his shot from the 11th tee during the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday.
PHOTO: AFP
SAN FRANCISCO - Kurt Kitayama steered a steady course in “tough” and demanding conditions on Friday, to take a one-shot lead in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he is chasing his first PGA Tour title.
The Californian, who has two European Tour titles on his resume, parred his first nine holes and had three birdies and a bogey coming in to post a two-under 70 for a nine-under total of 134.
He was one stroke clear of first-round leader Hank Lebioda, Kevin Mitchell, Brandon Wu and Joseph Bramlett.
“Today was really tough,” said Kitayama, who played the par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of three courses in use over the first three rounds along with par-72 Spyglass Hill and the par-71 Monterey Peninsula course. “Overall, I’m really happy with where I’m at and how I played today.”
Of the group sharing second, three played at Monterey Peninsula, where Wu carded a 66, Mitchell posted a 68 and Bramlett fired a 67. Lebioda, who opened with a 63 at Monterey Peninsula on Thursday, carded a 72 at Pebble Beach.
Lebioda teed off on the back nine and had the solo lead at 10 under after birdies at the 10th and second, but he dropped back with a double-bogey at the par-three fifth.
After gusting winds hit the later starters on Thursday, morning rain and more blustery winds pushed up scores on Friday morning.
More rain and wind was forecast for the weekend and tee times were moved up to try to miss the worst of it.
England’s Justin Rose and Ireland’s Seamus Power both said the weather reminded them of home.
“It was a bit of a dreary kind of day, kind of English, I suppose,” said Rose, whose three-under round at Spyglass Hill included a hole-in-one at the par-three 15th.
He finished the day tied for 11th, three shots off the lead.
“A special day always, when you manage to have a hole-in-one,” he added. “I believe it’s my 12th.”
The round of the day belonged to Power, whose 64 at Monterey Peninsula featured an eagle, six birdies – including four in a row at Nos. 4-7 – and just one bogey.
That moved him into a five-player tie for sixth at seven under.
“I didn’t play particularly well but I scored very well. It’s something I kind of pride myself on,” Power said. “Made some good putts, hung in there when I wasn’t hitting a lot of great shots. So, all in all, very pleased.”
Play was stopped at the 11th hole at Pebble Beach after a caddie for one of the amateur players collapsed and received CPR before being taken to a nearby hospital.
“During the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, there was a medical emergency at No. 11 at Pebble Beach involving an amateur’s caddie,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
“The caddie has been rushed to Montage Health for evaluation.”
The PGA Tour players in that group, Max McGreevy and Beau Hossler, were allowed to take some time to collect themselves, warm up and resume play.
Golf Channel reported that the caddie was expected to recover. AFP
