Windy Bay Hill is no match for Kitayama

Kurt Kitayama is chasing his first PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a world-class group of contenders right behind him.

Kitayama should be used to that.

Last year alone, he fell one shot sort of Jon Rahm in Mexico, Xander Schauffele in Scotland and Rory McIlroy in South Carolina.

Kitayama handled the wind that only made Bay Hill tougher, posting a 4-under 68 for a two-shot lead over Jordan Spieth, a three-time major champion and former No. 1 player in the world.

“Right now I feel like I’m just trying to get that win,” Kitayama said. “It’s tough, especially with the guys I’ve been against. So I’ve just got to keep putting myself in that position to give myself a chance.”

Rahm finally looked human. His final five holes included a double bogey, three bogeys and a birdie. He shot 76, his highest score since a 76 in the third round of the PGA Championship last May, and fell six shots behind.

Auto racing: Chase Elliott injured his leg in a snowboarding accident in Colorado on Friday and will miss this weekend’s NASCAR race at Las Vegas. Hendrick Motorsports said NASCAR’s most popular driver was scheduled to have surgery Friday evening.

NHL: The Coyotes and Flames completed the first deal in the league’s history that involved one brother being traded for another. The Flames got Nick Ritchie and defenseman Troy Stecher from the rebuilding Coyotes for Brett Ritchie and minorleaguer Connor Mackey. Nick has 21 points in 53 games this season.

“I think it got leaked out, so they were laughing by the time I called them,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said of the brothers.

The Ritchies are from Orangeville, Ontario. Brett is 29 and Nick is 27.

Soccer: French prosecutors say Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was given preliminary charges of rape.