Kitayama ahead at Bay Hill
Kurt Kitayama is used to battling some of the best players as he searches for his first PGA Tour win. His biggest challenge Friday was windy Bay Hill, and he handled that just fine with a 4-under 68 for an early lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Jon 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.
“How would I characterize it? What do you think I’m going to say? Excuse my language, but it’s (expletive) hard,” Rahm said.
Xander Schauffele dropped only one shot — his approach to the 11th came up short and into the water, and he made an 18-foot putt to escape the bogey — and played the final 16 holes without a bogey. He shot 70 and was three behind.
Corey Conners had the low round of the morning, somehow managing seven birdies in his round of 66. “Felt like a 62,” he said.
Kitayama plodded along even as the wind began to pick up. He was bogey-free until the par-5 16th when he got out of position off the tee and had to play short of the water with his third shot, leading to bogey.
But he answered with a 100-foot bunker shot to tap-in range on the par-3 17th, and with the wind at his back, hit gap wedge to 10 feet for birdie.
He was at 9-under 135.
Kitayama has been making a name for himself after he finally reached the PGA Tour.
The 30-yearold Californian who now lives in Las Vegas spent two years on the Korn Ferry Tour without much success, and then toiled across Asia and Europe over the next four years, winning three times.
YOUNG LEADS IN P.R.
Carson Young had to lean more on his short game Friday and posted a 5-under 67 and built a fourshot lead going into the weekend at the Puerto Rico Open.
Young, a 28-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour, didn’t have quite the theatrics as his opening round of three eagles that carried him to a 63. He still put himself in great position as he goes after his first tour win.
What stood out was holing a bunker shot for birdie on the par-3 sixth hole — his 15th of the day at Grand Reserve Golf Club — and another birdie on the par-3 eighth hole that gave him a cushion. He finished with a bogey on No. 9. Young was at 14-under 130. Another tour rookie, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, had a 67 and was four shots back along with Paul Haley II (66).
UCLA EXTENDS KELLY
Coach Chip Kelly has signed a two-year extension with UCLA that keeps him under contract through 2027, the school said Friday.
The Bruins were 8-4 last year and finished 21st in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, the first time since 2014 that they had been ranked at the end of the season.
“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff,” athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done a tremendous job developing young men as demonstrated by their academic excellence.”
Kelly is 27-29 through five seasons in Westwood, but is 16-8 the past two years. He took over after Jim Mora Jr. was fired in 2017 and had a roster predominantly filled with underclassmen his first two seasons.
The Bruins were 3-9 in Kelly’s first year in 2018 and 4-8 the following season. During the shortened 2020 season, a turnaround began with a 3-4 mark.
Kelly — who is 72-36 as a college coach — signed a four-year contract last year.
MINOR LEAGUERS BANNED
Marlins infielder Carlos Santiago was suspended for 80 games and free agent pitcher Dalton Moats for 50 games following violations of the minor league drug program.
Santiago tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol, the commissioner’s office said Friday. Moats had a second positive test for drug of abuse.
Santiago, 21, was on the roster of Class A Jacksonville after hitting .264 with five homers and 28 RBIs last year for the Florida Complex League Marlins and Jacksonville.
Moats, a 27-year-old left-hander, was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 51 games for Tampa Bay’s Triple-A Durham farm team, then elected free agency in November.
Four players have been disciplined under the minor league program this year.
RACE CALLED OFF
A downhill race in Aspen, Colorado, was canceled after 24 racers due to the deteriorating weather conditions and with Adrian Smiseth Sejersted of Norway in line for his first World Cup win.
Sejersted set the tone on a day that started out sunny, grew breezy and saw a snow storm roll in that decreased visibility. He finished in a time of 1 minute, 31.24 seconds — a time no one could catch. Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria was 0.26 seconds back in second and American Ryan Cochran-Siegle in third when the race was halted.
The race needed to get through 30 competitors to become official.
MONMOUTH BEATS HAMPTON
Jack Collins scored 32 points to lead Monmouth over Hampton 100-64 on Friday in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Collins added five rebounds and five steals for the Hawks (7-25). Myles Ruth was 4 of 4 shooting and 9 of 10 from the free throw line to add 18 points. Klemen Vuga shot 5 of 11 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line to finish with 15 points.
Russell Dean led the Pirates (824) in scoring, finishing with 21 points. Marquis Godwin added 11 points for Hampton.