KITAYAMA HAS STARS ON TAIL

Kurt Kitayama had to leave home to find his way in golf by playing circuits in Europe, Australia and Asia, all for a chance to get to the highest level. Along with three worldwide titles, he learned how to battle.

That might come handy today at Bay Hill.

Without a birdie on the front nine and no longer in the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Kitayama fought back with a 25-foot birdie to start the back nine and two birdies over the final three holes Saturday for an even-par 72.

A 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole gave him a one-shot lead over defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland of Norway.

“Just proud of the way I fought,” Kitayama said. “There’s no giving up. It’s just kind of in my nature. Even when it’s going bad, you can’t just like pack it in. You fight for every shot.”

Now comes the hard part for Kitayama, a 30year-old Californian going after his first PGA Tour victory.

Scheffler had five birdies over his last seven holes in warm gusts that made Bay Hill tough as ever. He finished with a 68 and was one shot behind. Hovland holed a bunker shot for one of his six birdies in a bogey-free round of 66.

Hovland finished runner-up to Scheffler a year ago at Bay Hill.

The rest of the contenders are what was to be expected with a $20 million event and every PGA Tour member from the top 50 in the world.

Rory Mcilroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Max Homa all were within range of Kitayama if he were to lose ground or if Bay Hill was baked and brittle as it typically is for the final round.

For now, Kitayama held his own, even if it looked as though he could crater.

His two-shot lead was gone when one loose swing sent his drive well to the right and out-of-bounds on the par-5 fourth hole, leading to double bogey. He went out in 39 as Hovland planted himself at the top and Mcilroy made his move with a remarkable bogeyfree 68.

“I think any time you can go bogey-free on the weekend at Bay Hill you’re doing something right,” Mcilroy said. “I got myself right into the tournament, into the thick of things for tomorrow.”

Kitayama bounced back in with four birdies on the back nine, and that final putt put him at 9-under 207. Tyrrell Hatton (66) was two behind, while Mcilroy and Harris English (69) were another shot back.

“Started off fairly solid first three holes and then one loose swing and I’m 2 over,” Kitayama said. “Then got some uncomfortable shots coming in on that front nine. It’s just tough. But making that birdie, that putt on 10, that helped calm things down.”

There was plenty of evidence of trouble at Bay Hill, as always.

Corey Conners of Canada was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at one point Saturday, only to shoot 40 on the back nine for a 75.

Spieth opened bogeybogey playing in the final group with Kitayama. He still was within two shots of the lead but then went the final 12 holes with no birdies and one bogey for a 74. Thomas played bogey-free until missing a 4-foot par putt on the last hole for a 72.

Homa was 4 under through his opening four holes, only to drop four shots the rest of the way until a birdie on the 16th for a 71. He was five behind, along with Cameron Young (72).

San Diego native Xander Schauffele shot a 75 with a double bogey, three bogeys and two birdies to fall into a tie for 12th, six shots back.

Still, this final round could be wide open.

Kitayama finished one shot behind three times last year — to Jon Rahm in the Mexico Open, Schauffele in the Scottish Open, Mcilroy at the CJ Cup in South Carolina. Now he has to contend with a host of top players, and Scheffler is sure to get his attention. Scheffler already has successfully defended one title this year at the WM Phoenix Open.

Elsewhere

PGA Tour rookie Nico Echavarria of Colombia ran off four straight birdies early in his round and finished with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot lead over Carson Young (71) in the Puerto Rico Open as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.

Jin Young Ko shot a second consecutive 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Nelly Korda into the final round of the LPGA’S Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

David Toms shot a 65 in the Cologaurd Classic to take a two-shot lead over

Robert Karlsson (64) into the final round in Tucson, Ariz., with Steve Stricker (66) another shot back.