Kitayama rises as Rahm falters
First-round leader shoots 76; Spieth two shots behind in second
ORLANDO, Fla. — Kurt Kitayama, chasing his first PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, handled the wind that only made Bay Hill tougher Friday. He posted a 4-under 68 for a twoshot lead over Jordan Spieth.
“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.”
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, and fell six shots behind.
“How would I characterize it? What do you think I’m going to say? Excuse my language, but it’s [expletive] hard,” Rahm said.
He was smiling as he spoke, happy to be done and resigned that a tough day at the office would not belong only to him in these conditions.
“It’s firm. It’s fast. And it’s blowing 30 miles an hour,” he said. “It’s a very difficult golf course.”
Kitayama was at 9-under 135, and the immediate challenge is Spieth, who tied for fourth in his lone appearance at Bay Hill.
Justin Thomas managed eight birdies, only for a bogeybogey finish for a 67. He was in the group at 5-under 139 that included Patrick Cantlay (71) and U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who birdied his last three holes for a 69.
Texas Tech senior Ludvig Aberg, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, shot his second consecutive 70 and is tied for ninth along with defending champion Scottie Scheffler of Dallas. Plano West and Texas alum Pierceson Coody will make his second consecutive PGA Tour cut in as many weeks after shootng 71. He is one shot inside the projected cut line at 1-over 145 and tied for 53rd.
Two players had to return Saturday morning to finish the second round. One was Greg Koch, in the rough on the difficult par-4 ninth. If he made birdie, the cut would be 1-over 145 and he would knock out seven players. A bogey would mean Koch misses the cut.
Briefly: PGA Tour rookie Carson Young had to lean more on his short game and posted a 5-under 67 and built a four-shot lead going into the weekend at the Puerto Rico Open. Young was at 14-under 130. Another tour rookie, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, had a 67 and was four shots back along with Highland Park alum Paul Haley II (66) . ... Danielle Kang avoided distractions during a rain-soaked day and shot a 9-under 63 for a one-shot lead after the second round of the Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Kang opened with a 71 for a 10under 134 total after two rounds . ... Brett Quigley made five birdies on the back nine en route to a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead over John Huston, Kirk Triplett and Brian Cooper in the PGA Tour Champions Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Ariz.