Honda Classic 2022 scores: Kurt Kitayama is a surprise lead after 64 in Round 1 gives him a one-turn lead

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Kurt Kitayama has joined the Honda Classic with 25 previous appearances on the PGA Tour, most of which ended in missing the cut.

He’s on track to do a little better this week at the Honda Classic.

Kitayama – ranked 289 in the world – was near-perfect at the PGA National on Thursday, shooting 6 under 64 to lead Daniel Berger, Chris Kirk and Rory Sabbatini by one shot. That was Kitayama’s best score of 69 rounds on the PGA Tour, boosted by a career best of four birdies in a row in his second nine.

And he qualifies as an unexpected leader, even if he didn’t expect a start like this.

“It might not be such a start, but I feel like I’ve played well, and I’m starting to find my bets to find this kind of round,” said Kitayama, a California native and former pro. UNLV, said. missed 64% of the time – 16 out of 25 – in travel events.

Berger also failed to catch the trap, and missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at par-5 on day 18 to settle for 65.

Rick Gehman and Sia Nejad discuss the first round on Thursday at the 2022 Honda Classic. Follow and listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Peter Uihlein and Danny Willett are in the 67-year-old group. Brooks Koepka, a Palm Beach County native playing essentially one home game this week, was in a group in 68th. And Joaquin Niemann, last week’s Genesis at the Riviera in Los Angeles, was 4 under to 12 ago. when returning all and settling for an even score of 70.

“I didn’t do anything to really deserve 4 or 5 under,” Koepka said. “That’s a great score here. Just knock it around.”

After days of drama coming from Phil Mickelson’s words, Greg Norman’s wishes and the PGA Tour underway, there may have been hope that on-field events will return to the forefront.

Norman decided he wanted to be different.

Norman – who runs LIV Golf Investments, a group funded mainly by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – delivered the latest twist by issuing a letter he sent to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. Norman accused Monahan of “bullying and threatening” the players to stay on tour and rejected the super tournament that Norman was working with Saudi Arabia proposed.

He said the players wanted to play. It’s not clear who did; Many top players in recent days have asserted the opposite, and Rory McIlroy has gone as far as to say that the concept “died in the water.”

Norman wrote to Monahan: “I know for a fact that many PGA players still want to play for a new league, in addition to playing for the Tour. “What’s wrong with that?”

Monahan this week said players who sign up for the Saudi Arabia golf tournament will lose their PGA Tour membership and shouldn’t expect to regain their rights.

In other news, actual golf was played.

Kitayama started ninth, opened with three birdies in a row, then had four birdies in a row – capped off by rolling 20 feet off the green at par-4 6, his 15th hole of the day. that.

“The conditions of the course are perfect,” Kitayama said. “It’s just really hard.”

He made it look easy. So did Sabbatini and Berger.

Sabbatini, the 2011 Honda winner, had a spooky 65 lap with four birds in the back nine. This was Sabbatini’s first time competing at the PGA National as a pro without taking a single hit.

“I’m very aware of that,” Sabbatini said.

Berger – who has been going badly in recent weeks – goes from 5 to 11, then finishes with seven pars in a row.

“It’s great to have a good start,” said Berger, who grew up golfing at the PGA National.

Neither Kitayama nor Sabbatini were bombers; Kitayama entered the week with 74th in tour driving distance, Sabbatini in 172. That leaves the PGA National to their liking, considering it’s not an underwhelming course.

“I’m getting to that point in my game where I think I’ve passed where I feel like, I hate to say it, really competitive here,” said Sabbatini, 45. “Too many people here have much more firepower, so I just have to pick and choose my way around the golf course. For me, it’s become more of a game of chess and less of throwing some throws.” darts out there.”

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