Kurt Kitayama Shoots Bogey-Free 63 at PGA Championship Finale

Kurt Kitayama tied the record for the lowest final round in major championship history on Sunday, firing a bogey-free, seven-under-par 63 at the PGA Championship. The 33-year-old American’s remarkable performance at Aronimink Golf Club matched the nine other players who have shot 63 in a major’s final round and was the second such score in PGA Championship history.

Kitayama, who began the day well down the leaderboard at four over par, started his charge in one of the morning’s early groups. He opened with three consecutive birdies and added two more on the front nine to turn in five-under 30. His putter remained the key instrument, with birdies on the par-4 13th and the 18th hole, both from approximately 13 feet, capping the round. He finished the day having holed more than 141 feet of putts.

After signing his scorecard, Kitayama credited an exceptional putting performance for the historic round. "I felt like I was holding the world out there," he said. "What my eye saw, that’s what the ball was doing. And that’s a good feeling. I think just the putter kind of carried me today." He also noted that calmer conditions Sunday, compared to the windy earlier rounds, made scoring easier.