On a week that began with promise, nearly unraveled, and then transformed into a career-defining performance, Kurt Kitayama walked away from TPC Twin Cities with his second win on the PGA Tour. The 3M Open champion shot a jaw-dropping 23-under to claim the title and a share of the $8.4 million purse last week in Minnesota, but the road to victory was anything but straightforward.
Kitayama started his week in Minnesota with a smooth 6-under on Thursday, showing the kind of control and confidence that hinted at a potential breakout. But that momentum came to a screeching halt on Friday when he stumbled to a level-par 71, stained by five bogeys. The cut came at 5-under, and Kitayama squeaked through by the slimmest of margins, just by one shot. At that point, few pinned him as a contender heading into the weekend. But what happened next wasn’t just a turnaround; it was an eruption. On Saturday, Kitayama lit up the leaderboard with an 11-under 60, firing seven birdies on the front nine and adding five more (along with a bogey) on the back. It was a round that looked effortless. But this happened after a late-night range session and a chat with his coach, Chris Como, who was also Tiger Woods‘ coach a decade ago.
In an interview with SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio’s Chantel McCabe, Como shared the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how a late-night swing session on Friday turned everything around for Kitayama. “So on Friday… It’s kind of funny. He played pretty good Thursday, and he didn’t play great Friday, I think he just barely made the cut,” Como recited. “And he sent me some swings, and he texted me, ‘Are you available?’ And I was actually watching a movie, I was watching Fantastic Four. So, I was in the theatre, right, not on Netflix. So, I walk out of the theatre and I get on FaceTime with him. He’s like, ‘Where are you?’ and I’m like, ‘Uh, I’m in a movie theatre,’” Como recalled.
And then, using a playful reference to one of the characters from the movie, Como expressed how everything else could wait while he turned his attention to Kitayama. “Galactus can wait, so we kind of just worked on some stuff, and basically did some kind of technical work, right? Sort of like he sent me some swings, and we talked about what he needed to feel, and he kind of hit some more balls and sent me some swings, you know, kind of went back and forth through texts,” he added. “And then you know, obviously it kind of like… clicked for him and he played good on Sunday,” Como admitted that the quick session ultimately turned things around over the weekend for Kurt Kitayama.
Como’s late-night coaching call may have seemed like a small gesture, but it sparked a mental and mechanical reset that changed the course of Kitayama’s tournament. “And he did, and obviously brought it home, so it was great. It was so fun to watch. I was actually working with Xander all that weekend, and we were… on Sunday, we were sweating him so hard, and we were both like rooting him on so hard. So, it was fun to watch him,” Como spoke of Kitayama’s win which was one of the most dramatic bounce-backs of the PGA Tour season. And it was not just his coach, but even fellow PGA Tour player Xander Schauffele, who was rooting for Kitayama to bring the trophy back home.
It was evident that Kitayama did exactly what Como told him, and it worked. The win wasn’t just a testament to Kitayama’s talent — it was proof of what can happen when preparation, coaching, and sheer willpower align. And for Chris Como, it was another proud chapter in a career defined by helping great players believe in themselves again.
Tiger Woods was a breakthrough for Chris Como
Known for working with elite players under pressure, Como’s experience from his time coaching Tiger Woods clearly shone through. He started off his career working under all-time greats like David Leadbetter, Sean Foley, and Hank Haney. But the breakthrough in his career was during his tenure with Woods from 2014 to 2017. During this time, Woods was struggling with injuries, and his best finish in 2015 was a tied 10th at the Wyndham Championship. He then went on a break for 15 months after undergoing surgery for his back. He unfortunately had no wins during his time with Chris Como.
Como then moved on to Bryson DeChambeau, and the partnership yielded great success as DeChambeau won his first major at the 2020 U.S. Open. But the two parted ways when DeChambeau decided to move to LIV Golf in 2022. Como has also worked with former World No.1 Jason Day. He recalled the first time he met with Chris Como during a chance encounter in 2020 —“There was just something about him that drew me to him, so I just knew when I talked to him about the golf swing that he was very switched on.” They continue to work together, and Day had his last win in 2023 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Apart from these big names, Como continues to work with Tom Kim, Emiliano Grillo, and others, to name a few of his high-profile clients.
