Who Is Kurt Kitayama's Caddie?
Who Is Kurt Kitayama's Caddie?
A player who has worked his way up the golfing ranks to the PGA Tour, American Kurt Kitayama currently has Tim Tucker on the bag, who is a caddie that famously worked with Bryson DeChambeau for many years.
This was a surprising change at the start of the 2023 calendar year but came through family channels. Seeking a caddie replacement, Kitayama reached out to his brother Danny, a caddie at Bandon Dunes, which happened to be the place that Tucker worked, and set up a luxury shuttle service, LOOP Golf Transportation, to take golfers back and forth from the airport to the resort.
After parting ways with his caddie at Pebble, Kitayama played the following week at the WM Phoenix Open and Tucker happened to be there for some work associated with the ballmarker he has designed and markets. They decided to work together that week.
“They have always stayed in contact, and this was just an opportunity that happened to arise,” Kitayama said.
This partnership then had immediate success as Kitayama managed to see off a stellar field at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, despite a triple-bogey 7 during the final round.
“I was putting for triple, and I just told [Tucker], ‘I still feel comfortable. I didn’t feel out of place. It was just one bad swing.’ He kind of backed me up. He said, 'You look fine.' And that helped.”
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“I just thought he was world class,’’ Tucker told a cloud of reporters on Sunday after claiming the caddie trophy, the flag at 18. “I told him you’re world class in three areas. Clean up the driver and you can beat these guys. He’s elite chipping the ball and striking it.”
Of course most people will know Tucker from working on DeChambeau's bag, in which they had big success including a Major at the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot. Tucker has also worked with Tour pros Adam Svensson and Chesson Hadley.
As we mentioned above, Kitayama's previous caddie partnership ended after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The caddie in question was a man called Bryan Martin, who seemingly mis-clubbed Kitayama on a hole which lead to a double-bogey.
After four years, this might've been the catalyst to the partnership ending. Kitayama was asked about it, and whilst he didn't throw Martin under the bus, he didn’t refute the story either. “I just felt like it was time, a couple of bad things had happened and tough situations I feel like,” Kitayama said in explaining his caddie change. “We had a really good run.”
A golfer for most of his life, Sam is Golf Monthly's E-commerce Editor.
Working with golf gear and equipment over the last six years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes.
He combines this knowledge with a passion for helping golfers get the best gear for them, and as such Sam manages a team of writers that look to deliver the most accurate and informative reviews and buying advice. This takes the form of buying guides, reviews, supporting gear content as well as creating deal content.
This is so the reader can find exactly what they are looking for, at a good price.
Sam now spends most of his time testing and looking after golf gear content for the website, whilst he is also responsible for all content related to golf apparel.
Additionally Sam oversees Golf Monthly voucher/coupon content which seeks to find you the best offers and promotions from well-known brands like Callaway, TaylorMade and many more.
Unfortunately, Sam is not a member of any club at the moment but regularly gets out on the golf course to keep up the facade of having a single-figure handicap.
Sam's What's In The Bag:
Driver: Cobra LTDxLS (9 degrees)
Fairway Wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees), Nike Covert Tour 2.0 (19 degrees)
Irons (4-PW): Titleist AP2
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 54˚, 58˚
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5
Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond
Shoes: G/FORE Gallivanter/Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3/Cuater The Ringer
(For off the course he goes for Nike Jordan 1 Low G shoes as well)
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