Bryson DeChambeau's Former Caddie Guides a New Winner in Kurt Kitayama
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tim Tucker knows drama. The life of a caddie is filled with it. Doing the job for Bryson DeChambeau for a good part of his pro career probably exceeded those boundaries.
Tucker wasn’t going there Sunday. But perhaps what he’d endured inside the ropes and through the ups and downs of the caddie game paid off in his help for Kurt Kitayama, who overcame a slew of all stars to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.
The Bay Hill Club is the same place where DeChambeau blasted his way to victory two years ago, the last of his eight wins, all with Tucker on the bag. They had a rather messy breakup later that year, and Tucker actually got out of the caddie business for a time. He was lured back via part-time gigs and only began caddying for Kitayama last month.
Now he’s somewhere in the neighborhood of $360,000 richer—the 10 percent caddie cut of $3.6 million winner’s paycheck—and headed to the Players Championship this week.
“I’m just happy to see this kid win," Tucker said afterward. He’s such an amazing young man. He’s a ballstriking machine. I couldn’t be happier for him."
Kitayama, 30, won in his 50th start on the PGA Tour, the road to this point filled with diversions.
Having played college golf at UNLV, Kitayama traveled the world trying to get to the PGA Tour. He played on the Asian Developmental Tour, PGA Tour China, PGA Tour Canada, the Sunshine Tour, the Japan Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, the Asian Tour and the DP World Tour.
His first professional win was in 2018 on the Asian Developmental Tour in Malaysia in a playoff at the PGM Darulaman Championship over another American, John Catlin.
That’s only five years ago, but a long way away from overtaking Rory McIlroy, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I just thought he was world class,’’ Tucker said. “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."
Two years ago, Tucker was just along for the ride with DeChambeau, who set Bay Hill on fire when on consecutive weekend days he attempted to drive the par-5 6th green—across a lake.
It was a wild scene, and each time DeChambeau cleared the water, setting up easy birdies on the way to victory.
That turned out to be DeChambeau’s last victory on the PGA Tour as he contended several times the rest of 2021 but saw his name in the headlines more for controversy. Injuries and his move to LIV Golf ensued last year.
One of the episodes involved Tucker, who on the eve of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit decided to quit. The situation was portrayed as a mutual parting, but the timing suggested otherwise. To caddie in the pro-am and then not be there for the opening round pointed to something being amiss. DeChambeau ended up missing the cut.
Tucker retreated to a different life. He began a shuttle operation at Bandon Dunes in Oregon and also invented a putting alignment device called True Aim. Although he came back to caddying occasionally, working for Chesson Hadley and Adam Svensson, nothing was permanent.
Last month Tucker happened to be at the WM Phoenix Open with his putting aid and where Kitayama was between caddies. They knew each other through Kitayama’s brother, who had caddied at Bandon Dunes. A conversation ensued and they began working together that week. Three tournaments later and they are winners.
Along the way Kitayama had to overcome the shaky driver that Tucker was talking about. Kitayama pumped one out of bounds on Saturday at the fourth hole, leading to a 7 on a par-5. He did it again Sunday, this time at the 9th, leading to another 7, this time a triple bogey.
Golfers don’t often overcome two sevens in a tournament, certainly not in the final round. A pep talk between the 9th green and 10th tee certainly helped.
“I was putting for triple, and I just told him, I just wanted to let him know how I felt," Kitayama said. “I still felt 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."
While the others were going back and forth over the closing holes, Kitayama stayed steady. He parred seven straight holes before rolling in a 14-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th to take the lead.
After missing the fairway at the 18th in the left rough, Kitayama appeared in trouble. But he managed to get his shot from 194 yards onto the green, leaving a nearly 50-foot putt. He rolled it to the edge of the cup leaving the simplest of tap ins for the win.
“He asked for me to work for him full time and I said O.K.," Tucker said. “And I appreciate it. I’m just happy I could help him and we help them as much as we can. If I had to hit that last putt I don’t know if I could have done it.
“People don’t see what these guys do. They are out here and before and after everyone religiously. There’s so much that goes into it. He’s got the monkey off his back and proving he can play with the big boys. Now we see what happens the rest of the year."
Tucker has said previously that he regrets the way his caddie relationship with DeChambeau ended and DeChambeau also said in the aftermath that the two remained friends. Tucker said Sunday that everything is “cool" between them. “I’ve got a Christmas gift I’ve just not had the chance to give him," Tucker said.
He got himself a pretty good gift himself on Sunday.