MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2026

Kurt Kitayama

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk to me about the conditions out there, and specifically how does firm, fast with wind affect Amen Corner?

KURT KITAYAMA: I mean, you have to be more precise when it's firm because you're going to really want to land in your landing spot that you plan on hitting.

Just whenever it's firm and fast makes any course difficult, and especially with how sloped the greens are, it's going to be even more penalizing missing your spots.

Q. So for people who have never been here, much less played it, tell me what's the challenge of 11, 12 and 13, that group of holes?

KURT KITAYAMA: I mean, 11 you got -- your bail-out is right, but then you're pitching usually on a down slope towards the water, which makes it very difficult, especially when they're firm and fast because then the water is in play on that chip shot.

Then you get to 12, and what you thought was the wind on 11 is not the wind on 12. So that one is all getting the wind right. That makes it so difficult, because you can bail out long. The green is so narrow or depth is shallow that you can overshoot. You see a lot of guys hit it in the pine straw and it rolls back down.

Then you get to 13, and it's like a par-5, you hope to score, but even your second shot you're on a side slope, gotta put it in the right spot.

So there's no gimme holes. Just makes it so difficult.

Q. So despite all the guesswork and all the strategy that goes into those holes, do you still appreciate them for what they are in terms of how beautiful they are, but how challenging they are?

KURT KITAYAMA: Yeah, absolutely. It's not unfair or anything. You're doing a lot of guesswork, and that's what makes it difficult, because you don't know where the wind is that makes it so hard.

Q. Are there certain shots here that you have to be a little bit more mentally dialed in than others because of maybe the difficulty or maybe you've had a difficult time with them in the past?

KURT KITAYAMA: Yeah. I think, I mean you come out, you feel like you gotta draw it and then you have wind off the left. So if you're a cutter, those kind of shots are tough.

Then there's holes 7 and 17 where they're dead straight and you gotta be in the fairway. That makes it difficult, because it's not like you can run it up if you're out of position. So it's hard to get yourself back in position when you're out.

Q. And on those holes, like 7 and 17, for example, is there anything that you have to do maybe a little bit different than other holes, maybe different breath work or maybe focusing in on the breath work? That you talk about with your caddie trying to lock in?

KURT KITAYAMA: Yeah, definitely. It's kind of choosing a shot that you're going to be comfortable with, staying patient. Breath work definitely helps kind of calm yourself down, because if you get on a hole that's uncomfortable, you get a little anxious and tight and makes it hard to hit a good shot.

Q. And for any really athlete that you know comes into a new grounds, for example, like NBA players or NFL players, they have welcome to the NBA moment. What was your welcome to the Masters moment?

KURT KITAYAMA: I think just my first year just coming out here knowing I was in the Masters, seeing how big the property is, how many people were out here, that was kind of my, like, whoa!

Q. Have you ever had a moment where you feel like the nerves or the anxiety, everything on a certain hole, certain shot and you sort of felt yourself maybe unconsciously sort of changing your mechanics at all?

KURT KITAYAMA: Not consciously. Maybe subconsciously you are doing it. You're trying to feel the same thing, but you might not be.

Q. How many Masters have you been to now?

KURT KITAYAMA: This is my third.

Q. So I guess you've been around. I can ask you this question. If you were a patron for a day and you've never been before, what does your daily schedule look like? What time are you getting here? What does the rest of the day look like?

KURT KITAYAMA: Probably one day getting here early to shop. Another day, get here early, shop. Try and get a good seat on I'd say like 16 where you can kind of see 15 green, 16 tee shot. And then maybe another day cruise the front and cruise the back. You want to see all of it. And then, yeah.

Q. Do you try anything goofy with the food, maybe combine any sandwiches?

KURT KITAYAMA: Oh, yeah. I guess you gotta try. I heard those ice cream sandwiches go fast.