It wasn’t long ago that the name Kurt Kitayama was top of mind when discussing potential young guns who could consistently sit in the Top 20 of OWGR. After a hard-fought win at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, it seemed like Kitayama would keep trending up. He showed more signs at the 2023 PGA Championship with a T4 finish, but as we all know, golf is hard. Since that PGA finish in 2023, he has only six Top-10s in 41 starts, so his win Sunday at the 3M Open is a popular shot of energy amongst his peers and hopefully a sign that the talented Kitayama is back where he belongs.
His bag makeup has some fun elements with the new Titleist GT1 Tour fairway wood, yes, a 7-wood and TaylorMade P7CB (4) and P7MB (5-PW) irons.
What did Kitayama do exceptionally well to win at TPC Twin Cities? He out-ball-struck the field, finishing first in Strokes Gained: Approach (83% GIR) and first in birdies.
That’s a hard combo to beat, especially when you add in a solid putting week, as Kitayama finished seventh in putts per GIR.
Here is the rest of Kurt Kitayama’s bag setup:
Driver: Titleist GT3 11@10.25 (D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

Titleist GT3 Custom Driver
GT3 – Speed-Tuned Distance & Control
GT3 offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization. With a speed-tuned design that allows you to precisely match performance to your most frequent contact location, you can make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.
For players with a relatively consistent impact location, GT3 offers a precisely adjustable CG Track to max out distance and directional control.
Seamless Thermoform Crown
A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence.
Split Mass Construction
A breakthrough in internal weighting unlocks longer drives and enhanced directional control in GT3. The Adjustable CG Track now sits closer to the face for more dynamic CG control, while additional discretionary mass is pushed to the back of the club to maintain optimal stability through impact.
Advanced Aerodynamics
GT3 features a new raised tail contour that represents a dramatic shift in driver aerodynamics. Previously impossible to execute due to design constraints, this advanced shaping results in a driver that swings faster while still providing optimal CG control.
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3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour 14.5@16 (A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

Titleist GT1 3Tour Custom Fairway Wood
Lift your launch window with GT1 3Tour Fairway. Featuring a Tour-inspired player profile, shallow face, low CG, and a stronger “Tour Loft,” this fairway is designed to launch higher and fly farther without over-spinning. New adjustable fore/aft weights enable further optimization of ball speed, launch, and spin to achieve effortless fairway performance.
Features
High Launch and Exceptional Forgiveness
Stronger Loft
Adjustable Fore-Aft Spin Control
Refined, Tour-Inspired Shaping
Enhanced Sound and Feel
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7-wood: Titleist GT1 21 (A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4) TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F) Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Titleist Vokey SM10 Raw Custom Wedge
For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels.
Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world.
PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY
SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight.
The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact.
SPIN MILLED GROOVES
SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves.
Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.
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Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
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Johnny Wunder
Golf.com Editor
Johnny currently serves as the Director of Equipment at Golf.com, contributing to platforms like Fully Equipped Golf. Prior to this role, he was the Content Marketing Manager at Callaway Golf, where he led “Callaway Golf’s World of Wunder,” a platform dedicated to in-depth golf equipment content. Before joining Callaway, he was the Director of Original Content and host of “The Gear Dive” podcast at GolfWRX.com. Beyond his professional endeavors, Johnny is an avid golfer with a deep passion for the game, having played since his youth in Seattle, Washington.