Kurt Kitayama turned professional in 2015, but is only playing his third Masters event this year. The journey was not easy, though. He had to make his way into the season’s first major with a PGA Tour win. He won the 2025 3M Open by finishing 23-under 261 with rounds of 65-71-60-65.
The American professional’s 2026 season has been mediocre. Of the 8 starts he has had, he made the cut in 6 and finished in the top 10 only once, which was a runner-up finish at the Genesis Invitational 2026. However, he would feel more confident entering the 2026 Masters with a reliable setup that has helped him conquer events on the PGA Tour. At the 2026 Masters, Kurt Kitayama’s bag is carefully built with a focus on precision, control, and trust under pressure.
Kurt Kitayama WITB at the 2026 Masters
The 2x PGA Tour winner has the following equipment in his bag:
- Driver: Kurt Kitayama is using the Titleist GT3 Driver with Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX shaft. It is a reliable component of his bag for a very long time. The driver excels in low spin, fast ball speeds, and adjustability via its CG Track and SureFit hosel. It also allows precise trajectory tweaks, which balance forgiveness with workability.
- Fairway wood: Titleist GT1 Fairway Wood, 14.5 degrees, with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX shaft is what the American professional chose to use at the first major of the season. This fairway wood is known for delivering high launch, maximum forgiveness, and easy turf interaction. And it’s all thanks to its larger footprint and deepest CG. The club also features dual adjustability that allows spin and launch customization.
- Irons: Kurt Kitayama is using the TaylorMade P7MB Irons (5-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. They offer a buttery forged feel from compact grain 1025 carbon steel. On top of that, they provide consistent launch and trajectory control.
- Wedges: The 2x PGA Tour winner chose to go with the Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedges (52 and 56), and Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts. These wedge combinations shine in elite spin from Spin Milled grooves. Their progressive CG penetrates flight and face control.
- Putter: Kurt Kitayama has customized a Scotty Cameron Newport GSS 350 for his putter. It comes with a solid stainless steel feel, a dual-milled face, and tungsten weighting. Its I-beam plumbing neck also suits arc strokes.
- Golf ball: Kurt Kitayama is using Bridgestone Tour B XS golf balls that prioritize high spin.
Kurt Kitayama’s 2026 Masters 1st round overview
Thanks to the reliable setup in his bag, Kitayama has had a good 1st round. He hit a 3-under 69, only two shots behind co-leaders Sam Burns and Rory McIlroy. While the numbers are good, it was a mixed round for him, which included bogeys on Magnolia (No. 5), White Dogwood (No. 11), and Chinese Fir (No. 14). The round also included a double bogey on No. 12 Golden Bell.
However, he managed to get to 3-under with 8 birdies in the round. These came at Pink Dogwood (No. 2), Juniper (No. 6), Pampas (No. 7), Carolina Cherry (No. 9), Camellia (No. 10), Azalea (No. 13), Firethorn (No. 15), and Nandina (No. 17). Kurt Kitayama hit birdies on 44% of the holes compared to the average of 13% in Round 1.
Kurt Kitayama’s opening-round 69 at the Masters Tournament showed both resilience and scoring ability. That performance reflects the precision-driven setup in his bag. It shows how his carefully built equipment continues to support him on one of golf’s toughest stages.
