When Kurt Kitayama won the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in 2023, he fulfilled elevated expectations that were generated in part by a pair of wins on the DP World Tour in 2019. After a strong collegiate career at UNLV, he became a part of the small subset of American talent that thrived abroad as a professional.

The breakthrough title at Bay Hill in conjunction with other timely successes lifted him to a career-best 19th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The combination of those achievements yielded the promise of starts in all of the majors through 2024. However, after falling off that dynamic pace, he qualified only for the PGA Championship this year.

But there’s better news to report!

With Sunday’s triumph at the 3M Open, the 32-year-old from California will be back in the Masters and the PGA Championship in 2026. And with his rise to about 40th in the OWGR, he’s in an early position to parlay it into appearances in the other two majors. But he doesn’t have to wait for spots in The Sentry and THE PLAYERS Championship as both are locks via the victory.

Winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational are rewarded with a three-year PGA TOUR membership exemption, so he already was set for fully exempt status in the winners category through 2026. With the 3M Open trophy on the mantel, he’s now exempt as a winner through 2027.

Those long-range goals might feel like bonuses to Kitayama right now because the immediate perk is that he’s 53rd in the FedExCup and assured of being among the 70 to qualify for the upcoming FedExCup Playoffs.

NOTE: The opening edition of this page for the 2026 season will publish in the coming weeks.