Kitayama, UNLV seek atonement in NCAA men’s golf championship

Two years ago, UNLV was playing Georgia Tech in the match-play quarterfinals of the NCAA men’s golf championship. Their match was headed right to the end, and the Rebels were trying to get closer to having a chance to win a second national title to go with their 1998 trophy.

But the Yellow Jackets prevailed 3-2. Kitayama, a sophomore, lost his match 2 and 1.

He’s still haunted by both losses. It’s also fueling his motivation as he, Carl Jonson and Nicholas Maruri tee off Friday, this time as seniors, at the NCAA championship.

“You never forget a loss like that,” Kitayama said. “We were so close to moving on.”

Kitayama, Jonson and Maruri have one last chance for glory. They and freshmen John Oda and Shintaro Ban will comprise UNLV’s lineup when the Rebels tee off Friday with 29 other teams at the par-72, 7,470-yard Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.

The tournament begins with four rounds of stroke play Friday through Monday. If the Rebels finish in the top eight, they will advance to match play. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played Tuesday and the championship match Wednesday.

“We know we can play with anybody,” Kitayama said. “When we’ve got everyone playing well, we can be very tough.”

That was the case May 16 in the final round of the NCAA regional at Noblesville, Ind. UNLV posted the day’s best round — 10 under par — and finished third to secure its spot in Florida.

Kitayama posted a 4-under 68, one shot behind Maruri, who was filling in for Oda, who was out with a sprained right wrist.

“We knew every shot counted, and we kept fighting,” Kitayama said. “We’ve got some momentum now, and we need to carry it into nationals.”

With Oda, the Mountain West’s freshman of the year, back in the lineup, UNLV is playing at full strength.

“I think we’re excited and ready to go,” coach Dwaine Knight said. “We’ve got three guys who’ve been through it, and they’re all playing well.”

Kitayama will be playing in the No. 1 spot, one he has earned through hard work. When he came to UNLV from Chico (Calif.) High School, where he also was a standout basketball player, he realized his golf game needed to grow considerably if he was going to make the lineup, let alone play at the No. 1 spot.

“College is much more difficult than high school,” he said. “I had to learn to manage my time properly, make sure I got my work done on and off the course, and we had so many good players, the competition just to make the lineup was really hard.”

But Kitayama learned to control his length off the tee. He improved his short game and his putting and became a well-rounded player, dropping more than two strokes off his game in his four years in the program. He also matured mentally, thinking his way around the course better as he gained more experience.

“The key thing is I’ve learned to avoid making a bad hole worse,” Kitayama said.

He has his degree in business and will try to play on the Web.com Tour this year. But for now, his focus is on Friday and getting off to a good start. The Rebels are paired with Houston and Georgia and will begin their round at 5:10 a.m. Pacific time.

“We know we can grind it out if we have to,” he said. “But we want to start the way we finished in Indiana and put ourselves in contention right away.”

Live scoring can be found at NCAA.com and through a link at unlvrebels.com.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 7023-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.