But what mattered more to Kitayama was the evolution of his game. And quietly, steadily, it came. The driver that had once betrayed him became an asset. In 2023, the year of his Bay Hill win, Kitayama ranked 126th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, 42nd in Driving Distance, and a lowly 154th in Total Driving. This season? He sits at 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee, seventh in Driving Distance, and 42nd in Total Driving, a stark improvement in all three categories.
