Weekend number one of March welcomed the PGA Tour to Orlando and Puerto Rico, the Champions to Arizona, the LPGA to Singapore, and the Asian Tour to New Zealand. There was high drama all around, as first-time winners took to the podium at two events, a defending champion defended at a third, and a grizzled veteran claimed glory at a fourth. It was high times this week across the golfers globe, so strap in and enjoy our Tour Rundown-March edition.

PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational sees first-time winner in K-Squared

From the Asian Development Tour, to the Asian Tour, to the DP World Tour, Kurt Kitayam has handled the pressure of a close event. His three prior wins in the professional ranks were all by two shots or less. It should have surprised no one when he played a smart tee ball away from the water on the 72nd hole at Bay Hill. His lie was less than enviable, but he managed to chop it onto the left portion of the boomerang 18th green, leaving a two-zip code putt between his blade and victory. With all the calm of a journeyman grinder, Kitayama hit a perfect putt that somehow defied gravity and remained on the lip of the crevice. After a mark, he tapped in from an immeasurable distance to secure his first PGA Tour title, by one slim shot.

Forget about the Rory McIlroys (2nd) the Patrick Cantlays, Scottie Schefflers, Tyrrell Hattons, and Jordan Spieths (4th). The fellow who should have won going away tied for 10th. After opening with 67, Cameron Young closed his second round four over par over the closing four holes. On Saturday, he played the same stretch in plus-two. Sunday saw him even par of the apparently-impregnable quadrilateral. Give Young those six shots back, and he finishes -11.

Back to Kitayama. Over the first two days, he kept damage to the minimum of one bogey per day. Saturday and Sunday showed a different side: a guy who could rebound from the big number. After a double on the par-five fourth on day three, he played the remaining 14 holes in minus-two. On Sunday, Kitayama was cruising along when he yanked a drive left on the ninth hole, and ended with a two-feet putt for triple. Most non-winners would have ceded passage to the name brands, but not the NoCal kid. Kitayama posted seven pars, then made birdie at the impossible 17th, followed by his heroics at 18.

Clutch birdie from @Kurt_Kitayama ?

He leads by one with one to play @APInv. pic.twitter.com/bjLuxCxIto

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2023

LPGA: Women’s World Championship is 14th LPGA win for Jin

Jin-Young Ko had a three-year run from 2019 to 2021, when she was a threat to win every event she entered. Ove the past two years, her game has leveled but the ability to win has not gone away. This week in Singapore, Ko had the added pressure of serving as defending champion. With rain dropping from the skies, and tears from her eyes, Ko outKlassed the field with a 17-under total, edging Nelly Korda by two. The week began with three bogeys and a 72 for the eventual winner, not the jump-start one might expect. That even-par round seated her eight shots behind leader Elizabeth Szokol’s 64. As Szokol took up residence in the 70s for the rest of the week, finishing in a tie for eighth position, Ko found a new residence in zone 65.

Twin rounds of seven-under par on Friday and Saturday moved the Korean Komet to the top of the board, two shots clear of her closest pursuers. After the three-bogey start, Ko settled down to one speed bump per round; her fourth-round bogey  came at the 11th hole, but she erased it with birdie number four two holes later. Chasing closely was Korda, who shows all signs of complete recovery from last season’s health scare. The Floridian opened with a trio of 68s, but was never able to break into the mid-60s that she needed to track Ko down. Sunday brought her a five birdie-two bogey round of 69, enough to edge one putt past Ayako Furue and Danielle Kang for solo second.

UNSTOPPABLE

Jin Young Ko with a brilliant birdie on 13 and leads by 2! ? pic.twitter.com/F4PFtciF56

— LPGA (@LPGA) March 5, 2023

PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open welcomes a Colombia winner in Nico Echavarría

Back when the slogan of the PGA Tour was “These Guys Are Good,” it always stood open to interpretation. When opposite-field events like the Puerto Rico Open were not granted the same stature as other tournaments, the message rang like “Some of These Guys Are Good.” No longer the case, as guys like Nico Echavarría and Akshay Bhatia found glory in Río Grande.

Echavarría played his college golf at Arkansas, then worked his way through the professional ranks on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he won twice in 2018. This week in the caribbean, Echavarría opened with a pair of 67s, but waited until Saturday to make his move. Carson Young had the 36-hole lead, but when he slipped to 71 on Saturday, Nico soared past with 65. On Sunday, it was a duel between Nico and the aforementioned Bhatia. After making the US Walker Cup side as a teenager, Bhatia eschewed university and went straight to the professional ranks. After beginning round four with a bogey, the Wake Forest, N.C. scion etched seven birdies into his scorecard for 65 and 19-under par. On this day, the Colombian was unstoppable. after an up-down front nine, Echavarría came home in 33, to secure a two-shot victory.

"VAMOS!" ?

Colombian @Nicolas_Ech is seeking his first TOUR win @PuertoRicoOpen as he leads by 3 with 4 to play. pic.twitter.com/SLcAlIyG0Y

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2023

PGA Tour Champions: Cologuard Classic to Toms by a shot

Folks from another generation remember David Toms as the guy who denied Phil Mickelson a PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. When Toms reached the Tour Champions in 2017, he wasted little time reminding us that he had game. His 2018 US Senior Open title was followed by … very little. Toms next won on the senior circuit in 2021, then waited another two years to claim title number three.

Chasing him in Arizona were guys like Steve Stricker and Robert Karlsson. Stricker faded to 8th with a day-three 71, but Karlsson hung in quite well. The Swede played nearly-flawless golf on Sunday, with a bogey at the 11th his only blemish. Did that miscue cost him a playoff? Statistically speaking, yes. Toms had a bogey of his own on day the last, at the 13th, but he had enough birdies to hold off Karlsson … until his final drive. Toms’ cut faded just enough to drop into the hazard off the tee. He played two more shots to about five feet, then drained the putt for bogey and victory. As they say, it’s never how you do it; just how many.

That winning feeling for @davidtomsgolf ? pic.twitter.com/dXZX2n12OW

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) March 5, 2023

Asian Tour: New Zealand Open trophy rests in hands of elder statesman Jones

Even a third-round 62 wasn’t enough for Brendan Jones to assume the top spot at the New Zealand Open. Shae Wools-Cobb and two other stood between him and the point of the pyramid. As fans know, following a nine-birdie effort with another, stellar round is way easier said than done. Fortunately for Jones, he had a little help from his competition.

After three stellar rounds, Cobb’s game went off the rails with 78 on Sunday. Christopher Wood and Terumichi Kakazu drifted to rounds of 72, which opened the door for a dozen challengers. Four golfers were able to reach 269 for 15-under on the week, highlighted by John Lyras’ 64, the second-low round of the day. After a one-under front nine, Jones was on no one’s marker sheet as title favorite, but that changed in one hour’s course. Four birdies from holes 12 to 17 elevated the 48-year old Aussie to his first Asian Tour win in 13 years, and his 19th professional win overall. As they say, the sun sets late on the career of the professional golfer!

Relive the action from the final round of the @NZOpenGolf ?

?: @PhotosportNZ #NZOpen #whereitsAT https://t.co/OArodorQ8C

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) March 5, 2023