Na Wins Shriners

Last updated on: October 6, 2019 at 6:55 pm by Kermit Zarley

Na Wins Shriners 2019-10-06T18:55:31-07:00 Kermit Zarley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Third round leader Kevin Na, a Korean American, survived a devastating triple bogie on the 10th hole today to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA Tour at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada, his hometown. He won it on the second extra hole, the 18th hole, in a sudden-playoff against Patrick Cantlay. It was Na’s fourth win on the PGA Tour and his second win here at the Shriners. He had won it in 2010 as his first win after eight years on this Tour.

Kevin Na is no stranger to mishaps in professional golf. In 2010, at the Valero Open in San Antonio, he scored the highest score ever on one hole on the PGA Tour since records have been kept–a sixteen on the par-four ninth hole to shoot 80. He has led several PGA Tour tournaments and finished poorly. He has lost three sudden playoffs on this Tour. So, today was his first playoff win on the PGA Tour.

After his triple, Na hung in there all the way by continually staying one stroke ahead of playing partner Cantlay until the reachable 16th hole. Both players drove well and thus in the fairway with mid irons to the green. Na hit first and made a strategic error by blocking his second shot to the right and into the water guarding the front and right side of the green. Cantlay then played safely onto the green. It resulted in a two-stroke swing as Cantlay two putted easily for his birdie four as Na registered a bogie six.

So, they went to the 175-yard, downill, par-three 17th hole with Cantlay leading by one stroke. The pin was located on the front left side of the green, which is guarded by a another lake, this one on the left side of the green. Cantlay hit his shot only few feet left, but enough for the ball to barely creep into the water.

But believe me, there is really no safe play on the 17th, especially when the pin is on the front of the green. I know because we used to play our Senior/Champions Tour even here at TPC Summerlin every year in my later years on that Tour.

Na then bailed out to the right again with his iron shot, landing in the right, greenside sand bunker. The danger on that shot is that he didn’t much green to work with, with the water right behind the pin location. So, Kevin did what turned out to be the right decision by playing his 25-foot bunker shot way right of the pin, where there was more green to avoid the water.

Cantlay almost holed his pitch and made bogie. Na then heroically barely made his almost twenty-foot par putt to even the score between him and fellow competitor with the par-four 18th hole as their remaining 72nd hole for the tournament.

Na again hit to right. Yesterday, I blogged about a swing flaw Kevin has, in which he tends to straighten up and “come off the ball” barely before impact, which usually results in shots missed to the right. Players who are troubled with this swing flaw often have it happen when in the hunt to win. I know because I had to fight that in my career.

But Na lucked out, missed the right fairway bunker, and good lie just off the fairway. Cantlay then drove perfect again, 348 yards as the longest drive there that day. But Na missed his iron to right again, missing the green. Cantlay hit to about 25 feet from the hole. With the pin tucked close to the lake guarding the left side of the green, Kevin pitched beautifully to about two feet from the hole. Patrick’s putt sat on the lip of the cup. So, both players parred to set up a sudden-death playoff.

The first sudden-death playoff hole was the 18th hole. Both players drove perfect, right along side each other in the middle of the fairway. And they did likewise with two wonderful short iron shots: Patrick eight feet from the hole and Kevin about 6.5 feet. Both hit perfect putts, right in the middle of the cup at the right speed. So, they both birdied the first sudden-death hole to continue the playoff.

They then played the 18th hole against as the second sudden-death playoff hole. Both drove in the fairway. Na hit first to less than twenty feet right of the hole. Cantlay played a somewhat poor shot with his (probably) nine iron, leaving himself way short of the hole with a 43 footer. And his first putt was just as bad, being six feet short of the hole. Na barely missed his birdie, leaving himself about a two foot putt for par four. Cantlay then gave Na the tournament by missing his par putt left of the hole.

Kevin Na just won his fourth PGA Tour tournament after sixteen years on the PGA Tour. He was emotional in his televised interview right after winning today. With his ever-so-cute two-year old daughter in his arms much of that extended interview, he expressed his feelings. He also paid a high compliment to Cantlay, calling him “a world class player.” Na also spoke some message in Korean that lasted about a minute. We non-Koreans never knew what he said. I’m sure it was straight from the heart from this winsome winner in the new season on the PGA Tour today.

Golf

Kevin Na

Patrick Cantlay

Previous Post

October 5, 2019

Na Leads Shriners

Next Post

October 7, 2019 Basketball Causes Rift about Chinese Freedom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Angels Billy Graham Blog Description Book Reviews Christian Living Christianity Christology Church History Current Events Deity of Christ? Disarmament Eschatology Evangelicalism Ezekiel 38-39 Film Reviews God Golf Gospel Harmonization Health History Holy Spirit Incarnation? Interview Islam Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Jesus Last Empire Literary Announcements Major Championship Winners Masters Monotheism My Books New Testament Old Testament Politics Primitive Weapons Ryder Cup Science Society of Biblical Literature The Bible The Restitution of Jesus Christ Trinitarianism Trinity? Uncategorized Unconditional Love? War on Terrorism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Proverbs 22:6 say about training a child?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Children should be seen and not heard. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Guide the young, and they will not stumble. Teach a child discipline, and he will live in wisdom.

Books by This Author Books by Kermit Zarley Blog

See All Titles »