Kevin Na had been putting on a clinic for practically the entire tournament. His penultimate 18 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open was especially remarkable; he posted a 61 — tying the lowest number of his career — to set the 54-hole scoring record at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. No doubt buoyed by familiarity with his home-state course, he weaved his magic from tee to green, and especially with his putter, through which he carved a strokes-gained stat line that showed him steering clear of the field by a whopping five and a half strokes in each of the middle rounds.
For all the fist pumping Na did, though, he couldn’t steer clear of his closest pursuers. Patrick Cantlay, for instance, likewise had a fondness for the layout as evidenced by a win and a bridesmaid finish the last two years, and appeared ready to keep pace. Still, the stage was set, and destiny was his to forge — until, that is, he made the turn yesterday. Staking a three-shot lead with only nine holes left to negotiate, he promptly turned what seemed to be a red-carpet walk into a roller-coaster ride. He carded a triple bogey on the par-four 10th even though he managed to steer clear of the hazards, and the game was on.
Na retained the advantage because Cantlay bogeyed the same hole, and he was determined to keep it. His playing partner was equally resolute in wresting it from him, and, after matching his par-birdie-birdie-par-birdie outputs over the next five holes, finally did so when his bogey on the 16th after he found water proved two strokes worse. He seemed to be in trouble anew on the 17th when his lie on a greenside bunker required him to play away from the hole, but he saved par from 25 feet. Meanwhile, a bogey from the provisional leader knotted the score anew. Pars on the 72nd hole forced a playoff.
Na would need to traverse the 18th twice more before finally securing the triumph. He did enough to do so, posting a birdie on the first sudden-death hole and then a par on the second. The latter was at least better than the effort of Cantlay, who held the flatstick for birdie from 45 feet after a poor approach shot, wound up six feet short, and then flubbed the putt that would have extended the playoff. In the aftermath, the victor looked relieved and noted that the outcome was “way too close” for comfort.
Nonetheless, Na will take the win, his second of the year after the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial in Texas last May. He began the week ruing the fate that befell compatriot Bi-o Kim in South Korea, whose professional tour saw fit to penalize with a three-year ban after an unfortunate middle-finger flash of anger directed at a spectator who clicked a cellphone camera on the downswing. That he — himself not averse to blowing a fuse or two while in competition — would end it at the podium by keeping his wits about him speaks volumes of his skill set. In the offing, there will be more downs, but there also promises to be many more ups.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
