On his LIV Golf profile page, Kevin Na cites “2-footers” as the shot that gives him the most trouble.
However, during the last stage of LIV’s competition in Adelaide, Australia, on Sunday, Na faced another difficult obstacle: executing recovery shots from the trees.
If you’ve heard this sad story before, it’s because back in 2011, Na made one of the most shocking scores in PGA Tour history: a whopping 16 strokes over par in the first round of the Texas Open. I’m sure not all 16 of those shots are etched in your memory, or even Na’s, but maybe a few of them are: his consecutive tee shots that landed in almost the same spot in the brush; his fourth shot, which unfortunately hit him and cost him another stroke; his 11th attempt to finally rescue his ball from the woods. If you were watching from home, you might have been doing so with your hands covering your eyes.
To his credit, Na handled the episode with composure and a good sense of humor. The game of golf can be challenging, as we all know. However, Na’s determination paid off when he secured his first PGA Tour title in his hometown of Vegas later that year. Since then, he has consistently performed well and established himself as one of the Tour’s most reliable players. Now at the age of 40, Na has achieved an impressive record, with five Tour titles, 79 top-10 finishes, and career earnings of nearly $38 million.
However, in 2022, Na made the decision to leave that life behind and signed with LIV Golf. The opportunity to spend more time with his three children and participate in team golf appealed to him. Although Na didn’t explicitly mention it, the financial aspect was undoubtedly a factor as well. Despite not achieving a top 30 finish in the individual standings during LIV’s first two seasons, Na still earned a substantial amount, pocketing nearly $6.2 million along with a generous signing bonus. This year has been slightly better for Na, as he currently holds the 25th position in the player standings. However, his team, the Iron Heads, is currently in last place among the 13 teams in the league.
However, in Australia over the weekend, there was a positive turn of events. Na’s Iron Heads were close behind the leader going into the final round, thanks to Na’s impressive second-round score of seven-under 65. Despite a rocky start on Sunday with a bogey on the 10th hole, Na quickly recovered with birdies on the 12th and 18th. He then went on a birdie streak from the 5th to the 8th hole, finishing the round at five under. Unfortunately, the final hole didn’t go as smoothly as hoped.
And what happened next? It may not have been as brutal as the Texas Open massacre, but it certainly wasn’t a pleasant sight either.
Na voiced his anger upon realizing his tee shot had veered left of the fairway, leading to his ball being trapped in a sandy area and obstructed by trees. Adding to his frustration, the ball was situated in a fan’s footprint.
“I am livid,” Na stated regarding his difficult lie. “This is completely unfair.”
Kenny Harms, Na’s caddie, responded by advising, “Take a moment to breathe deeply.”
Na assessed a few choices for his shot, but he didn’t waste any time fooling around. He confidently swung his club, sending the ball soaring through the air, aiming to navigate through the trees and land it back on the fairway.
He was unsuccessful.
“F—ing bull—-,” Na said again before slapping his bag in anger.
🫨 LIV Golf star Kevin Na loses his sh!t in Adelaide 😵💀
🤬 “F—king Bullsh-t!!!”
(Via: milz_ting/TT | @ziregolf) pic.twitter.com/vJ0S0Io6Ok
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 29, 2024
Na’s subsequent effort, a seemingly easier chip shot back to the fairway, did not yield any better results.
After a brief pause, a spectator remarked, “One of us,” as Na took his swing, only for the ball to strike a small sign and bounce back towards him.
Na, seething with frustration, allowed only a brief moment to pass before executing his fourth shot – a recovery chip that swiftly scurried across the fairway, with Na briskly following its path.
On the bright side, Na managed to avoid a duodecuple bogey. However, the unfortunate outcome was a double bogey, causing him to regress to three under par for the round. In the end, Na concluded the individual event in 34th place, while his Iron Heads team secured a commendable 6th position.
Leave a Reply