Daily Wrap-up: JT Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Round 4

text size

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Kevin Na won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday for his first PGA TOUR title, birdieing Nos. 15-17 to pull away for a two-stroke victory over Nick Watney.

JT Shriners

Leaderboard
TOUR Report
What they said
Round 4 photos
Scores, results
Congratulate Na

Kodak Challenge

This week's results
Interactive scorecards
Challenge schedule
Challenge coverage
Photos: Kodak leaders

The 28-year-old Na closed with a 6-under 65 for a tournament-record 23-under 261 total at TPC Summlerin in the Fall Series opener. Watney, a two-time winner this year, shot a 67.

Tied for the lead with Watney entering the round, Na sealed the breakthrough victory with a 42-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. Na and Watney both parred the par-4 18th.

"I'm just very excited about my first win," said Na, who starting playing golf a year after his family moved to the United States from South Korea when he was 8. "It wasn't easy. Nick was coming right behind me. It looked like any time he was going to make a move, and I tried the best that I could to stay one step ahead of him. I think the putt on 17 basically sealed the deal for me."

The winner had five birdies and a bogey on the front nine to reach 21 under. He parred the first four holes on the back nine, then dropped a stroke on the par-3 14th to fall into a tie with Watney.

"I hit a terrible shot on 14," Na said. "I should have backed off. I always back off, but I felt, 'I'm going to hit this.' And I hit a terrible shot and made bogey.

"To bounce back after that bogey, to hit that chip to 3 feet -- I had a great chip from down there -- I was able to relax a little bit. Then I had a great two-putt for birdie on the next hole. It gave me a one-shot lead. I told myself par, par, you're going to win this golf tournament."

Na pulled ahead with his birdie on the par-4 15th and both players birdied the par-5 16th.

"Fifteen was definitely disappointing to not make birdie," Watney said. "I would love to have that bunker shot back. ... Sixteen, I played very nice. Seventeen, I hit a good shot then he made a 40-footer. That kind of stuff happens when you win. It's tough to beat. "One thing I relearned this week was how serious I was taking it, how badly I wanted to play well the last couple of months. That doesn't always translate into good golf, so this week I came here with no expectations. I took it very easy and played pretty nice."

Tommy Gainey and Paul Goydos had 68s to tie for third at 18 under, and David Hearn (65), Carl Pettersson (68), Jhonattan Vegas (68), Tim Herron (69) and Spencer Levin (68) followed at 17 under.

Na and Watney broke the record by two strokes in the event that switched from 90 to 72 holes in 2004.

"This golf course you have to get off to a good start," said Na, who earned $792,000. "The reason why is because like all the guys out here say, 'You have to go low, and if you're not making birdies, somebody else is.' So, if you're even par through six you feel like you're two shots behind everybody, and it puts more pressure into your back nine.

"I was able to get off to a great start and stay ahead of the game, and I think that was the key for me to be cruising through to the victory. The third hole, I made it off the fringe and I said, 'I'm 3 under through four; this is looking really good.'"

TPC Summerlin: Sunday

EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The 9th hole was the easiest with a Sunday scoring average of 4.473. EAGLES: 1 BIRDIES: 40 PARS: 30 BOGEYS: 3 OTHERS: 0 The 3rd hole was the toughest with a Sunday scoring average of 4.176. EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 6 PARS: 52 BOGEYS: 13 OTHERS: 3

About the winner: Kevin Na

• Na led the field in Strokes Gained - Putting at 10.441. Bill Haas led the field last week in Strokes Gained - Putting in winning the TOUR Championship by Coca Cola. • Entering the week Na ($10,254,294) trailed Briny Baird ($11,905,122) and Brett Quigley ($11,016,575) for most career money earned without a victory on the PGA TOUR. With Na's win Brian Davis moves to third on the list with $9,228,702 followed by Steve Marino at $8,903,829. Na converts the 54-hole lead/co-lead into victory for the first time on TOUR. Nas only other previous third-round lead/co-lead on TOUR was at the 2005 Chrysler Classic of Tucson when he finished T2. • Before Na, the last 54-hole leader/co-leader to go on and win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open was Marc Turnesa in 2008. • Na made it to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in 2009 and 2010, but failed to advance this year. He finished No. 71 in the final FedExCup standings. • Na sets the tournament 72 hole scoring record with a 261. The old record was 263 by Jonathan Byrd, Martin Laird and Cameron Percy in 2010 and Marc Turnesa in 2008. • Na is the 12th straight champion to record every round in the 60s at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. • Na is the 16th different player (18 total wins) in his 20s to win on TOUR this season, compared to 15 winners in their 30s. The 16 wins by players in their 20s are the most on TOUR dating back to 2000. In 2008, there were 13 different players in their 20s with wins and 12 in 2010. • Since 2000, there have not been more different winners in their 20s than winners in their 30s. • Na was a resident of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., when he won the Nationwide Tour's Mark Christopher Charity Classic in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in 2006. He has played two career events on the Nationwide Tour. Na now resides in Las Vegas and picks up his first PGA TOUR victory, again in the city where he currently resides. • Na is the 13th first-time winner on TOUR this season. There were 15 first-time winners last season and seven in 2009. • Na has three top 25s and a DQ in five previous starts at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He has shot par-or-better in all 22 rounds he has played in this event, with 17 of those rounds in the 60s. • The 28-year-old has three runner-up finishes in 211 starts on TOUR. • Na bypassed his senior year of high school and turned professional at age 17 in 2001.