Fun day in Hawaii for Sony Open winner Na
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Kevin Na of the United States after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii with a five-under 65 final round for a 21-under total of 259. The win was the fifth on the PGA Tour for the 37-year-old.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LOS ANGELES • South Korea-born American Kevin Na birdied the 72nd hole to claim a one-shot victory on Sunday at the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He followed up a career-low 61 in the third round with a five-under 65 for a 21-under total of 259.
Na finished one stroke in front of compatriot Chris Kirk, who was first in the clubhouse on 260 after a final-round 65, and Joaquin Niemann, who began the day tied for second with Na and ended in the same position after a 66.
The Chilean was coming off a play-off loss in the Tournament of Champions last week.
"All these experiences - playing 18 years on tour - it's paying off right now," said the 37-year-old Na, who turned pro in 2001 and joined the PGA Tour in 2004 but did not win his first Tour title until 2011.
It would be another seven years before he claimed a second, but he has now taken his tally to five.
"I felt pretty confident all day," said Na, who began the round two strokes behind overnight leader Brendan Steele of the United States.
Birdies at the second and ninth kept him in the hunt but after he let a seven-foot birdie chance go begging at No. 11, he fell back with a three-putt bogey at the 12th.
Na responded with three birdies in a row next.
He said: "I knew there were a lot of birdie holes left and just played my game, hit a lot of solid shots.
"I was having fun out there."
He was just right of the fairway off the tee at the 18th, where his second shot tracked the flag but rolled off the back of the green. His chip on left him less than two feet for birdie and the win.
Kirk shook off two early bogeys to climb the leaderboard with seven birdies in his 65.
Niemann chipped in for birdie from just off the green at the 17th and birdied the par-five finishing hole, despite finding both a fairway and a greenside bunker.
He said: "I'm just happy the way I played the last two holes."
Steele did not find his first birdie until the seventh, but he had consolidated his lead with a 21-foot eagle putt at the ninth. Bogeys at Nos. 10 and 14, however, proved too much to overcome.
His 69 left him sharing fourth place on 261 with compatriot Webb Simpson (64) and Australian Marc Leishman (65).
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
