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Words: GolfPunk
Photography: Getty Images / PGA Tour
Kevin Na tapped in for birdie at the last to claim victory by a shot from Joaquin Niemann and Chris Kirk at the US PGA Tour Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii. Na closed with a 65 which added to his 61 on Saturday meant he shot fourteen-under-par over the weekend.
It is Na's fifth win on tour his last coming at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open back in November 2019.
"It feels great," said Na "I felt like Waialae is a golf course I really have a chance at, and there's not too many of these left anymore, so I have to take advantage of it. What a great feeling to win at a golf course I really feel like I can win at."
Chris Kirk held the clubhouse lead after his final round five-under 65 put him on the twenty-under mark. Joaquin Niemann who lost out in a playoff at last week's Tournament of Champions joined Kirk following his 66. Na teed off two shots behind overnight leader Brendan Steele and two birdies in his opening nine holes kept him in the hunt. His chance seemed to have gone when he missed a makeable birdie chance at the 11th and then took a bogey at the 12th hole.
However, Na then hit back with three consecutive birdies to move to twenty-under. At the 18th Na was just off the back of the green for two, a deft chip to three feet and a short putt followed and Na was the champion.
Niemann, who began the day tied for second with Na, was runner up for a second week running.
"I'm just happy the way I played the last two holes," said Niemann, who chipped in at the 17th for birdie and then got up and down from a greenside bunker at the last for another birdie. Overnight leader Steel looked in a commanding position as he turned in twenty-one-under following an eagle at the long 9th hole. However, it all went wrong on the back nine and following two bogeys and no birdies Steel ended in a tie for fourth two behind Na. "Obviously super disappointed," Steele said after his round. "Playing really well, feeling really good about it. Thought I hit a perfect shot on 10. Got a weird lie there, totally changed the momentum."
Steele's countryman Webb Simpson joined him in joint-fourth following a closing 64 along with Australian Marc Leishman who shot 65.
