Page 16 - Golf Champion -November 2019

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rebounding with three birdies in five holes, Na knocked his second
shot on the par-5 16th – the easiest hole on the course – into the
water and made bogey to relinquish his lead.
“I’m a fighter. I never gave up,” Na said. “I knew that I could make
that putt and stay in it. I was zoned in and looking at nothing but
making it.”
Still, when the outcome was out of his hands a few minutes later, Na
watched as Cantlay’s attempt to win on the 72nd hole from 24 feet
stayed on the lip.
Both made birdies on the first playoff hole – Na from 9 feet, Cantlay
from 10 feet. On the second extra hole, Cantlay three-putted from
43 feet, while Na ran his 24-footer four feet by but made the come-
backer for the victory.
Na, 36, was born in South Korea but moved to the States when he
was 8. He led the Shriners by two entering the day, made a triple
bogey on the 10th hole to let the field back in it and lost his lead
to Cantlay on the 16th hole. But Na tied Cantlay on the 17th and
later won on the second playoff hole. It was an exhausting day, both
physically and emotionally, for the four-time PGA Tour winner.
After answering questions about battling Cantlay down the stretch
and overcoming a triple bogey on 10, Na told Golf Channel’s Chan-
tel McCabe, “I want to say something in Korean, too.” Na was im-
mediately overcome with emotion, and he took several seconds to
collect his thoughts before he rattled off a thoughtful message that
lasted 45 seconds.
He was asked what he said in his winner’s press conference that eve-
ning.
“I just said it took a lot of hard work,” Na said. “I thanked the fans
for believing in me, cheering for me. Just wanted to send a message
back home.”
스베가스 – 케빈 나가 일요일 슈라이너스 소아 병원 오픈
라 에서 우승하기 위해 감격의 퍼트를 한 것은 시기적절했다.
케빈 나는 이번 주 TPC 서머린 그린 퍼팅 기록을 세우며 플레이
오프 2번홀에서 4피트짜리 퍼트를 기록하며 패트릭 칸틀레이를
꺾고 두 번째 고향 대회에서 우승했다. 케빈 나는 이번 주 내내 대
회 선두로 있던 뒤 10번홀에서 트리플보기 7을 한 뒤 뒤늦게 경쟁
해 PGA투어 통산 네 번째 우승을 차지했다.
“잘 치고 있었던만큼, 내가 이길 것이라는 데는 의심의 여지가 없
었다. 그런데 갑자기 언더독이 되어있었다.” 케빈 나는 10번홀에
서 50야드 거리에서 그의 치핑이 망가져 5타 추가 트리플 보기
를 했다고 말했다. “흔들리기는 했지만, 멋진 퍼트를 몇 개 성공
했다.”
“앞서 선두에서 지고 여러 번 실패했던 경험이 있었다. 나는 플
레이오프에서 3패했다. 이번이 나의 첫 번째 플레이오프 우승이
다. 나는 계속 이것이 내가 이길 플레이오프라고 말했다. 우승해
서 기분이 좋았다”고 말했다.
케빈 나는 18번 그린에서 아내 줄리안, 딸 소피아와 함께 눈물겹
고 감동적인 포옹을 나눴다. 그리고 PGA 투어에서 처음으로 아

14 | GOLF champion