Kevin Na earns his fifth PGA TOUR victory after a stellar final-round 65 at Sony Open in Hawaii. âNa-haloâ: Kevin Na hangs on in Hawaii [View Online]( [PGA TOUR Starter Logo] Kevin Na won the Sony Open in Hawaii for his fifth PGA TOUR victory. (Getty Images) Teeing Off [KEVIN NA WINS SONY OPEN IN HAWAII]( He was just happy to be here. One year ago, Kevin Na had a neck injury which forced him out of playing the Sony Open in Hawaii. A pain in the neck, indeed. This is Hawaii, after all. But Na more than made up for it Sunday, [winning at Waialae Country Club]( with a clutch birdie on the final hole to close with a 5-under 65 and a one-shot win. âI felt pretty comfortable all day,â Na said. âWhen I was young, it took me so long to win. I'm just so happy at home and it's showing up on the golf course, and that's the key.â While casual fans might know him most from videos of him walking in putts ([including this classic with Tiger Woods at THE PLAYERS](), Na has won for the fourth time in his last 55 starts. He is now a five-time TOUR winner and moved up 88 spots to No. 10 in the [FedExCup standings](. [divider] [BETWEEN TWO CAMS]( What would it be like to have the same name as Tom Brady? Just ask Aussie Cameron Smith who [shares his name with arguably one of the best rugby league players]( to ever live. âIt's just cool. It's like having Superman as your name basically,â said golfâs Smith on the National Rugby League player he idolized growing up in Brisbane. The appreciation for each otherâs greatness goes both ways, as rugby league Smith has followed the golferâs progress since he joined the TOUR in 2015. And he sees big things on the horizon. âCam certainly has all the attributes to be No. 1 in the world somewhere down the track. His golf skills are there for all to see but heâs also got the right temperament.â The [pair met]( and instantly hit it off. Itâs understandable considering they grew up 20-25 miles from each other. The elder Smith brings out the cheeky personality of the young golfer that isnât always on display during competition. âQueensland attitudes, itâs part of upbringing to be honest,â Smith, the rugby league player, says. âIt's just all about humility.â That humility has powered golfâs Smith to two TOUR wins, a monumental performance in the [2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne]( and a record-setting [second-place finish in the Masters]( last fall. His resume will continue to grow, and despite all of the accolades awarded to the rugby league star, itâs the Cameron on the golf course that does the inspiring these days. [divider] [FROM TRIPLE-BOGEY TO TROPHY]( Most golfers know better than most that success is not a straight line. Few things could knock a pro further off course in a tournament than making a triple or worse in the first round. Thatâs probably why the [list of the last 10 golfers to win]( after doing just that features some of the greatest names in the game. [Tiger Woods](, [Phil Mickelson]( (twice because of course he did) Sergio Garcia, [Vijay Singh]( and [Rory McIlroy]( all were able to claw back after spotting the field three shots on one hole. The aforementioned Cameron Smith, a perpetual underdog in his own mind, was the most recent to accomplish the feat in his win at last seasonâs Sony Open in Hawaii. He also became the only player in the ShotLink era to win after playing his first two holes in 4-over par. Itâs not about how you start, itâs how you finish. Just ask your favorite golf legend.
[divider] [MEET YA IN LA QUINTA]( With the Aloha Swing wrapped up, the TOUR heads back to the mainland with a [strong field](setting their GPS for [The American Express](. Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay are joined by a contingent of young names to keep an eye on. Vanderbilt standout John Augenstein, runner-up in the 2019 U.S. Amateur, makes his first start as a pro. Teen stars Akshay Bhatia and Joohyung Kim both received a sponsorâs exemption. The annual trip to the Coachella Valley will look slightly different after it was announced the pro-am portion of the tournament would be canceled. There will only be two courses featured, the Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Tournament Course, instead of the usual three, while the cut shrinks from 54 holes to 36. 500 FedExCup points and a two-year exemption will be up for grabs. A positive change to this yearâs event is a 9-hole skins match on Wednesday. Pro and celeb participants will be announced on Tuesday. Video Of The Week PGA TOUR player Cameron Smith meets rugby league player Cameron Smith The Turn MIC CHECK âIt's a great start ⦠It's a big confidence boost.â â Kevin Na after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii [divider] BY THE NUMBERS 58 â Longtime [agronomist Jeff Haley]( passed away recently at the age of 58. He was just the third agronomist hired by the TOUR and held the position for three decades. The American Express, which is being played this week at PGA West, was one of the events Haley set up for several years. 7,100 â Which players perform best on the [TOURâs coziest courses](? To find out, The 15th Club analyzed nearly 15,000 rounds played on courses 7,100 yards and under during the last five seasons. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [TERMS & PRIVACY]( To remove yourself from all future PGA TOUR WIRE2WIRE communications please click here: [Unsubscribe]( PGA TOUR
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