Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Monday 9 July 2018

Kevin Na wins by 5 shots in

West Virginia for 2nd tour win

By JOHN RABY Kokrak (67) tied for third at No third-round leader has
AP Sports Writer 13 under. gone on to win the tour-
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Na was one shot behind nament since its debut in
W.Va. (AP) — Kevin Na co-leaders Kraft and Har- 2010. Varner shot 72 and
rode a hot putter to halt a old Varner to begin the finished tied for fifth at 12
winless streak of nearly sev- day. His birdie stretch in- under along with Cook
en years on the PGA Tour. cluded making putts of 24, (66), Joaquin Niemann
Na shot a 6-under-64 for a 33 and 43 feet. (64), Sam Saunders (70)
five-stroke victory at A Mili- “My putter got hot,” Na and Joel Dahmen (69).
tary Tribute at The Green- said. “The first day the put- The 19-year-old Niemann
brier on Sunday. ter felt awful, and (then) it already has four top-10
The 34-year-old Na’s only just clicked. Every time I got finishes in eight events this
previous tour win came in over the ball it felt great, season and has secured
Las Vegas in October 2011. and everything felt like it special temporary mem-
“I wasn’t sure if it was going was going in.” bership on tour.
to come again. I was hop- By the time he strolled up Defending champion Xan-
ing it would — sooner than to the 18th green, Na was der Schauffele, who was
later,” Na said. “I’ve been at ease, relaying his love to one shot behind when the
close so many times, failed his wife and young daugh- round started, bogeyed
so many times.” ter toward a TV camera. five of his first six holes. He Kevin Na holds the trophy after winning the Military Tribute PGA
He’s had three dozen top- He cried during a television shot 75 and finished 11 Tour Golf Tournament at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs,
10 finishes since that last interview after the round as shots back.q W. Va., Sunday, July 8, 2018.
win and showed signs ear- he relayed a message in Associated Press
lier this year that reach- Korean to his overseas fans.
ing the top again was still “I didn’t want to leave the
well within reach. He tied Korean fans out,” Na said.
for second at the Genesis The only drama down the
Open in January, two shots stretch was who would
behind Bubba Watson. In pick up the last of the tour-
late May he shot 61 in the nament’s four qualifying
first round of the Fort Worth spots to the British Open in
Invitational to match the two weeks. Na had already
course record and finished earned a spot. Varner
fourth. needed to make a birdie
Starting Sunday’s round putt on either No. 17 or 18
one stroke behind co- to get there, but he parred
leaders Harold Varner and both holes. That gave the
Kelly Kraft, Na birdied six of final spot to Austin Cook.
his first 10 holes to open a Kraft, Kokrak and Snedeker
big lead on the Old White were the other qualifiers.
TPC, and he cruised from The leading four players
there. The only blemish on not already exempt from
his card was a bogey on the top-12 finishers quali-
the par-4 11th after driving fied.
into the rough. Kraft said his first British
Na finished at 19-under 261 Open bid helped take
and picked up the $1.31 away some of the sting of
million winner’s paycheck. losing the lead Sunday.
He improved 40 spots to “Obviously, I would have
No. 18 in the FedEx Cup loved to win after leading
standings. coming into today, but,
Kraft shot 70 and finished you know, sometimes you
second at 14 under. Brandt run into a guy that makes a
Snedeker (64) and Jason lot of putts,” Kraft said.

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com