Kevin Na facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Na |
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Na in 2018
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Kevin Sangwook Na |
| Born | September 15, 1983 Seoul, South Korea |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 167 lb (76 kg; 11.9 st) |
| Nationality |  United States South Korea |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Spouse |
Julianne Na
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 3 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 2001 |
| Current tour(s) | LIV Golf |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Asian Tour |
| Professional wins | 9 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| Asian Tour | 1 |
| Web.com Tour | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T12: 2012, 2015, 2021 |
| U.S. Open | 7th: 2016 |
| The Open Championship | T22: 2016 |
| PGA Championship | T10: 2011 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Asian PGA Tour Rookie of the Year |
2002 |
Kevin Sangwook Na (Korean: 나상욱) is a professional golfer from Korea and America. He was born on September 15, 1983. Kevin used to play on the PGA Tour, which is a very famous golf league. In June 2022, he decided to join another golf league called LIV Golf. Kevin Na has won five big tournaments on the PGA Tour during his career.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Golf
Kevin Na was born in Seoul, South Korea. When he was eight years old, his family moved to the United States. They settled in southern California. Kevin loved golf and decided to become a professional player at a young age. He left Diamond Bar High School when he was 17 to focus on his golf career.
Kevin Na's Professional Golf Journey
Kevin Na has played on several major golf tours around the world. These include the Asian Tour, the European Tour, and the PGA Tour. He earned his PGA Tour card, which means he could play in their tournaments, for the 2004 season.
Early Success and Challenges
In his early years on the PGA Tour, Kevin had some great finishes. He came in second place at the FBR Open and the Chrysler Classic of Tucson in 2005. In 2006, he had a hand injury that kept him from playing for six months. When he returned, he won the Mark Christopher Charity Classic on the Nationwide Tour.
Kevin continued to play well on the PGA Tour. In 2009, he finished third at the 2009 Players Championship and had nine top-10 finishes overall. This strong performance helped him qualify for the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open for the first time in 2010.
First PGA Tour Win
In 2011, Kevin Na was very close to winning his first PGA Tour title at the Northern Trust Open. He ended up finishing third. Later that year, he had a memorable moment at the Valero Texas Open. He hit a golf shot that bounced off a tree and hit him, leading to a very high score on one hole. Even with that, he still played well on the other holes.
On October 1, 2011, Kevin Na finally achieved his first PGA Tour victory. He won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. This was his 211th attempt to win on the tour, and he won by two strokes. This big win gave him a two-year pass to play on the tour.
More Wins and Top Finishes
After his first win, Kevin continued to have strong performances. He finished fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2012 and had other top finishes. In 2013, a back injury limited his playing time, but he made a great comeback later that year.
In 2014, he finished second at the Memorial Tournament and the Valspar Championship. He also had a good finish at the U.S. Open, coming in 12th place.
Kevin Na won his second PGA Tour event in 2018 at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. This was his first win since 2011. He then won his third PGA Tour title in 2019 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He played very well, finishing four shots ahead of the second-place golfer.
In October 2019, Kevin won his fourth PGA Tour title, again at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He won in a playoff, which is like extra holes played to decide a winner when players are tied.
His fifth PGA Tour win came in January 2021 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He made a great comeback in the final holes to win by one stroke. Later in 2021, he tied for the lead at the Wyndham Championship but lost in a playoff. He also finished third at the Tour Championship, earning a large prize from the season-long FedEx Cup.
Joining LIV Golf
In June 2022, Kevin Na announced that he was leaving the PGA Tour. He decided to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which is a new professional golf league.
Kevin Na's Personal Life
Kevin Na is a naturalized American citizen. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is married to Julianne Na, and they have three children named Sophia, Leo, and Logan.
Professional Wins (9)
Kevin Na has won 9 professional golf tournaments in total.
PGA Tour Wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 2, 2011 | Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open | 67-63-66-65=261 | −23 | 2 strokes |  Nick Watney |
| 2 | Jul 8, 2018 | A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier | 69-63-65-64=261 | −19 | 5 strokes | Kelly Kraft |
| 3 | May 26, 2019 | Charles Schwab Challenge | 70-62-69-66=267 | −13 | 4 strokes | Tony Finau |
| 4 | Oct 6, 2019 | Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (2) | 68-62-61-70=261 | −23 | Playoff | Patrick Cantlay |
| 5 | Jan 17, 2021 | Sony Open in Hawaii | 67-66-61-65=259 | −21 | 1 stroke | Chris Kirk,  Joaquín Niemann |
PGA Tour Playoff Record (1–4) Kevin Na has been in 5 playoffs on the PGA Tour, winning 1 and losing 4.
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | Chrysler Classic of Tucson |  Geoff Ogilvy, Mark Calcavecchia |
Ogilvy won with birdie on second extra hole Calcavecchia eliminated by par on first hole |
| 2 | 2014 | Memorial Tournament |  Hideki Matsuyama |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2015 | Frys.com Open |  Emiliano Grillo |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 2019 | Shriners Hospitals for Children Open | Patrick Cantlay |
Won with par on second extra hole |
| 5 | 2021 | Wyndham Championship |  Branden Grace,  Kim Si-woo, Kevin Kisner, Adam Scott, Roger Sloan |
Kisner won with birdie on second extra hole |
Asian PGA Tour Wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 8, 2002 | Volvo Masters of Asia | 69-66-71-66=272 | −16 | 2 strokes | Craig Kamps, Anthony Kang, Arjun Singh,  Simon Yates |
Nationwide Tour Wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 8, 2006 | Mark Christopher Charity Classic | 62-66-71-69=268 | −16 | 3 strokes | Jeff Quinney, Chris Tidland |
Other Wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 28, 2002 | Long Beach Open | 66-64-75-63=268 | −20 | 3 strokes | Mike Cunning |
| 2 | Dec 12, 2021 | QBE Shootout (with Jason Kokrak) |
59-64-60=183 | −33 | 1 stroke | Sam Burns and Billy Horschel |
See also
- 2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
