Fast start gives Na a four-shot win at Colonial
Kevin Na birdied four of the first eight holes and shot a 4-under-par 66 to cruise to a four-shot victory over Tony Finau at Colonial on Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas.
The South Korean-born American opened with a two-shot lead and was in front by at least that many for the final 16 holes after putting his second shot inside 5 feet for birdie at the par-4 second. Na finished 13-under.
Na’s third career PGA Tour victory, and second in 10 months, came after putting himself in contention with a second-round 62, one off the Colonial record. It was his third score at least that good in a span of six on the cozy course made famous by Ben Hogan.
Local favorite Jordan Spieth’s strong putting disappeared in a 2-over 72 as the Dallas native finished eight shots back to remain without a victory since his third major title at the 2017 British Open.
Jim Furyk’s hopes faded when the 2003 U.S. Open champion went in the water for double bogey at the par-3 13th on the way to a 73. The 17time tour winner’s last title was at Hilton Head in 2015.
Finau briefly was within a shot of Na early in the round, and the first-round leader was two back when Na birdied 14 about the same time Finau had a bogey at 16 to push the lead to four.
Finau, looking for his second career win three years after his first, closed with a 68.
It’s the first time since 2002-03 that consecutive Colonials were decided by more than one stroke. Defending champion Justin Rose, who won by three and was the highestranked player in the field at No. 3 this year, had his third score of par or worse, shooting 70 to finish 5-over.
SENIOR PGA
Ken Tanigawa overcame a three-shot deficit on the back nine to pass defending champion Paul Broadhurst and win the Senior PGA Championship in Pittsford, New York.
In only his second year on the senior tour and some 15 years after giving up playing professionally, Tanigawa shot an evenpar 70 to finish at 3-under 277 at Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course. The 51-year-old held off PGA Tour Champions money leader Scott McCarron by a stroke.
Tanigawa scrambled to par the par-4 closing hole after his tee shot landed in a fairway bunker. He chipped out into the fairway, hit his third shot to 12 feet and made the putt.
Playing alongside good friend and former UCLA teammate Tanigawa, McCarron also shot 70. McCarron’s bid to force a tie ended when he missed a 25-foot birdie putt about a foot to the left.
LPGA TOUR
Bronte Law shot a 3-under 67 and held off a series of challengers to win the Pure Silk Championship by two shots in Williamsburg, Virginia, for her first career victory on the LPGA Tour.
The 24-year-old Englishwoman, a former star at UCLA, held a share of the lead after all four rounds and finished with a 17-under 267 total on the River Course at the Kingsmill Resort.
Madelene Sagstrom, Brooke Henderson and third-round co-leader Nasa Hataoka tied for second. Sagstrom shot 66, Henderson 68 and Hataoka 69.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Bernd Wiesberger held on to win the Made in Denmark tournament in Farso for his fifth European Tour title.
The Austrian came into the final round at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort with a one-shot lead over Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, and he maintained his slim margin after shooting a 5under 66 for a 270 overall.