IRON HEADS FEEL THE LOVE AT 'HOME' BUT RESULT ELUDES
LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas resident Kevin Na was presented a proclamation and a Key to the Las Vegas Strip by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, one of the many gestures from the city towards its star during the LIV Golf Las Vegas week.
Captain Na and his Iron Heads GC also gave back plenty in the form of starting new community outreach programs, but the team would have dearly loved a better finish on the golf course in an otherwise unforgettable week.
Both Na, and his teammate Danny Lee, also a resident of Las Vegas for the past two years, regularly play the Las Vegas Country Club (LVCC). However, they could not take advantage of home knowledge and were blown away by the tricky wind, cold conditions and greens that firmed up considerably as the tournament progressed.
The final round was particularly brutal, and the Iron Heads could do no better than a 7-over aggregate, which dropped them down to 11th place in the team championship at 3-under total.
Na and newcomer Jinichiro Kozuma were the best-placed among the Iron Heads, tied 34th at 1-under.
The Japanese star had started well with rounds of 2-under 68, followed by a brilliant 66 in Friday’s second round, but was blown away by the wind on Saturday and ended up with a 75.
Na was solid with a 1-over 71 in the final round after an even-par and 2-under outing the first two days.
Iron Heads were without any team points going into Jeddah for the next tournament (March 1-3), where they will have fond memories of Scott Vincent’s heroic effort last year. The Zimbabwean needed to finish inside the top-4 to secure his place in the Lock Zone, and did exactly that to jump from 31st place to 22nd.
Kevin Na – T34th – 70-68-71-209 (1-under)
A near ace on the 5th hole in Friday’s second round was the highlight of Na’s tournament, while the disappointment would be the first round, when he made six birdies but could not make it count and ended up with an even-par score with four bogeys and a double.
Jinichiro Kozuma – T34th – 68-66-75-209 (1-under)
The young Japanese star, who secured his card to the 2024 LIV Golf season through the Promotions event in Abu Dhabi, admitted to nerves when he started with a triple bogey in Mayakoba. It was a much better outing in Vegas, which was ruined by a double and a triple bogey in difficult conditions on the final day.
Danny Lee – T39th – 69-72-70-210 (Even-par)
Lee, winner in Tucson in the second start of his LIV Golf career last year, handled the conditions best among the Iron Heads on the final day, but it was Friday’s second round of 72 that prevented him from finishing better. Lee was 4-over after 14 holes, before fighting back with two birdies in his last four holes. It also did not help that he needed 91 putts for his three rounds.
Scott Vincent – T45th – 68-72-71-211 (1-over)
The sweet-swinging Zimbabwean’s biggest mistake of the tournament was a triple-bogey seven in his second hole of the day in the second round. He was playing catch-up all day after that and finished with a 72. Vincent, who welcomed a baby boy the week of Mayakoba, is yet to gain a point in his two starts, but he has a good record at Royal Greens in Jeddah, which hosts the next LIV event.
STAT REVIEW
Field ranking in parentheses
Fairways Hit
Na – 28 (T7)
Kozuma – 20 (T44)
Lee – 22 (T37)
Vincent – 28 (T7)
Greens in Regulation
Na – 35 (T40)
Kozuma – 37 (T28)
Lee – 38 (T21)
Vincent – 34 (T42)
Total Putts
Na – 86 (T17)
Kozuma – 87 (T24)
Lee – 91 (T44)
Vincent – 86 (T17)
Total Birdies
Na – 10 (T33)
Kozuma – 11 (T25)
Lee – 7 (T50)
Vincent – 10 (T33)
Driving Distance Avg.
Na – 282.0 (50)
Kozuma – 288.2 (38)
Lee – 286.7 (42)
Vincent – 289.9 (35)