The Loop

How Kevin Na made 16 on the par-4 ninth

April 14, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- The AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio is generous off the tee but woe unto those who stray too far. In the Texas version of the Florida recount, Kevin Na went for 14, no 15, oops 16, on the ninth hole after driving it right, hitting a provisional, finding the first ball, declaring it unplayable, re-teeing and hitting it back into the gunch, then flailing about in the forest primeval, hitting himself with one shot and whiffing another.

Going into the ninth, Na was one under par. He was three under on the back. But, a 16 rarely does wonders for the scorecard. "I thought I made a good putt on the last hole to break 80 and I was pretty happy," he said afterward, only to find out he posted the eight-oh on the number.

When the round was over Na adjourned to review the videotape. "I got done with the hole and I said, 'Ryuji (Imada), I think I made somewhere between a 10 and a 15 but I think it's close to a 15.' They gave me 14 in the beginning and that sounded about right. Then, after the round, they said 15. We went and checked the camera and I counted it myself and it was 16. I just wanted to know exactly what I made. I'm the only one that's going to be able to know."

Na's 16 is the highest score on a single hole since John Daly made an 18 at Bay Hill in '98.

-- Jim Moriarty