Na Na Na Na, Goodbye attitude
The last time I saw Kevin Na in person in 2010, he was slamming his club into the ground while walking from the 18th tee box at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on his final hole of the Tour Championship, taking a large chunk of saturated turf. It was hardly professional behavior, but was in line with Na’s M.O. as a poor sport of sorts, a bit of a petulant youngster at 27 who had yet to mature.
It was refreshing to see the way he handled the 16 he took on the ninth hole in the first round of last week’s Valero Texas Open. He remained calm throughout and even found some humor in the entire episode.
Lets hope it’s a sign of things to come for Na, who is still seeking his first victory this week in The Heritage, which is his 198th PGA Tour start. The change in attitude could help a guy who has three runner-up finishes and five third-place tallies finally break through with a win.
Spurrier celebrates on course
South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier celebrated his 66th birthday by playing in The Heritage's Wednesday pro-am, and the special day was recognized by the gallery. Led by a marshal, spectators serenaded Spurrier with “Happy Birthday” on the first tee.
Spurrier's playing partners included two-time Heritage champion Boo Weekley, Mount Pleasant attorney Joe Rice, who is Dustin Johnson's regular playing partner in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
On the 18th tee, Weekley, an Alabama fan, teasingly pulled a Crimson Tide visor from his golf bag, exchanged it with the cap on his head and asked Spurrier to pose for a photo in front of the iconic striped Harbour Town lighthouse. Weekley put the visor back in his bag before taking the picture.
