The Greenbrier Recap: Na's Long-Awaited Second Win

For a second-tier event, there were no shortage of storylines going into Sunday at the Greenbrier.

• There was 54-hole co-leader Harold Varner III trying to join an exclusive group: golfers of color to win a PGA Tour title.

• There was Sam Saunders, grandson of Arnold Palmer searching for his first Tour title and beginning the day only two strokes off the lead – with Palmer's old putter in his bag.

• There was the tournament within the tournament, as the top-four finishers not already in the British Open would get berths at Carnoustie in two weeks.

•There was the heart-wrenching case of John Peterson, the former LSU star whose pro career was derailed by injuries and who had said if he didn't secure enough points to keep his card in this very event that he would flat-out retire and head into real estate.

• There was even Kelly Kraft, the former amateur great who entered the day tied with Varner and, like all the above golfers, was seeking his first PGA Tour title.

In the end, another wonderful storyline, albeit one completely unanticipated, developed at the tournament now known as a Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. Kevin Na, a pretty darn good golfer who nonetheless had had won only once in more than 350 career starts, blitzed the Old White TPC with a front-nine 29 and cruised to a five-stroke win over Kraft.

Na was one of only two surprise champions on this day, as Russell Knox made a couple of jaw-dropping putts to capture the European Tour's Irish Open in a playoff.

But first, Na.

Na joined the Tour full-time in 2004 and it took him until the 2011 Shriners to win a title. Between now and then, he had come close to winning again so many times, with six runners-up finishes, three thirds and a boatload of top-10s. Na had spent a good chunk of that time in the top-50 in the world rankings, peaking at No. 19. Yet, in 368 tournaments entering the Greenbrier, he was stuck on that one win.

"I wasn't sure if it was going to come again. I was hoping it would – sooner than later," Na told reporters in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. "I've been close so many times, failed so many times."

While Na took most of the drama out of this day by shooting 6-under on the front-nine, there was no shortage of emotion at the end. As CBS' Amanda Balionis was wrapping up her live interview with Na, he asked whether he could say something to his native country, South Korea, in Korean.

Na started to talk and stopped. Same thing again. And again. Clearly, this was an emotional moment for Na, and the CBS camera moved into a super closeup as Na finally began to speak as tears welled in his eyes.

"I didn't want to leave the Korean fans out," Na said.

Russell Knox
Knox's late-arriving career began taking off in late 2015, when he won the WGC-HSBC Champions and then climbed within the top-20 in the world. By last month, he had tumbled to nearly 140th. But since then, the 33-year-old Swede tied for 12th at the U.S. Open and second at the French Open before coming from way behind to capture the Irish Open on the first playoff hole against snake-bit New Zealander Ryan Fox. (Yes, with Knox beating Fox, a Dr. Seuss book broke out at Ballyliffin Golf Club.)

Knox sank an incredible 40-footer for birdie on 18 just to get into the playoff, then sank another one from almost the very same spot in the playoff. Fox's 12-footer to extend the match agonizingly lipped out.

The win moves Knox back inside the top-50 heading into his national title at the Scottish Open, a week before the British Open. Right now, he's one of the hottest golfers going heading into the third major of the year.

MONDAY BACKSPIN

Kelly Kraft
The 2011 U.S. Amateur champion who beat Patrick Cantlay in the final match has not seen that success translate to the PGA Tour. First off, he has played only 83 Tour tournaments since then. He did finish second at Pebble Beach last year, but he had missed seven of his last 10 cuts coming into the Greenbrier. This was his first lead of any kind on Tour, and he simply fell victim to the hot hand in Na. Kraft finished solo second. This doesn't guarantee a future win for Kraft, but it does lock up his Tour card for next season. More good news for Kraft: He picked up one of the four British Open berths at stake at the Greenbrier.

Harold Varner III
Varner was maybe the second African American to reach the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods (whose father was black and whose mother is Thai). He was looking to join the short list of winners that includes Woods, Calvin Peete, Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford, among others. Varner had a big win at the 2016 Australian Open, but he hasn't had much success on the PGA Tour. He bogeyed the first hole on Sunday and was never really in it, finishing in a tie for fifth, equaling his best career showing. Unfortunately for Varner, this week appears to be more the aberration in a weak field than a sign of new beginnings. It doesn't even guarantee him his card for next season, as he now sits 123rd in the point standings.

Sam Saunders
What a story this would've been, as Saunders used Palmer's old putter this week. And it worked – to a point. Saunders began the day two shots back but, like everyone else, was simply overwhelmed by Na. Still, bogeys on two of the last three holes dropped him to a tie for fifth and cost him one of the British Open berths. Saunders moved to 113th in the point standings, which probably secures his card for next season. Like Varner, this was more of an outlier in a lesser field than a harbinger of good things for Saunders.

British Open
Besides Kraft, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Kokrak and Austin Cook all landed berths in Carnoustie. Snedeker tied for third, and he appears to be all the way back from a 2017-ending injury. He has two top-10s on the season, both in the last month. Until Sunday, Snedeker's Tour card for next season was even in jeopardy; now, it's locked up. He's still trying to make his way back to the Ryder Cup team this fall, though that's a real long shot. But Snedeker could do well at Carnoustie, unlike the other three qualifiers who will merely be around for the experience.

John Peterson
The 29-year-old Peterson joined the Tour in 2012 and promptly tied for fourth at the U.S. Open – clearly talented – but has played only two full seasons thanks to injuries. This was his final start on a medical exemption, and he said that if he didn't secure his card for the rest of the season, he would retire to real estate in Fort Worth, Texas. To show how cruel the game, and sports in general, can be, Peterson needed no worse than a six-way tie for 13th to keep his card. He wound up in an eight-way tie for 13th. He missed by what amounts to less than one shot.

It's been a fun ride @PGATOURpic.twitter.com/rhWmhcHV6k

— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) July 8, 2018

Irish Open
New Zealand's Fox did not win, but he got one of the three British Open berths up for grabs. Joining him at Carnoustie will be England's Andy Sullivan, a former Ryder Cupper, and South African Zander Lombard. Fox has been playing well, as just five weeks ago he tied for eighth at the Italian Open. He's now up to No. 87 in the world, just one spot behind Snedeker. Fox hits the ball an absolute ton, but it would be a reach to think he could make any real noise at the British. Sullivan, however, is the best of the trio and tied for 12th two years ago at Royal Troon.

Jorge Campillo
We all know about Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Well, Campillo is another Spaniard on the rise, albeit one who is 32 years old. He tied for third at Ballyliffin, one stroke out of the playoff. He's been having a great season, with a runner-up in South Africa and other top-10s in Spain, China, Belgium and France. Campillo is up to No. 72 in the world and, while he won't win at Carnoustie, he's certainly capable of a top-25 or even better.

Rory McIlroy
The host of the Irish Open tied for 28th in his final tuneup for the British Open. McIlroy is one of the favorites, but it's clear he needs to do significantly better to even enter the Sunday conversation.