Posted December 12, 2021 in "Watts" In The Bag by Tom Brassell
By The Associated Press
NAPLES, Fla. — Jason Kokrak and Kevin Na birdied 12 of their last 13 holes Sunday in four balls and closed with a 12-under 60 to rally from a three-shot deficit and win the QBE Shootout.
Kokrak and Na were five shots behind after a bogey on the par-3 fifth hole when they ran off nine straight birdies, seven of them by Na. And then it was Kokrak’s turn down the stretch, and he finished off the one-shot victory with a 6-foot birdie putt.
Four teams had a chance to win over the final two holes. Kokrak blasted a drive down the fairway and had a wedge he hit into 6 feet below the cup. His final birdie staked the team to a two-shot lead, meaning the last two teams behind them had to hole out from the fairway to force a playoff.
Billy Horschel chipped in for birdie from near the water hazard as he and Sam Burns shot 61 to finish one shot behind. Horschel and Burns did not have a score worse than 62 all week.
Marc Leishman and Jason Day, who opened with a 56 and led all week, couldn’t keep pace. Leishman made a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th to get within one shot, but then Kokrak in the group ahead made birdie and the Australian duo had to settle for par. They shot 65 and tied for third with defending champions Harris English and Matt Kuchar, who closed with a 62.
Na and Kokrak didn’t look to be part of the picture when they were even for the round through five holes. They made birdie on every hole but the 15th the rest of the way.
“We got off to a poor start,” Na said. “We kept telling ourselves there are plenty of birdie holes out there. I started making some birdies and we got hot.”
Na and Kokrak share a swing coach in Drew Steckel and often play practice rounds together.
Lexi Thompson, the only LPGA Tour player in the field, who also played Tiburon Golf Club last month in the LPGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship, teamed with Bubba Watson and had to settle for a 68. They finished ninth in the 12-team field.
Kevin Na “Watts in the Bag”
Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) – Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD GP 6 TX
3-wood: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond 3+ (14 degrees) – Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana RF 70 TX
5-wood: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (18 degrees) – Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana BF 80 TX
Hybrid: PXG 0317 X Gen 2 (19 degrees) – Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95X
Irons: Callaway Rogue Pro (4), Callaway Apex Pro 16 (5-PW) – Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (54), Vokey Design Prototype (60-06K ) – Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey Toulon Madison
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Jason Kokrak “Watts” in the Bag
Driver: TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees @8.5) – Shaft: Accra TZ5 85 M5 Proto
3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 (15 degrees) – Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 6.5 80 TX
7-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (21 degrees) – Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 6.5 80 TX
Irons: PXG 0311 T Gen4 (4-PW) – Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy (52), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (56-14F), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 WedgeWorks (60-08M) – Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38 – Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC