Kevin Na has announced his resignation from the PGA Tour ahead of his participation in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Na, who is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, posted on social media on Saturday his reasons for resigning, suggesting it was due to the Tour's attitude towards players competing in rival events.

A Saudi-backed rival to the PGA Tour had been rumoured for years before the launching of LIV Golf was recently confirmed.

Greg Norman, a two-time Open champion and LIV Golf's CEO, described it as the arrival of "free agency" in golf, with leading players skipping PGA Tour events to play in the new series.

However, the Tour has previously suggested it would ban players who joined the breakaway.

Na, who is the world number 33, was among 13 players from the PGA Tour listed as part of the field for the first LIV Golf event in London next week, along with the likes of Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

Na posted on Twitter: "For 19 years I have played on the PGA Tour and loved every minute of it. I appreciate the platform the Tour has provided me to play the game I love and for the opportunities that come with it.

"Recent developments in the professional golf world have given me a chance to reconsider my options. I would like the freedom to play wherever I want and exercising my right as a free agent gives me that opportunity.

"However, to remain a PGA Tour player, I must give up my right to make these choices about my career. If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot remain a PGA Tour player without facing disciplinary proceedings and legal action from the PGA Tour.

"I am sad to share that I have chosen to resign from the PGA Tour. This has not been an easy decision and not one taken lightly. I hope the current policies change and I'll be able to play on the PGA Tour again.

"I am thrilled to begin the next chapter in my career, starting next week at the inaugural LIV Invitational Series event in London. I hope you'll continue to support me."

The 38-year-old's last Tour win came in January 2021 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Jim Furyk rolled back the years with a hole-in-one at the Sony Open to finish the opening round in Hawaii one shot behind leader and defending champion Kevin Na.

The 51-year-old, who has 17 PGA Tour victories to his name, sunk the perfect shot on the par-three 17th on his way to finishing eight under on Thursday.

Furyk was hampered by a slow start at Wai'alae Country Club with a bogey on the opening hole, though that proved to be the American's only dropped shot in a round of 62.

That makes Furyk the oldest player to shoot 62 or better on the PGA Tour since 1983 as he looks to win the tournament for a second time, 26 years on from his previous triumph.

"I'm trying to get ready for this year. I want to be competitive this week," said Furyk, who made the sixth hole-in-one of his career and first since 2011.

"I want to compete and put myself in position, in the hunt, and also want to get a feel for where my game is and what I want to work on for the year."

Furyk will resume day two level with compatriot Russell Henley and a stroke behind blemish-free Na, who is aiming to defend the crown he won last year.

Na was on course for a sub-60 round, but three good birdie chances passed him by and he now has seven challengers within two shots of his lead.

The South Korean settled for 61 to tie his career-low round on the PGA Tour. He leads the way for the most rounds-of-62 or better since such data was first recorded in 1983 (10).

Na, Furyk and Henley are three of six past Sony Open winners in the top 10 after day one, along with Matt Kuchar, Patton Kizzire (both six under) and Ryan Palmer (seven under).

Elsewhere, Cameron Smith could not build on his record-breaking win at last week's Sentry Tournament of Champions as a couple of bogeys left him three-under par in a tie for 40th.

Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak rallied to win the QBE Shootout after birdieing 12 of their last 13 holes.

Na and Kokrak faced a three-shot deficit, but the American duo fought back in Naples, Florida, where they dazzled in Sunday's fourballs.

A combined 12-under-par 60 saw Na and Kokrak prevail by a stroke ahead of Billy Horschel and Sam Burns (61) at the unofficial PGA Tour team event.

Na and Kokrak, who also reeled off nine consecutive birdies, ended the week 33 under as overnight leaders Marc Leishman and Jason Day (65) finished third alongside defending champions Matt Kuchar and Harris English (62).

"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."

Patrick Cantlay claimed the $15million FedEx Cup play-offs after withstanding world number one Jon Rahm at the Tour Championship.

Cantlay earned a mammoth payday at East Lake, where the American outlasted Rahm by just one stroke at the PGA Tour's season-ending event on Sunday.

Last week, Cantlay defeated Bryson DeChambeau in a thrilling six-hole play-off to ensure he would start the Tour Championship as the leader at 10 under per the new FedEx Cup format.

Spanish star Rahm entered the event four strokes adrift but his flawless two-under-par 66 in the final round set up a nervy finish in Atlanta, Georgia.

However, Cantlay – who teed off with a two-shot advantage at the start of the final day – weathered his own nerves late on, birdieing two of his final three holes to hold off Rahm, having opened the door following a bogey on the 17th.


Cantlay had a one-stroke lead going to the par-five 18th hole and hit a clutch six-iron from 218 yards to within just 12 feet to secure a dramatic wire-to-wire victory and the biggest triumph of the 29-year-old's career.

He is now in contention for the PGA Tour Player of the Year award following his fourth victory of the season – no player has more trophies in 2020-21.

"It was tough, it definitely felt different than any other week. It was the longest lead I've ever held," Cantlay said afterwards.

"I tried to stay in the present day after day and I did an amazing job of that this week. I made a couple of mistakes I wouldn't normally make and was able to centre myself when I really needed to."

Kevin Na (67) finished third at 16 under as 2017 FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas (70) ended the tournament a shot further back.

Xander Schauffele – tied for fifth alongside Viktor Hovland (70) – birdied five of his final six holes en route to a six-under-par 64 for his 20th consecutive round of even par or better at East Lake.

DeChambeau closed with a final-round 66 to earn sole possession of seventh place at 13 under, while defending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup winner Dustin Johnson was two strokes further back after a three-under-par 67.

Two-time champion Rory McIlroy (67) had to settle for a share of 14th spot – 14 strokes adrift of Cantlay.

Lucas Glover clinched his first PGA Tour win in more than a decade with a two-stroke victory at the John Deere Classic on Sunday.

Glover charged home at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, with a seven-under 64 in the final round.

The American finished at 19 under, two shots clear of Ryan Moore (68) and Kevin Na (68), for his first win since 2011.

Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, was two under for the round through 11 holes before a blistering finish.

He made four straight birdies before another at the 17th on his way to a fourth PGA Tour victory.

"It's been a long 10 years, been some struggles, I've had a couple of good years, but nothing like this, nothing where I had a real chance to win," Glover told the Golf Channel.

"It's great."

Adam Schenk (67), Luke List (68), Scott Brown (69) and overnight leader Sebastian Munoz (71) finished tied for fourth at 16 under.

Kevin Na birdied the final hole to win the Sony Open in Hawaii by one stroke on Sunday.

The American carded a five-under 65 in the final round at Waialae Country Club, finishing a stroke clear of Chris Kirk (65) and Joaquin Niemann (66).

Na made a short birdie putt after producing a great chip on the final hole, the birdie sending him to 21 under and victory.

It marked his fifth PGA Tour win and fourth in two and a half years.

"It's a nice feeling. I know it's a Ryder Cup year, it's all positives. I feel great," Na told a news conference after his win.

"It's four seasons in a row I've won, it's a great feeling, nice to get it done early but I'd like to win another one before the season is over."

Behind Kirk and Niemann were Webb Simpson (64), Marc Leishman (65) and overnight leader Brendan Steele (69).

Niemann, who lost a play-off at the Tournament of Champions last week, finished second for the second straight week.

The last player to finish second in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour was Simpson in 2019.

Patton Kizzire (64), Collin Morikawa (64), Billy Horschel (65) and Daniel Berger (66) finished tied for seventh at 18 under.

Brendan Steele recorded the lowest round of his PGA Tour career as he claimed a two-stroke lead after the third round at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

American golfer Steele – who lost a play-off at last year's tournament – posted a nine-under-par 61 to rise six positions to the top of the leaderboard in Honolulu on Saturday.

A three-time Tour champion, Steele was flawless at Waialae Country Club, where he drained nine birdies, including his final two holes to be 18 under overall.

Steele holds the outright 54-hole lead for the second consecutive season at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He could become the first player to lose a play-off and win the same event the following season since Ryuji Imada in 2008.

Kevin Na (61) and Joaquin Niemann are Steele's nearest challengers heading into the final round of the tournament.

Na equalled his career low-round, while the American is now tied with Brandt Snedeker and Justin Thomas for the most rounds (four) of 61 or better on Tour since 2014.

Peter Malnati (64), Charley Hoffman (64), Russell Henley (65), Chris Kirk (65) and Stewart Cink (65) are three shots off the pace.

Overnight leader and Canadian Nick Taylor, meanwhile, dropped down the leaderboard following his two-under-par 68.

Taylor ended the round tied for ninth on 14 under, alongside Marc Leishman (65), Keith Mitchell (63) and Daniel Berger (64).

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.