did kevin na
whiff a tee shot?

it took eight seasons and 210 starts, but kevin na’s big week finally arrived: he won the Justin timberlake shriners hospitals for children open. he also ranked t- 13 in driving accuracy and t- 17 in driving distance. he also whiffed with a driver. well, not exactly. settling in over his ball on the 15th hole at tpc summerlin during the third round, na took a full-blooded backswing only to re-direct it a full foot or so right of the ball on the downswing. what looked, to some, like a whiff actually was nothing more than an unusual part of na’s swing routine when things go awry. “my transition is always what i’m working on,” said na afterward. “i get quick and the transition doesn’t feel right. i try to stop [but] the only way for me to stop is i have to come up and go over the ball.” according to na, this isn’t the first time it has happened. in fact, he has discussed the unusual move with pga tour officials who have told him it is allowable under rule 14. “i told them: ‘hey, guys, i do this all the time. so i’m just letting you know ahead of time that i do this all the time,’ ” said na. “it’s not a big deal. as long as you don’t make contact, it doesn’t matter.” as it turned out, it wouldn’t have mattered even if it was a whiff as na won by two shots. still, talk continues as to whether na’s swing constitutes a pass at the ball or not. to see the video, click here. —E. Michael Johnson