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Kevin Na: Is Veteran a FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 26: Colonial Country Club president Kip Adams (left) presents Kevin Na of the United States with the trophy as Charles Schwab (right) looks on after Na won the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 26, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 26: Colonial Country Club president Kip Adams (left) presents Kevin Na of the United States with the trophy as Charles Schwab (right) looks on after Na won the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 26, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Na has never finished in the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings. Can this year be different?

Kevin Na is not a name that most people would think of when talking about potential FedEx Cup champions. Yet, as the PGA Tour gets ready to resume play in June, Na finds himself squarely in the mix for that title this season.

Na first came on tour in 2004 but has never seriously contended for a FedEx Cup championship. In fact, he has made six appearances in the Tour Championship during his career but has never finished higher than 24th in the final FedEx Cup standings.

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This season has gotten off to a fantastic start for Na. He has made 11 starts so far in 2020, making nine cuts and recording six top 25s. Included in that are a pair of top 10s, one of which was his fourth career PGA Tour win. That came in October at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, when Na held off Patrick Cantlay by a shot and a hard-charging Sam Ryder by two to claim the victory.

Na’s other top 10 came at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in February. In addition, a pair of 14th place finishes have Na riding high in the FedEx Cup standings so far in 2020.

Being in this spot is unfamiliar territory for Na, as he currently ranks 11th in the FedEx Cup standings. For a player who is best known for taking a 16 on a hole in the Valero Texas Open, or for being unable to pull the trigger on his swing at times, being ranked this highly in the standings is definitely not the norm. If he stays in contention as the playoffs approach, it will be interesting to see how Na handles the pressure, or if he can handle the scrutiny.

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It remains to be seen how Na will fare the rest of the season. It would not be a surprise to see a different winner in this year’s FedEx Cup because of what has happened with the schedule this season. It would, however, be a huge surprise if that winner is Kevin Na. Until he proves otherwise, he’s a pretender for the 2020 FedEx Cup.

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