Former Masters Runner-Up Will Zalatoris and LIV player Kevin Na have withdrawn from the 2023 Masters.
Kevin Na and Will Zalatoris were forced to withdraw from the Masters golf tournament on Thursday, citing health issues. Na, a 39-year-old American originally from South Korea, played the first nine holes and finished with a disappointing 4-over par 40 before deciding to pull out due to illness. Meanwhile, Zalatoris withdrew before even starting his round, citing an unspecified injury.
Na Was One of the First LIV Golfers To Tee Off
Na was among the 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour who qualified for the Masters, but his hopes of making an impact were dashed by his poor start. He began his round by hitting a wayward drive that ended up near a tree in the rough, and then went beyond the green with his approach shot, resulting in a double bogey.
Despite the setback, Na showed some flashes of his potential by birdieing the par-5 second hole. However, he struggled to maintain his form and recorded bogeys at the third, fifth, and par-3 sixth holes. He managed to get another birdie at the par-5 eighth hole but then faltered with another bogey on the ninth before ultimately withdrawing from the tournament. Some in the Na camp have cited sickness as the reason for the WD.
Kevin Na, currently ranked 96th in the world, has had mixed results in his 11 appearances at the Masters. His best performance came in 2021 when he finished tied for 12th place, which he has also achieved in two other years. Na was hoping to improve upon his past performances this year but unfortunately had to withdraw due to illness after playing just nine holes.
Zalatoris Was Looking To Build On Past Finishes
In contrast, 26-year-old Will Zalatoris has enjoyed some notable success in major tournaments recently. He finished as the runner-up at the Masters in 2021 and also earned a second-place finish at the PGA Championship the following year. In that same year, Zalatoris tied for second place at the US Open. With these impressive results, Zalatoris was considered a strong contender at this year’s Masters, but his hopes were dashed when he had to withdraw due to an unspecified injury.
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