Kevin Na fared best among Las Vegas golfers at Masters

Kevin Na birdied three of his final six holes during a 1-under 71 to lead the way among a ho-hum first-round effort Thursday for Las Vegas golfers in the Masters field.

Na’s highlight came when he nearly aced the fourth hole, something done only once in tournament history, in 1992 by Jeff Sluman, who was in the announcer’s seat to call Na’s shot.

Among other local players, Collin Morikawa had three bogeys and two birdies in an uneventful 73, while there were no birdies on the cards of either Xander Schauffele, a runner-up last year, or Seamus Power, playing in his first Masters. Both shot 74.

UNLV alums Garrick Higgo (72) and Adam Scott (74) had inconsistent rounds, while UNLV freshman Aaron Jarvis couldn’t find enough greens in regulation and shot 81. Jarvis did birdie the par-3 12th in the middle of Amen Corner, dropping a 9-iron to 4 feet.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.