Kisner’s chip flips script to playoff
Kevin Kisner chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole as darkness fell last night at the Zurich Classic, lifting himself and teammate Scott Brown into a playoff today with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith in Avondale, La.
Kisner’s chip-in — which skipped on a wet green, hit the pin and dropped in from nearly 95 feet — forced the 23-yearold Smith to make a 11⁄ 2foot birdie putt to remain in contention for his first PGA Tour victory.
Kisner and Brown shot a 12-under-par round of 60 in best-ball play, and Blixt and Smith had a 64 to finish at 27-under at the TPC Louisiana in the PGA Tour’s first team event in 36 years.
Blixt and Smith haven’t bogeyed a hole yet, and appeared to have the victory wrapped up before Kisner’s chip-in, which whipped the die-hard crowd around the final green into a frenzy while Kisner waved both arms in celebration.
The round finished in barely playable darkness because of a more than sixhour delay cause by thunderstorms.
Each player on the winning team will take home $1.02 million and earn 400 FedExCup points.
Blixt and Smith led after the second and third rounds, but had to overcome a remarkable surge by Brown and Kisner, who stormed into the lead with birdies on the first eight holes and 10 of their first 11.
Blixt made a 5-foot birdie putt on the 16th, and Smith did the same on 17th to put themselves back in the lead.
Smith then dropped a 57yard approach on 18 within 2 feet, seemingly dooming Kisner and Brown to second place. Instead, both teams will be back at it at 8 a.m. on the 18th hole to start the playoff.
Kisner and Brown each have one PGA Tour victory. The 33-year-old Blixt has won twice, but not since 2013.
Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer combined to birdie 7-of-9 holes in the middle of their round to pull as close as 3 strokes back with three holes to play, but couldn’t quite overcome a deficit that had been as large as 6 shots.
No prob for Nomura
Hara Nomura outlasted Cristie Kerr with a 2-putt birdie on the sixth playoff hole to win the windy Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in Irving, Texas, for her third LPGA Tour victory.
Nomura, the 24-year-old from Japan who lives in Hawaii, also birdied the par-5 18th hole at the end of regulation to force the playoff after giving up the lead for the first time with a double bogey at No. 17.
Kerr and Nomura finished regulation at 3-under 281 at Las Colinas Country Club, then played the 518yard 18th six more times.
Kerr was trying to win consecutive tournaments. The 39-year-old American won in Hawaii two weeks ago, her 19th career victory coming nearly five months after knee surgery.
Levy takes 4th title
Alexander Levy beat Dylan Frittelli in a playoff in the China Open after overcoming a 7-shot deficit in the final round in Beijing.
Levy won with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole at Topwin Golf and Country Club. Also the 2014 champion, Levy birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 67 to match Frittelli (74) at 17-under 271 and send the pair back down the closing hole.
The win for Levy was his fourth on the European Tour.