Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Kisner’s chip in forces playoff at Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, LA. >> Kevin Kisner chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole as darkness fell Sunday night at the Zurich Classic, lifting himself and teammate Scott Brown into a Monday playoff with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith.
Kisner’s chip-in — which skipped on a wet green, hit the pin and dropped in from nearly 95 feet — forced the 23-year-old Smith to make a 1½-foot birdie putt.
Kisner and Brown shot a 12-under 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, a Swede, and Smith, an Australian, 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 six-hour delay cause by thunderstorms. Each player on the winning team will take home $1.02 million and earn 400 FedExCup points.
Kelly Kraft and Kevin Tway finished third at 23 under, and Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer were another stroke back. VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA TEXAS SHOOTOUT >> Hara Nomura outlasted Cristie Kerr with a two-putt birdie on the sixth playoff hole to win the windy Volunteers of America Texas Shootout 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.
Nomura shot a 5-over 76. Kerr made the only birdie all day at the par-3 17th, and was leading by a stroke when she tapped in a par putt on 18 for a 74. Jessica Korda (73) was third at 1 under. CHINA OPEN >> France’s Alexander Levy of France beat Dylan Frittelli in a playoff in the China Open after overcoming a seven-shot deficit to the South African in the final round.
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. Levy won for the fourth time on the European Tour. EL BOSQUE MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP >> Matt Atkins won the El Bosque Mexico Championship for his first Web .com Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a three-stroke victory.
Atkins finished at 17-under 271 at El Bosque Country Club and earned $117,000 to jump from a tie for 87th to sixth on the money list with $127,625. The final top 25 will earn PGA Tour cards.
Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz was second after a 70. SYMETRA CLASSIC >> Nanna Koerstz Madsen rallied to beat former Stanford star Mariah Stackhouse in the Symetra Classic.
Koerstz Madsen, the 22-year-old Danish player ranked 79th in the world, closed with a 4-under 68 at Atlanta National Golf Club to beat Stackhouse (72) and Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea (67) by two strokes.
Koerstz Madsen earned $22,500 to jump from 17th to third on the money list with $30,325, with the final top 10 getting LPGA Tour cards. Koerstz Madsen finished at 11-under 205.