Avoids disaster on 18, leads PGA by 1 entering final round

CHARLOTTE — Kevin Kisner survived a calamitous finish at the PGA Championship thanks to a good bounce off a bridge that allowed him to escape with a bogey and take a oneshot lead into the final round at Quail Hollow.

Kisner already gave up a two-shot lead with a 6-iron into the water on the 16th hole for double bogey.

Then, he nearly did it again at the end of Quail Hollow’s fabled “Green Mile.” His 7-iron went left toward the creek until it landed on the concrete bridge, sailed high in the air and disappeared in the thick grass on the hill above the water. Kisner did well to chop that onto the green and two-putt from 45 feet for a 1-over 72.

Jason Day wasn’t so fortunate, most of that his own doing. Day took a big risk and paid a big price, going from behind a tree to flower bushes, into the rough and short of the green. The final result was a quadruple-bogey 8, leaving him seven shots behind.

Kisner had the lead going into the final round, a great spot to pursue his first major championship. Kevin Kisner Chris Stroud Hideki Matsuyama Justin Thomas Louis Oosthuizen Rickie Fowler Jason Day Henrik Stenson Brooks Koepka Jordan Spieth Ian Poulter Charl Schwartzel Keegan Bradley Dustin Johnson Rory McIlroy Jason Dufner Webb Simpson Lee Westwood Adam Scott Vijay Singh

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He just doesn’t like what he sees in his rearview mirror, where the players are a lot closer than they once appeared.

Hideki Matsuyama made only one birdie and wasted two good scoring chances on the back nine. Then again, he had a rather dull finish that allowed him to salvage a 73 and leaves him only one shot behind as he tries to bring Japan its first major championship.

Chris Stroud, the last player to qualify for the PGA Championship, was briefly tied for the lead until he three-putted his last two holes for a 71. He was one shot behind and will be playing in the final group with Kisner.

“I’m happy I’m in the position I’m in,” said Kisner, who was at 7-under 206. “I had a chance to run away from guys and take people out of the tournament that were four or five, six back. And I didn’t do it. Now I’m in a dogfight tomorrow, and I have to be prepared for that.”

After the final hour of the third round Saturday, he should be prepared for anything.

Justin Thomas, the son of a PGA professional, 67-67-72—206 68-68-71—207 70-64-73—207 73-66-69—208 70-67-71—208 69-70-73—212 70-66-77—213 74-70-70—214 68-73-74—215 72-73-71—216 74-71-71—216 74-70-72—216 74-70-73—217 70-74-73—217 72-72-73—217 74-72-72—218 76-70-72—218 73-72-75—220 71-76-74—221 75-70-79—224 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., TNT 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., CBS Jimmy Walker -7 -6 -6 -5 -5 -1 E +1 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +7 +8 +11 88 72 Periods of sun with a 58% chance of a shower or thunderstorm