This is the first time Kisner has had the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour – he was tied with Russell Knox going into the final round in Shanghai two weeks ago at the HSBC Champions, where Knox won by two shots.
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Kisner had done everything but win this year. Besides, he has risen to No. 25 in the world.
Chappell was at 11-under 131, one shot clear of Freddie Jacobson (67 on the Plantation Course) and Kevin Kisner (67 at Seaside). Love’s round went the wrong direction with a poor tee shot that led to double bogey on the 13th hole.
Rafael Nadal outlasted David Ferrer 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 Friday to finish the group stage unbeaten at the ATP World Tour Finals. The Ulsterman was bogey-free and carded five birdies over his first 15 holes, and would have been even better had he not suffered a one-shot penalty on the first hole when he forgot that preferred lies were no longer in effect.
“I literally just got into automatic pilot mode in the first fairway”, he said.
“He’s going to be really disappointed for a while”, the father said. Ko survived giving back three shots within a two-hole span late in her round to stay in the mix.
Chappell has played well enough to contend at Sea Island.
With two days left and 12 players within four shots of the lead, there’s no guarantee that either Chappell, Jacobson or Kisner will emerge as the victor, but they are in the best positions right now. Last year, he was four behind. “I drove the ball great today and had a lot of chances for birdie”.
He was four behind at The Greenbrier, closed with a 64 and lost in a four-man playoff.
“Same club was 20 feet short of the pin in regulation and goes over the green in the playoff”, Kisner said.
FATHERS AND SONS: It is rare for fathers and sons to compete in the same PGA Tour event, but far from unprecedented. Andrew Evans shot 70 and was in second place, followed by four players tied for third, two strokes behind: Peter Senior (68), Michael Sim (68), John Senden (71) and Matthew Guyatt (73).
Davis Love III, the tournament host, had a 70 at Plantation that allowed him to make the cut on the number at 2-under 140.
Davis Love IV wasn’t so fortunate.
Dru Love said his goal was to make the cut in his first PGA Tour event.
He was headed back to school at Alabama before his next big tournament against the likes of Nicklaus, Trevino, unusual and Langer.
Regarding the challenges his family faced with the health of their son he said it was a rough time.
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Sea Island in Georgia seems to be a good fit for California native Kevin Chappell.
