SEA ISLAND, United States — American Kevin Kisner, four-time a PGA runner-up this year, fired a seven-under par 65 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the first round of the RSM Classic.
Kisner, still seeking his first PGA title, made five birdies and eagled his penultimate hole, the par-5 eighth at the Plantation Course, during a bogey-free round to claim his first opening-round lead after 109 tour starts.
The event, hosted by Davis Love, is played over two courses, the par-70 Seaside Course and the par-72 Plantation layout.
Kisner began off the 10th tee and birdied the par-3 11th, then closed the side with birdies at 17 and 18. He birdied the par-5 fourth and par-4 sixth before soaring atop the leaderboard on eagle’s wings at the par-5 eighth.
But no first-round leader has ever won this event and no first-round leader has yet won in 2015-16 PGA campaign.
Eight rivals were one stroke off the pace, three after six-under 64s at Seaside and five others after 66s at Plantation.
Canada’s David Hearn birdied four of his first six holes, including a chip-in at the par-3 12th, to join Americans Tom Hoge and Jeff Overton with 64s at Seaside.
Those who shot 66 at Plantation to reach six-under included South Korean Kim Si-woo and Americans Jim Herman, Kyle Stanley, Kevin Chappell and Scott Stallings.
Stewart Cink shot 67 at Plantation. Love, 51, fired a 70 in his 720th PGA start. The 2016 US Ryder Cup captain played alongside his son Dru, who fired a 70 in his PGA debut.
Ernst sets pace in LPGA season-ender
American Austin Ernst seized a one-shot lead after the opening round of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, Thursday while Lydia Ko strengthened her grip in the race for 2015 LPGA Tour honors.
Ernst, in pursuit of her second victory on the LPGA circuit, birdied her last two holes to break clear of a congested leaderboard as she fired a six-under-par 66 in the $2 million event at Tiburon Golf Club.
That left the diminutive 23-year-old Ernst a stroke in front of South Korea’s Lee Mi-hyang, with twice major winner Cristie Kerr lurking among a group of six who opened with 68s.
Level with LPGA veteran Kerr were her fellow Americans Brittany Lincicome, Jennifer Song, Gerina Piller and Jaye Marie Green, and South Korean Kim Sei-young.
Lurking three strokes back was world No. 1 Ko, after the New Zealander birdied three of her last seven holes to move into contention for her sixth LPGA victory of the season.
South Korea’s Park In-bee, a winner of two major championships this season, is also in close pursuit and she launched her bid for further LPGA honors by carding 71. — Agencies
