Kevin Kisner chipped in for eagle from nearly 95 feet, lifting himself and teammate Scott Brown into a Monday playoff with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith at the Zurich Classic.
Kisner’s chip skipped on to the green and hit the pin before dropping in, whipping the crowd around the final green into a frenzy, while Kisner waved both arms in celebration.
‘I knew I hit it a little too hard when I touched it, but I loved the line, and when it hit the flag, I said, “Just please don’t come out of there,”’ Kisner said.
It also forced the 23-year-old Smith to make a birdie putt to remain in contention for his maiden PGA Tour victory.
Kisner and Brown shot a 12-under 60 in best-ball play, and Blixt and Smith had a 64 to finish at 27-under 261 at the TPC Louisiana in the PGA Tour’s first team event in 36 years. The score of 60 didn’t count as a course record, but it was two strokes better than any score posted when the Zurich was a traditional stroke-play event.
South Africa’s Tyrone van Aswegen and Retief Goosen had also posted a 60 during the second round. A final round 66 left the pair at 271, 10 shots behind the leaders and in a tie for 14th. The result moved Van Aswegen up to 106th in the FedEx Cup standings and Goosen to 143.
The round finished in barely playable darkness because of a more than six-hour delay cause by thunderstorms. Kisner said he could see the flag, but perhaps only because of light from a massive video board reflecting off a water hazard.
Blixt, a Swede, and Smith, an Australian, haven’t bogeyed a hole yet. They 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 57-yard approach on 18 within 2 feet, and they seemed to have the victory wrapped up. Instead, both teams will be back on the 18th hole to start the play-off.
Kisner and Brown each have one PGA Tour victory. The 33-year-old Blixt has won twice, but not since 2013.
Kelly Kraft and Kevin Tway finished third at 23-under, after Kraft followed up a 266-yard approach on 18 with a 22-foot eagle putt.
Players on each team alternated shots in the first and third rounds. In the second and final rounds, each player played their own balls and each team took the best score per hole. The play-off will be in the same format as the final round.
