Kevin Kisner three clear going into RSM Classic's final round
Saturday 19 November 2016 22:45, UK
Kevin Kisner produced a flying finish to open up a three-shot lead after three rounds of the RSM Classic in Georgia.
Kisner is seeking his first win on the PGA Tour after finishing runner-up on four occasions this season, and he put himself in a fine position for an overdue celebration on Sunday at the Seaside Golf Course.
The 31-year-old has been on top or near the top of the leaderboard since Thursday's opening round and he made a clean break from the field in the last hour of play on Saturday.
Already well-positioned on 13 under, Kisner finished with three successive birdies for a round of 64 and his 16 under total of 196 was three strokes better than halfway leader Kevin Chappell.
"I'm just looking forward to it," Kisner said of the final round. "I haven't been in this position all year, with a three-shot lead going into the final round, so it's something new for me. I'm excited."
Chappell gave up his lead inside the first three holes of his third round, dropping shots at the second and third before completing a level-par front nine 35 with birdies at the fourth and seventh.
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He had three more birdies coming home, and dropped another shot at 12, but a round of 68 at least keeps him in contention heading into the last 18 holes.
Third place belongs to last week's OHL Classic winner Graeme McDowell, who overcame a bit of brain fade that cost him a shot on the opening hole.
McDowell lifted his ball to clean it on the first fairway when he realised for the first time this week the conditions were no longer lift, clean and place - the one-shot penalty gave him par instead of a birdie.
But that was the last mistake of the in-form Northern Irishman's day as he made five birdies in a bogey-free round of 65 to reach 12 under, only four behind Kisner.
"They looked at me and I was thinking, 'Oh my goodness, you absolute idiot, what are you doing?'" said McDowell. "When you do something as silly as that, it was automatic pilot. That was one of the more automatic mistakes.
"It's a much better story if it has a happy ending. I was standing over that 10-footer saying, 'This is going to be a better story with the lads in the bar if I make this and if not, I'm going to take a lot of abuse for it.'"
Germany's Alex Cejka is on 11 under, one shot further ahead of American pair Jeff Overton and Jim Herman.
