Kevin Kisner Finally Pulls Through For First Win
- Dan Hauser
- 23 Nov, 2015
There was no way Kevin Kisner was going to let it happen again.
Already this year he found himself runner up four times including three playoff losses. There was the playoff loss to Jim Furyk at the RBC Heritage where Furyk ended his almost five year losing streak. There was the playoff loss at The Greenbrier, where Danny Lee cashed in for his first win. And, who could forget his playoff loss in sudden death to Rickie Fowler at the PLAYERS when Fowler was firing at the pin at 17 like a laser.
“I think all those close calls taught me to never give up and keep grinding,” Kisner said.
So, when Kisner entered the final round of the final event of 2015 Sunday with a three shot lead, he knew he had to make sure to not let history repeat itself. Kisner did just that too, coming out on fire and turning his three shot lead to a six shot lead by the time he hit the turn. From that point, it was one giant victory lap on the back nine as Kisner held steady, winning the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort by those same six shots over Kevin Chappell.
”I’ve just been playing so well all year,” Kisner said. ”I knew one day it was going to happen when I was going to make all the putts. I did it on the front nine.”
If there was ever a point where Kisner could have lost it on Sunday, it was on the par-5 7th. After hitting his second shot into bushes short of the green, Kisner decided to play it safe and advancing the ball just a few feet to get out of the danger. He then chipped his next shot to within 10 feet and made the par putt. Graeme Mcdowell, who was second at the time, missed his birdie putt and Kisner walked away still holding a four shot lead. He birdied the next two holes to make the turn six shots clear and never looked back.
”I hope the floodgates are open,” Kisner said. ”You’ve got to believe you can win on Thursday. I hope that catapults me into believing that every week.”
There is no question that Kisner has been playing the best golf of his career as of late. Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season, he’s had five top-two finishes, eight top-10s and 13 top-25s in 34 starts. Prior to that, he had 0 top-two finishes, four top-10s and 10 top-25s in 75 starts. There’s no question that Kisner’s confidence level is at an all time high. The question is, can he keep it going? He said, if he keeps playing the way he is, there’s no doubt in his mind.
“If I play the way I have since Hilton Head, I feel like a top 20 player, absolutely,” he said.
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About Dan Hauser
As an avid golfer and sports enthusiast, Dan has had a passion for sports starting at a very young age. Dan’s other passion has always been writing. Since the time he could write, he has always enjoyed sharing information with people and telling stories through writing. In middle school he combined his two loves by joining the school newspaper in the sports department.
