News
Kevin Kisner shoots four-under 66 to win Dean & DeLuca Invitational
Stacy Revere
Kevin Kisner would pull out the victory at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational, but not without sweating things out on the final hole at Colonial Country Club. The South Carolina native had a one-stroke edge over defending champion Jordan Spieth, who was watching near the clubhouse after posting a bogey-free five-under 65 to grab the clubhouse lead. Kisner's then hit his approach into the 441-yard par-4 home hole over the green, leaving a testy up-and-down to stay at 10 under. After the round, Kisner, 33, said had he used a wedge, the ball would have gone one foot. So instead, he pulled the putter instead, and from 18 yards away rolled it just past the hole. Kisner made the comebacker for par for a four-under 66, and the second win of his PGA Tour career.
It was a bright spot in a sometimes trying time for Kisner, who in the last three seasons has finished in second six times, including four in sudden-death playoffs. Despite solid play from names like Spieth, Jon Rahm, Webb Simpson, and Sean O'Hair on Sunday, there would be no extra holes to play at Colonial. Simpson, the 54-hole leader, never got anything going during his final round. He had just one birdie and two bogeys, and a wayward drive on the final hole left him with little chance to get into a playoff. He would eventually make bogey for a one-over 71 to finish two back.
After missing two straight cuts and struggling in the opening round on Thursday, Jordan Spieth found himself in the mix once again at Colonial. The defending champion birdied the 15th to get to nine-under, and gave himself two more good looks on the 16th and 17th, but couldn't convert. The T-2 finish is his best of the season since his victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Rahm carded a four-under 66, highlighted by a incredible approach shot on the 17th hole, that sliced around the trees and rolled to six feet. After rolling it in for birdie, the Spaniard hit another tight approach on the 18th hole to nine feet, but missed it on the low side to finish one back. It's his seventh finish inside the top 10 this season.
For Sean O'Hair, the state of Texas seems to be just what the doctor ordered. He earned his best finish of the season last week at the AT&T Byron Nelson (T-5), but topped it this week thanks to a final-round four-under 66.
The low round of the day, and the week, belonged to 12-time PGA Tour winner Steve Stricker. The 50-year-old shot a seven-under 63 to finish at seven under for the tournament.