Black Friday is Now! Don’t miss out on up to 60% OFF InvestingProCLAIM SALE

Stunning eagle earns Kisner/Brown Monday playoff in New Orleans

Published 01/05/2017, 03:05
© Reuters. PGA: Zurich Classic of New Orleans - Final Round

(Reuters) - Kevin Kisner made a stunning eagle at the final hole to earn he and his partner Scott Brown a playoff against Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday.

Due to fading light at the TPC Louisiana, where play had earlier been disrupted by storms, the playoff to decide the winners of the team event will be held on Monday morning.

Kisner's pitch from 30 yards at the par-five 18th clattered against the pin and dropped in to give the American duo a final round of 60 for a 27-under-par 261 total.

Australian Smith and Swede Blixt shot a closing 64 to also finish four strokes clear of Americans Kevin Tway and Kelly Kraft.

Kisner did not spend much time pondering his eagle shot at the last. He was almost resigned to defeat, trailing Smith and Blixt by one stroke, with Smith facing little more than a tap-in for birdie.

"We knew we had to make it," Kisner, winner of one PGA Tour event, said of his unlikely attempt. "I knew they were going to make birdie, so all I was trying to do was make sure I didn’t leave it short."

Kisner said he "couldn’t see much" in the poor light, and he let out a massive scream of delight when he realised his ball had gone in, before giving Brown a hard high-five.

“When it hit the flag, I said ‘don’t you come out of there’,” he said.

After the crowd settled, Smith made his birdie from little more than a foot.

He was not the first Australian on the receiving end of a final-hole dagger at the New Orleans Classic.

In 1990, Greg Norman was shocked when South African David Frost holed a winning bunker shot at the last, one of several bitter pills The Shark endured.

Blixt admitted he was surprised by Kisner’s eagle.

"Honestly I didn’t really expect that, but that’s part of golf, you’ve got to expect the unexpected so we get another shot at it tomorrow,” said the two-time PGA Tour winner.

"We’ve got to leave this behind and go out there and make birdie or eagle tomorrow.”

Earlier, Kisner and Brown had birdied the first eight holes to turn a four-stroke deficit into a two-shot advantage and they did not fall behind again until Smith and Blixt birdied the penultimate hole.

© Reuters. PGA: Zurich Classic of New Orleans - Final Round

The final round was played using the four-ball (best ball) format, where each competitor plays his own ball and the team uses the best score on each hole.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.