Page 38 - min.soc 9 jan,2016
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SPORTSSaturday 9 January 2016
On The Green:
Kevin Kisner is ready to build on a breakthrough year
DOUG FERGUSON out in the second round,” ture. With a slight build, he
AP Golf Writer his swing coach, John Til- doesn’t stand out among
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — lery, said with a laugh. The the new power regime in
Kevin Kisner has a motto reference was to the UFC golf. And he understands
for 2016 that surely is unlike women’s bantamweight why only the hardiest of
that of any other player on title fight in Australia two golf fans would know him.
the PGA Tour. months ago when Rousey “This tour doesn’t market
Don’t be Ronda Rousey. was floored by a kick to the the guy that finishes 111th,”
“Make sure we don’t do head by Holly Holm. Kisner Kisner said after opening
so many commercials, is nowhere near that level with a 69 in the first round
get caught up in celeb- of celebrity. at Kapalua. “You have to
rity and then get knocked But for all the talk about win and be in the hunt for
people to know who you
Kevin Kisner catches the ball tossed by his caddie on the sixth are. I was a bottom feeder
green during the first round of the Tournament of Champions barely keeping my card.”
golf event Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at Kapalua Plantation Course He has the pedigree, even
in Kapalua, Hawaii. if his career record to this
point suggests journey-
(AP Photo/Matt York) man.
Kisner was the first player
encores going into the new playoff at The Greenbrier, at Georgia to be an All-
year — Jordan Spieth, Ja- and he was runner-up a American all four years,
son Day — that should ap- fourth time in 2015 at the but he lost his way as a
ply to Kisner. HSBC Champions in Shang- pro. He didn’t come close
The 31-year-old from South hai. In the final tournament to keeping his card his first
Carolina might be the of the calendar year (part two years on the PGA Tour.
best golfer hardly anyone of a new PGA Tour season), And even after he won on
knows. One year ago, he Kisner showed his moxie by the Web.com Tour in early
was No 236 in the world turning a three-shot lead 2013 — in effect, assur-
after he narrowly kept his into a six-shot victory at Sea ing a trip back to the big
PGA Tour card while over- Island. Kisner thus fulfilled a leagues — he knew was
hauling a swing that had pledge to Tillery when he going the wrong way.
gotten so out of whack sought his help at the low And that’s when he went
he nearly quit the game. point of his golfing career. to Tillery, whom he knew
Kisner goes into the new “All I ever told J.T. was to through Scott Brown, his
year at No. 17 in the world, get me in position where close friend and neighbor
and it was no accident. Kis- I could hit it a little better in Aiken, South Carolina.
ner earned a small slice of and I can win out here,” “When I went to see him, I
PGA Tour history as the only Kisner said. He resumes the had already locked up my
player to lose three playoffs PGA Tour season at Ka- tour card and I was ready
in one season without win- palua as the leader in the to quit,” Kisner said. “It was
ning a tournament. And it’s FedEx Cup because of his that bad.”
not as if he couldn’t handle win at Sea Island and sec- Tillery had seen plenty of
the pressure. He birdied ond-place finish in Shang- him through Brown, and
the 18th hole in regulation hai. Still to be determined he had a clear picture of
and in the playoff at Hilton is whether last year was as what needed to change
Head before Jim Furyk beat good as it gets or if the best when Kisner hired him. Kis-
him on the second extra is still to come. ner said his pivot was bad
hole. He matched birdies What makes Kisner intrigu- and his arms didn’t fit in
with Rickie Fowler until los- ing is his personality. He is sequence with his body,
ing to a birdie on the fourth loaded with confidence making his swing steep.
playoff hole at The Players and grit, but it’s hidden be- “To most of the golf world,
Championship. hind his straight-shooting, he just showed up one
He also lost in a four-man homespun Southern na- day,” Tillery said. “But
there was a solid five to six
months of grinding through
changes. He was deter-
mined to stay on the path
and know he was working
on the right things. And he
had a lot of hidden quali-
ties being a good putter,
a super good guy and
he believed. As soon has
he got in position where
he believed he swung it
good and could drive it
play, that confidence of
his just poured on top of all
that.”q
