The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Tex.–Kevin Kisner birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and held on to win at Colonial despite a Sunday charge by defending champ Jordan Spieth.
Kisner shot a four-under 66 to finish at 10-under 270, including a clutch par save on the 18th hole after a wayward tee shot and an approach that was off the back side of the green and well below the hole.
He finished a stroke ahead of Spieth, Sean O’Hair, and Jon Rahm.
Spieth shot a bogey-free 65, and was standing on a chair to see over the crowd at the 18th green when Kisner putted up the mound to five feet of the cup and then drained the winning putt.
That came right after Rahm’s 10-foot birdie chance skirted just to the left of the hole.
The 33-year-old Kisner notched his second PGA Tour victory in 148 starts since his debut in 2011 and a cheque for just more than $1.2 million.
He was a runner-up twice this year and six times over past three seasons.
After a 14-foot birdie at the 420-yard 15th hole at Hogan’s Alley, Kisner had a two-stroke lead.
That at the same hole where Spieth, playing two groups ahead of him, punctuated an 11-foot birdie putt with a fist pump.
But about the same time Kisner made a bogey at the par-three 16th, Spieth was hitting his drive way right at the 18th hole and went on to save par after a chip to five feet.
Kisner hit a similar drive and also saved par.
Spieth, who had missed consecutive cuts at The Players Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson, was trying to become the only player other than Ben Hogan to win consecutive Colonials.
Hogan won five times in all, including the first two in 1946 and 1947, along with consecutive wins again in 1952 and 1953.
O’Hair and Rahm, who the last two years won the Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s top college player, both shot 66 yesterday.
Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C. was the low Canadian at four-over.
Webb Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open winner, was the 54-hole leader by two strokes, but started the final round with an unusual bogey at the par-five first hole.
His only birdie came at No. 9, and he bogeyed the 18th when he drove into the left rough after Kisner already had posted his final putt.
Simpson had a 71 to finish fifth at eight-under.
Steve Stricker, the 2009 Colonial winner who turned 50 this year, shot a 63 to move from a tie for 32nd to a tie for seventh for six-under.
He had eight birdies his first 14 holes yesterday, on track to challenge the Colonial course record of 61 and maybe even a 59, before a bogey and three closing pars.
