Kevin Kisner eagled his next-to-last hole and shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 on the Plantation Course to take a one-stroke lead over eight players after the first round of the RSM Classic at Sea Island Resort in Sea Island, Ga.
Kisner, who finished second in the WGC-HSBC Champions in his last outing, hit his approach on the eighth hole to within 25 feet and sank the eagle putt from the fringe.
“It was solid,” said the 31-year-old Kisner, who lost three times in playoffs during the 2014-15 PGA Tour season. “I drove the ball great and had a lot of birdies chances. I felt good out there. I got a couple (birdies) coming in and I was glad to finish if off that way.
“I haven’t been disappointed in any stretch of golf coming down the stretch to have a chance. I always rate myself on that. I’ve just gotten beaten a few times, so hopefully I’ll have a chance coming down with a couple shot lead on Sunday.”
Kisner, who has moved to Sea Island while his home in Aiken, S.C., is being renovated, lost in playoffs to Jim Furyk in the RBC Classic, to Rickie Fowler in the Players Championship and to Danny Lee of New Zealand in the Greenbrier Classic.
His only pro victories came in the 2010 Mylan Classic and the 2013 Chile Classic on the Web.com Tour.
Kevin Chappell of Fresno and UCLA carded a 6-under 66 and was tied for second with Jim Herman, Kyle Stanley, Scott Stallings and Si Woo Kim of South Korea, all of whom played the Plantation Course.
David Hearn of Canada, Jeff Overton, Tom Hoge also were in the tie for second after posting a 4-under-par 66s on the Seaside Course.
Jason Gore of Valencia and Pepperdine, Freddie Jacobson of Sweden, Johnson Wagner, Trey Mullinax and Rob Oppenheim were tied for 10th after 5-under 65s on the Seaside Course.
Brendan de Jonge of Zimbabwe, Jonathan Byrd, Stewart Cink, Jason Dufner, Camilo Villegas, Bobby Wyatt, Derek Fathauer and Hiroshi Iwata of Japan also were tied for 10th after 5-under 67s on the Plantation Course.
There are 40 players within three strokes of Kisner’s lead.
Tournament host Davis Love III played alongside his son Dru, a junior at the University of Alabama who is in the field on a sponsors exemption, and both Loves came in at even- par 70 on the Seaside Course to tie for 111th
Players will switch courses on Friday and both rounds on the weekend with be played on the Seaside Course.
