Kisner confident despite losing playoff

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Kevin Kisner shot a final-round 64 while playing in the final group of the RBC Heritage, and he still lost.

What's a guy got to do to win on the PGA Tour?

The Aiken native forced a playoff with Jim Furyk, who won on the second extra hole Sunday when he drained a 12-foot birdie putt.

"If I was told this morning I would shoot 64 and lose, I would have taken it," Kisner said.

The former Georgia standout produced his best PGA Tour finish, but it wasn't enough to stop Furyk. The PGA Tour veteran shot 63 to win for the first time since 2010, when he won three times including at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Kisner started the day three shots behind 54-hole leader Troy Merritt, and he caught him on the front nine with an eagle and two birdies. Furyk, meanwhile, seized the lead with 30 on the front.

Furyk opened up a three-shot lead over his pursuers on the inward nine, but Kisner didn't give up.

He stuck his tee shot at the difficult par-3 14th close, and made birdie. He made another at the par-5 15th, then parred the next two.

With Furyk in the clubhouse at 18-under, Kisner knew he needed a birdie on the iconic closing hole at Harbour Town. From 167 yards out, he hit 9-iron as hard as he could to 7 feet and sank the putt to force a playoff.

Kisner's family, including wife Brittany, daughter Kathleen Grace and parents Steve and Christy huddled around the grandstand behind the 18th green as the drama unfolded.

"It's been a great week either way," his mom said before the playoff.

Kisner and Furyk went back to the 18th tee, and both found the fairway and hit the green. Kisner again made his birdie, this time from 17 feet, only to see Furyk top him from just inside 8 feet.

"The way I played 18 both times, I mean that's just what you dream about, and that's what I worked so hard for," Kisner said. "I hit every shot just like I wanted to coming down the stretch, and that's all you could ever ask for."

The playoff continued at the par-3 17th, and Kisner's tee shot left him just over 22 feet for birdie. He missed, and then Furyk buried his 12-foot putt for the win.

Even though Kisner didn't become the first South Carolinian to win in the tournament's 47-year history, he walks away with confidence.

"The next time I'm in it, it can happen again," Kisner said. "All you can do on this tour is build on it, wake up tomorrow and go try again next week."

This article was written by John Boyette from The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.