Aiken's Kevin Kisner pleased with putter, even-par finish at Masters

Article Photos

Photos description

Kevin Kisner tees off on #14 during the Thursday round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 5, 2018, in Augusta, Georgia. [ANDY NELSON/THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE]
Article Photos

Photos description

Kevin Kisner tosses his putter into the air after missing an eagle putt on #13 during the Thursday round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 5, 2018, in Augusta, Georgia. [ANDY NELSON/THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE]

Kevin Kisner’s final putt on No. 18 looked perfect, but it landed just inside the left lip and hopped out.

The putt was one of the few disappointments on the greens for the Aiken native, who made bogey on the hole to finish with even-par 72.

“It was a weird day,” Kisner said. “I made a lot of putts and shot even par. You’d think you’d shoot a little better after the way I putted.”

Kisner shot 1-over on the front nine, and a bogey at No. 11 pushed him to 2-over. After birdies at Nos. 12, 13 and 16, Kisner had whittled his score down to 1-under before the bogey at the 18th.

PHOTOS: Pictures from the First Round at Augusta National

“I got hot there for a minute, and 18 is hard with that back pin,” Kisner said. “I would have liked to have finished it off at 1-under.”

After a birdie on the par-5 No. 2, Kisner made double bogey on the par-3 No. 4 to go to 1-over.

“Making a double on 4 was pretty bad,” Kisner said. “There’s a couple bogeys in there you’re going to have to clean up if you’re going to win the tournament.”

Kisner believes it will take a round of 3- or 4-under par Friday to have a shot at getting into contention. But he was pleased with how he played the course Thursday.

“I played nice, I putted nice, I feel comfortable with the golf course,” Kisner said. “It’s hard and fast and it just beats you up if you put it in the wrong place. That’s what’s so difficult about it.”