Kisner scrambles to keep his spot near the top

It took a bit of scrambling and several quality putts down the stretch for Kevin Kisner, but the former Georgia Bulldog found himself on the leaderboard Thursday at the end of the first round of the Masters Tournament.

Kisner’s 3-under 69 has him in a five-way tie for sixth, three shots behind leaders Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

After a birdie on No. 14, the Aiken native hit his second shot into the par-5 15th hole shorter than he would have liked, but the ball managed to hang onto the side of the bank and not find the pond. Kisner chipped within a foot of the hole for a birdie and moved to 3-under.

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“I thought I had plenty of club,” he said. “It’s just one of those deals where you’ve got to play boldly to win around here and you got to have some things go your way, and that was one of them.”

On the par-3 16th, Kisner’s ball found the front of the green but rolled back away from the hole, again finding the bank but not the water. He chipped up to within seven feet and nailed a putt for par.

Then on No. 17, Kisner’s tee ball sailed way left and into the patrons and pines that line the fairway.

The 35-year-old WGC Match Play champion hit a low liner out of the pine straw that finished just short of the hole’s front bunker. He chipped to within two feet of the pin and sank his putt for par.

On No. 18, after his second shot ran just off the back of the green, Kisner two-putted to save par and hold his spot on the leaderboard.

Kisner was pleased with the way he was able to scramble down the stretch.

“That’s kind of what kept the round intact,” he said. “I got it up and down on 15, 16, 17 and 18. It’s a good way to finish, and I’ve hit a lot of those 5- and 6-footers for par to keep the round intact.”

After two birdies and a pair of bogeys had him even at the turn, Kisner birdied No. 11 before a bogey at the 12th. He then had three consecutive birdies beginning at No. 3.