Adam Scott falls victim to remarkable Kisner finish
Adam Scott – file photo
Adam Scott could have been forgiven for thinking of his afternoon second round match at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship well before his morning encounter against American Kevin Kisner was over.
After all, 3 up with four holes to play against in his opening round match appeared a near unassailable lead. That was, however, until Kisner unleashed a remarkable finish to win the last four holes and the match 1 up.
Scott raced to an early lead and was 3 up through five holes but by the turn Kisner had kept the match alive by winning the 7th and 9th holes and the margin was just one as the pair headed to the 10th tee.
Scott birdied the 12th and 14th to again move 3 holes clear but then came the remarkable finish of Kisner.
“It was looking a little bleak there coming down the stretch and able to round up some birdies, and eagle 16 was a good way to finish,” said Kisner in perhaps the understatement of the week.
“I wasn’t playing my greatest, wasn’t making a lot of putts early, and turning it around like that to finish was pretty awesome.
“It’s kind of crazy how much good fortune I’ve had at this golf course and this tournament. You know, making that birdie on 15, holing that bunker shot really swung the momentum and I was fortunate here on 18 to leave it in a perfect spot off the tee. So I knew I had the advantage. Holing those putts to win never gets old.”
The shot that caught most attention was his remarkable hole out from a green side bunker for eagle at the 16th (see video below) but two birdies and an eagle in his last three holes along with a bit of assistance from Scott when he bogeyed the 17th broke the back of the Australian.
Kisner was still reflecting on the bunker shot long after the match finished. “I told my caddie right before I hit it, I said, we can use that wind to fly it right in the hole I think, and it came out just perfectly and slowed down with the wind, and I couldn’t see it go in, but he said it trickled in like a putt. Those are things you dream about.”
Scott did well to make the round of 16 however and now focuses his attention on The Masters beginning on April 7th.
