Kevin Kisner beats Canadian Roger Sloan in 6-man playoff to win Wyndham Championship
American makes birdies on 16th, 17th holes to reach 15-under, take part in playoff
Kevin Kisner finally broke his playoff drought to win the Wyndham Championship. He hopes the victory will help him achieve another milestone — representing the United States in the Ryder Cup.
Kisner stuck his approach to 3 feet on the second extra hole and made the putt to win a record-tying six-man playoff on Sunday.
"Who knows, man?" Kisner said. "I've never been picked before, so I'm not going to go out there and jump on a limb and say that I'm going to get picked this year.
"I love Stricker, he's a great friend and great guy. He'll do what's best for the team and the country."
And that could mean Kisner, who's 23rd in the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings, yet has shaken off an uninspired year with improved play at the right time.
WATCH | Merritt, B.C., native Roger Sloan falls short in playoff:
Kisner has shot in the 60s in 12 of his last 20 rounds. His 66 on Sunday at Sedgefield included birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to reach 15 under and the playoff.
In the playoff, he bested Adam Scott, Roger Sloan, Kevin Na, Si Woo Kim and Branden Grace after all had made pars on the first additional hole.
"To be standing here is pretty sweet," said Kisner, who had been 0-5 in playoffs.
With Scott looking at a 4-footer for birdie on the first extra hole, Kisner thought he would have to hole a pitch from short of the 18th green just to stay in the playoff, and he nearly did it. Kisner grimaced as his ball settled just right of the cup.
But Scott's short putt missed badly and all six players went back to the 18th tee. This time, only Kisner gave himself a close look at birdie on the 505-yard closing hole.
Kim shot 64 in the final round. Scott had a 65 while Grace, Na and Sloan each closed with 66.
It was the third six-man playoff on the PGA Tour and the first since Robert Allenby won at Riviera in 2001.
But Henley missed a 6-footer to go 0-for-3 this season with the 54-hole lead. He was in front after three rounds at Las Vegas last October and at the U.S. Open in June.
"I knew I had to shoot under par today, so just disappointed," Henley after his 1-over 71. "It stings pretty bad."
Final round drama
There was drama through the final round of the tour's last regular-season event as players outside the postseason sought to get in.
It looked like former FedEx Cup champion Justin Rose, who started the week 138th, had done enough to make the 125-man field for The Northern Trust. But the Englishman missed a 5-footer for par on the final hole that dropped him to 126th — first outside the playoff field.
"Obviously it was in my hands up 18," Rose said. "I didn't do a very good job of that."
That was enough to sneak him into next week's field at No. 125. And unlike Rose, Hadley needed to make the playoffs to secure full playing privileges for next season.
Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Scott Piercy were two others who played their way into the playoffs. The Canadian moved from 131st to 92nd while Piercy came in at No. 126 and improved 10 spots.
Canadians Mackenzie Hughes (67th), of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Hadwin (96th) of Abbotsford B.C., both cracked the top 125.
Abbotsford's Nick Taylor, who shot a 13-under 267 at Wyndham, finished at No. 141 while Michael Gligic was 145th.
Three players who missed the cut this week fell from the top 125 after starting the week playoff-bound. Ryan Armour went from 122nd to 127th, Bo Hoag from 125th to 129th and Patrick Rodgers from 123rd to 128th.
Threatening weather for later Sunday led tour officials to move up tee times. They didn't count on a mash-up at the top leading to the 12th playoff on the PGA Tour this season.
