Leishman two shots off lead in Florida

McIlroy had been four over par after two holes of his second round and despite a flawless 65 on Saturday, started the final day five shots off the lead shared by Kisner and Hoffman.

“It’s very different not having him around”, said Rickie Fowler, who is wearing custom shoes this week with a collage of Palmer pictures.

Rory McIlroy matched Fowler’s round of 65 to go six under and these two superstars will be looking for something similar on Sunday to challenge the leaders.

After his first-hole stumble when he was short of the green on his approach, Hoffman sank a 37-foot birdie putt at the fifth and birdied the par-5 sixth and par-4 ninth.

Golfer Kevin Kisner knows only one speed – all out.

“I scrambled really well”, he said.

“I’ve lost plenty of playoffs out here, so I try to makes a many birdies as I can and so I don’t have to do that anymore”, Kisner said. “Just really comfortable with the putter right now”.

Whether he is racing golf carts back home in Aiken, S.C., or sprinting up the leaderboard on moving day at Bay Hill, Kisner does not back off. Hoffman meanwhile, finished strong with three straight birdies, following back-to-back bogeys, to stop the bleeding.

He would finish the hole with a quadruple bogey, sending him spiralling down the leaderboard and ruining what had been a consistent and impressive opening two rounds.

What will make tomorrow fun to watch is the 17th and 18th hole tomorrow.

McIlroy, the four-time Major victor, hit two birdies on the front nine and then five more after the turn, including three on successive holes from the 10th. The players as a tribute also carried Palmer’s logo, the coloured umbrella on their bags.

McIlroy, 27, completed the roller-coaster opening nine with a nine-foot birdie putt at 18 before closing with eight pars and a birdie at the par-5 fourth.

LPGA: Anna Nordqvist shot a tournament-record 11-under 61 and 21-under 195 for a two-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn in the Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Phoenix. Tom Lehman (67) was second at 133.

Kisner is capable of going as low as anyone, something he proved by shooting 60 during Round 3 at the Sony Open in January.

Earlier in the day, McIlroy made full use of the improved conditions to fire himself up the leaderboard, the world number three tied for eighth on six under.

First-round co-leader Emiliano Grillo fell off the pace with a 6-over 78 that left him in a tie for 19th at 213.