Kisner leads at Sea Island

Davis Love III and Davis Love IV did everything together Thursday at Sea Island.

They have the same pre-shot routine. His 45-yard shot to the flag required clearing a knee-high lip to the bunker and hitting the ball hard enough to reach the pin. It worked out perfectly at the par-5 15th on the Seaside Course.

Kevin Kisner watches his shot on the ninth fairway of the…

One off the pace overnight, Chappell coped well with strengthening winds as he fired a five-under-par 65 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club in pursuit of his maiden PGA Tour title.

The biggest crowd – which wasn’t much on a day when storms threatened but never arrived – filled the bleachers behind the first tee to see a few familiar faces.

But he went to pieces over the final seven holes, having started at the 10th, as he dropped shots at the third and fourth, carded another bogey at the seventh and a pair of double bogeys on his final two holes to finish on four over, well adrift of the cut.

Those belonged mainly to dad.

“Today I wish I was caddying”, Love said.

“(Dru) hit it first into the green and hit it close, then I hit it closer than him.

THE CUT: With a strong wind keeping down scores, 87 players made the cut at 2-under 140.

THE LEADER: Chappell made a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 4, but the real scoring came on the par-5 15th.

It is rare for fathers and sons to compete in the same PGA Tour event, but far from unprecedented. “Good shot, Dad”, the son said.

Now both of them need to worry about making the cut. “Last week to be in it, and put myself back in a situation where I’m around the top, this week coming into the weekend again, it’s huge”. I’ll try to be more patient.

Canada’s David Hearn birdied four of his first six holes, including a chip-in at the par-3 12th, to join Americans Tom Hoge and Jeff Overton with 64s at Seaside. I’ve played this course a lot and I’ve played it well. “I haven’t been disappointed in any stretch of golf”.

It didn’t work so well for the 21-year-old son of Davis Love III, who grew up in the Golden Isles and missed the cut in his PGA Tour debut.

Dru Love has a size 13 shoe and has been called that since his freshman year at Alabama.

Kisner already is in the Masters next year because he made it to the Tour Championship. “And I stopped worrying about him and started worrying about me a little more”. “I’ve just gotten beat a few times”.