Kevin Kisner takes lead at PGA Tour’s RSM Classic

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

They have the same pre-shot routine, a full practice swing before setting up over the ball. Both hit three-wood off the tee and made birdie on the opening hole. Both wound up with an even-par 70 on the Seaside Course at St. Simons Island, Ga. And both have a lot of work to make up ground on Kevin Kisner.

Kisner hit a three-wood to within 25 feet on the fringe and made eagle on his penultimate hole on the Plantation Course for a seven-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead based on par after the first round of the RSM Classic. Jeff Overton, David Hearn and Tom Hoge each had a six-under 64 on the Seaside Course.

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 some familiar faces.

Love, the 21-time winner on the PGA Tour, has lived at Sea Island since he was 13. They saw his son, known as Dru, go from a toddler with a plastic club to a 6-foot-5 junior at Alabama who earned a spot in the RSM Classic through a qualifier for the final exemption.

Ernst leads at LPGA Tour championship

Austin Ernst leads the tournament, Sei Young Kim leads the race for $1 million and Lydia Ko edged closer to everything else that’s at stake this weekend.

Ernst shot a six-under 66 to take a one-shot lead over Mi Hyang Lee after the opening round of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla. Kim, part of a group two shots off Ernst’s pace, would win the season-ending $1-million bonus if the tournament ended in its current order. The top-ranked Ko shot a 69 to move closer to earning player of the year honors, plus the scoring and money titles.

Lee was alone in second. At 68, Kim was in a six-way tie for third with five Americans — Jennifer Song, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Jaye Marie Green and Gerina Piller.

Second-ranked Inbee Park, the winner last week in Mexico, had a 71.

McIlroy keeps pace at European Tour finale

Rory McIlroy birdied his last hole to keep pace with Danny Willett in their Race to Dubai points fight in the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

McIlroy chipped in from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole for a four-under 68, leaving him tied with Willett — two shots behind the four leaders at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy leads the standings with 3,393,923 points, followed by Willett with 3,392,310. Players will receive a point for each dollar earned in the event. The points winner will receive $1.25 million and an additional $625,000 for playing three of the four Finals Series events.

Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Andy Sullivan and Marcus Fraser shared the lead at 66s at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Two-time defending champion Henrik Stenson had a 77.

Scott takes one-stroke lead at Australian Masters

Adam Scott birdied five of his final eight holes for a seven-under 64 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

The Australian lost in playoffs in two previous appearances at Huntingdale in 2002 and 2003. He won the event at two other nearby sand-belt courses — in 2012 at Kingston Heath and 2013 at Royal Melbourne.

Australia’s Daniel Fox was second. American amateur Bryson DeChambeau, playing in Scott’s threesome, shot a 69. The former SMU star won the NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles this year.