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Kevin Kisner takes lead at PGA Tour’s RSM Classic

Davis Love III, and son Davis Love IV watch his tee shot at No. 2 on Thursday.

Davis Love III, and son Davis Love IV watch his tee shot at No. 2 on Thursday.

(Stephen B. Morton / Associated Press)
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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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