Late addition gets fast start at Arnold Palmer Invitational

Kevin Kisner wasn’t supposed to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week.

The 282nd-ranked golfer in the world made the field on Wednesday night when Bubba Watson withdrew to attend a friend’s funeral.

On Thursday morning, after taking a late-night flight to Orlando, Kisner shot a 69 at Bay Hill to finish at three-under. That left him only three shots back from leader Morgan Hoffmann as first-round play neared conclusion.

“Obviously I’m a little tired right now,” Kisner said.

The last-second addition forced him to hitch a ride on a friend’s plane, arriving around midnight. He showed up at the golf course just six hours later for an early tee time.

“If I don’t shoot three-under tomorrow, I know my new strategy,” he said. “Don’t practice and only sleep for about four hours.”