Kisner Crowdsources Helicopter Ride to Game

Social media can be a very powerful tool. Kevin Kisner found out just how powerful it can be on Friday evening at the Tour Championship. 

Entering the FedEx Cup Playoff finale at No. 18 in the season-long standings, Kisner had to win the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and get some help from those at the top of the standings to take home the $10 million first-prize bonus. As it turns out, he also needed some help to get from the golf course on Saturday to Athens, Georgia for the Georgia-Mississippi State football game, roughly a 25-minute helicopter ride from East Lake.

GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard had more details. 

Early Friday at the Tour Championship Kevin Kisner put out a call for help via Twitter: “I need a helicopter to take me to Athens [Ga.] tomorrow after the round to make the game. Who has one in [Atlanta]?”

With a 1:45 p.m. (ET) tee time at East Lake on Saturday, Kisner, a Georgia alum, was going to be cutting it close if he was going to make the opening kickoff at the Georgia vs. Mississippi State game, which began at 7 p.m.

Within hours, East Lake Golf Club tweeted back, “We have lined up a connection for you. Please see our [general manager] if you still have a need.”

Kisner raced around East Lake in 64 strokes, took a quick shower and was airborne just after 6 p.m. on his way to the big game thanks to Justin Thomas who helped arrange for a local helicopter company – Helicopter Express – to land at the Charlie Yates Golf Course, which is next door to East Lake.

With the transportation set up prior to his third round, all Kisner did was go out and shoot the best round of the tournament, a 6-under par 64, matching Kyle Stanley’s score from Thursday. The 6-under par round moved Kisner up nine spots on the leaderboard and into a tie for second place at 10-under total with Xander Schauffele. 

Kisner will play in the final pairing on Sunday with 54-hole leader Paul Casey whose Saturday 65 gave him a two-shot cushion. While there is still a lot to shake out depending on today’s rounds, Casey is currently in position to claim the FedEx Cup and all the bonuses that come along with it.

Here are the third round highlights courtesy of the PGA Tour. 

[GolfChannel.com]

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