Heritage notebook: Spieth running on empty in first round, shoots 74

Jordan Spieth ran out of gas Thursday at the RBC Heritage.

Playing in his fourth consecutive event four days after winning the Masters and following a two-day New York City media tour on Monday and Tuesday, Spieth struggled in the first round at Harbour Town Golf Links.

He made a pair of bogeys and a double bogey before making his first birdie on the par-5 15th hole to shoot a 3-over 74 that has him tied for 93rd.

“There are no excuses,” Spieth said. “I stepped on the first tee after hitting balls and doing a little practice yesterday at a course I'm familiar with. I didn't expect myself to shoot 6 under or 8 under in the first round, but I'm still riding enough momentum and playing well enough to shoot an under par round here.”

Spieth, the FedExCup points leader and No. 2 player in the world at the age of 21, will have to rally to keep his stretch of impressive finishes going.

He has finished first or second in four consecutive events and in the top 20 of seven straight tournaments. Thursday’s 74 also ends a streak of 16 consecutive under-par rounds.

“I didn't drive the ball well, didn't particularly strike my irons well. My chipping and putting wasn't there. It was just an off day,” Spieth said. “I’ve got to come back tomorrow and make up for it.

Playing four consecutive weeks isn’t unusual, but Spieth finished first or second in the last three events to make each highly stressful with added obligations.

“My legs are a little tired, but all in all that happens,” said Spieth, who is eight shots off the lead and six shots behind playing partner and defending champion Matt Kuchar. “I’ve played four-week stretches and I feel that, and it normally doesn't affect anything. So it was just an off day. Kuchar is older than me, and he's at the end of a four-week stretch, and he kicked my butt today, so I've got some work to do.”

Spieth received ovations – sometimes standing – at tees and greens in spite of his play.

“The fans at Hilton Head are awesome,” Spieth said. “It was just an interesting scenario because I was upset about missing the green, and then there was a standing ovation walking up the green. It's like, ‘Thank you. I just hit a terrible shot, thanks.’ So it was kind of tough to find the balance there.”

Kisner right at home

Aiken native and resident Kevin Kisner might be as excited as anyone to be back in his home state for a golf tournament, though he’ll pretty much take anywhere in the Southeast.

He played like it, with a 3-under 68 Thursday that has him tied for fourth.

The Georgia grad played poorly on the West Coast swing, where he says he struggles to putt well on the poa annua grass on the greens.

He tied for fourth in late October in the McGladrey Classic to get his season off to a strong start, then missed five consecutive cuts before the tour moved to Florida and Bermudagrass greens for a few events.

“I’m glad to be back in the Lowcountry, my home state tournament,” said Kisner, who has his wife, child, parents and friends in Hilton Head this week. “I always struggle on the West Coast. A good ol' Southern boy doesn't putt on poa annua too well. I'm getting back to some grass that I like. I started a trend in the right direction.

“This is probably about where I start playing my best in the previous years. Last year I did OK here, and then got on a run at Charlotte and the Byron Nelson. Hopefully it's going that way again.”

Kisner made four consecutive cuts in March with a top finish of 26th before a missed cut in Houston two weeks ago. “I've let it run too far, the bad putting,” Kisner said. “I let it creep into my mind and go too far into the year.”

Kisner made a run late on the back nine with birdies on the par-5 15th with a tap-in, par-4 16th with a 9-iron to 6 feet and par-3 17th with an 8-iron to 15 feet.

Kisner played only nine holes at Harbour Town as a junior or amateur and has played the Heritage twice previously, missing the cut in 2011 and tying for 38th last year. “I play better as I learned the golf course more, and all the wind directions,” Kisner said. “So today I played really comfortable.”

Kisner has two Web.com Tour victories and is still seeking his first PGA Tour win.

He was on the PGA Tour in 2011-12 and had to regain his card through the Web.com Tour in 2013 to return in 2014.

Els on rebound

Ernie Els’ game has shown signs of life over the past few events.

The 45-year-old South African began 2015 with four consecutive missed cuts with four rounds of 76 or worse in those events.

A tie for 13th on March 22 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational earned Els his first paycheck of the year, and after tying for 57th in the Shell Houston Open, Els tied for 22nd in the Masters last week and is playing for the third consecutive week.

He opened the Heritage with an even-par 71 despite bogeys on two of his first three holes.

Els said he believes he found something positive in his game in Augusta.

“I’m hitting the ball nicely and starting to putt nicely. I’m starting to feel a bit more like myself,” Els said. “The ball-striking is there again and the overall game. So I’m looking forward to playing and keep working on it, but I’m getting there. I just have to keep playing and enjoy the process.”

The last of the four-time major champion’s 19 PGA Tour wins was the 2012 British Open, though he won the 2013 BMW International Open on the European Tour. His first PGA Tour win was the U.S. Open 21 years ago.

“When you prepare for a major you work on a lot of things,” Els said. “Even after the major if you keep your attitude right you can have a good week again. . . . I’m feeling as good as I have.”

Els’ play at Harbour Town has fallen off. He was a perennial contender for a decade, with seven top-10s in his first nine appearances through 2007, when he was the runner-up. In the last six of his 15 appearances, he has four missed cuts and a pair of finishes outside the top 45.

Heritage supports Els

The Els for Autism foundation is getting a boost from the Heritage on Friday as part of Autism Awareness Month. The adopted autism awareness color of blue will be the color of choice during the second round, as players, caddies and spectators are encouraged to wear blue.

Blue and white autism awareness ribbon pins will be available to players and caddies at the first and 10th tees on Friday, and items will be for sale that will benefit Els’ foundation. His son, Ben, was diagnosed with autism in 2009. Research shows the disorder affects 1 in 68 children in the U.S.

Chips and putts

Jim Furyk had a notable round in a couple ways. He was the only player in the field to play bogey free, and he also went birdieless. Furyk made 18 pars. … Andrew Svoboda made a hole in one on the 177-yard seventh hole with a 7-iron but still shot 77 … Johnson Wagner holed out from 164 yards on the par-4 11th hole for an eagle that temporarily vaulted him into a tie for the lead at 4 under. He tied for ninth at 2-under 69.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Heritage notebook: Spieth running on empty in first round, shoots 74."