Ahead of three-week broadcast run, Kevin Kisner stays competitive at Wyndham Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Kevin Kisner is going to be a busy man over the next few months.

There’s that announcing gig with NBC during the FedExCup Playoffs. Jim Furyk has asked him to be a captain’s assistant at the Presidents Cup next month in Montreal, too. He’s not done competing, either – Kisner plans to play seven of the eight events in the FedExCup Fall.

First things first, though. The four-time PGA TOUR champion is trying to gain some momentum at the Wyndham Championship where he opened with a 2-under 68 on Friday (Round 1 was postponed a day due to Tropical Storm Debby) that continues an upward trend of late.

“I couldn't hit it very good for two years and starting to see some really good ball striking, especially in practice,” Kisner said. “I get kind of lost, still have some scar tissue … But I'm really starting to hit the middle of the face again, which makes it fun.

“The golf can be fun from the middle of the fairway and hitting greens, not looking for your ball and trying to putt for par.”

Kisner has only made five cuts this year, but two of them have come in his last two starts, including a tie for 33rd at the 3M Open, his best finish of 2024. He has now broken par in seven of his last nine rounds and felt his first round at Sedgefield had the potential to be even better than it was.

“I hit it really nice for the first 14 holes and then a little bit loose, 15 to 18, hit it in the rough a couple times, which I hadn't done all day,” Kisner said. “So, the rough’s pretty brutal. Really didn't make anything outside 8 feet, but I hit it nicely there for a while.

“I wish it was about 5 or 6 under, which I felt like I could have shot. But to be right there, I’ve got to go shoot something low when I get to play again and keep going. It's going to take 15 to 20 under to win.”

Even if he did win, Kisner wouldn’t be eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs after coming to Greensboro ranked No. 198 in the season-long standings. And he’ll need to play well in the FedExCup Fall to move into the top 125 and or stay in the top 50 in career money to be exempt for 2025.

First, though, he’ll head to TPC Southwind on Friday to join Dan Hicks, Brad Faxon and Terry Gannon for NBC’s broadcast of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He worked as an analyst on three events earlier this year and was part of the “Happy Hour” broadcast with Smylie Kaufman at the WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship.

“It doesn't really settle the competitive part of it, but I like being a part of golf and I like going out and seeing the guys,” Kisner said.

Being there will also give him a chance to interact with prospective members of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team. The Sept. 26-29 competition at Royal Montreal is fast approaching and he wants as much intel as he can gather.

Kisner plans to take some players out to dinner – no doubt sampling some of Memphis’ famous barbeque – and hit the locker room and the range to see what others are thinking. Furyk will be there early in the week, and his assistant Kisner will handle the weekend at the first two playoff events. They’ll both be in Atlanta all week during the TOUR Championship.

“I thought doing the Playoffs would be helpful with the Presidents Cup vice captaincy,” Kisner said. “So, I would be out there with the guys and able to talk to them more and see what was going on, see who they wanted to pick, things like that.”

Kisner said yes to Furyk in “two seconds,” when he got the call to serve as a vice captain.

“I didn't even look at the calendar where I was going to be or anything,” Kisner said. “I actually kind of messed up. I was supposed to be in Colorado on an elk hunt and so I had to bail on that, but I'd rather do the vice captaincy. I can hunt any year.

“I'm looking forward to it. I'll do whatever Jim wants me to do and I'm happy to be a part of the team. I love being a part of a team, so I miss the team atmosphere, team sports growing up. That's all I did, and I can't wait to do whatever I can to help.”