Hoffman birdies last three to retain Bay Hill lead

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Charley Hoffman finished a lot better than he started, closing with three straight birdies for a 1-under 71 that allowed him to catch Kevin Kisner for a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

Hoffman opened with two bad bunker shots and two bogeys, and his fourth bogey of the round dropped him four shots behind with four holes to play. He wound up in a tie with two solid shots and one big putt.

From the trampled rough left of the 18th fairway, slightly blocked by a tree, Hoffman chased a 7-iron up the firm turf of Bay Hill all the way to the fringe, 70 feet from the hole. He figured two putts and a par would leave him only one shot behind.

And then he holed it, setting off one of the loudest cheers of the day.

"Stole one on 18," Hoffman said.

Kisner, starting to find his form at just the right time, made three birdies around the turn to seize control and putted for birdie on all but two holes. But on the 18th hole, his putt from the fringe down toward the cup ran about 6 feet by and he wound up three-putting for bogey and a 68.

They were at 11-under 205, three shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton (67), Marc Leishman (71) and Matt Fitzpatrick (72).

Rory McIlroy, who started the weekend 11 shots out of the lead, birdied his last two holes for a 65 and climbed back into contention. He was five shots behind. Rickie Fowler, also playing early before the afternoon breeze picked up, also shot a 65 and was six behind.

Kisner for so long looked to have a chance to create a big cushion. He got there with a 7-iron into 10 feet on the par-3 second, an 8-iron to 4 feet right of the flag on the eighth and a lob wedge that spun back near the hole for another short birdie putt on No. 10.

Kisner had birdie chances inside 20 feet on four of the next five holes and couldn't convert them, and his eagle putt from just over 20 feet on the par-5 16th was short.

Even so, he was in contention, something he hasn't felt since winning at Sea Island for his first PGA TOUR title at the end of 2015.

The first Arnold Palmer Invitational without its tournament host was far from over.

"These guys are not afraid and they're going to make a lot of birdies and there's no protecting leads," Kisner said. "So I saw I got the lead early and then tried to make as many birdies as I could on the back nine. And had a lot of chances, just didn't hole the putts. But I hit a lot of nice putts and I'm going to build off that tomorrow."

Along with the trio who were three shots back, Valspar Championship winner Adam Hadwin and former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover were four shots behind. And perhaps the most daunting name was McIlroy, hopeful of finding his form with the Masters around the corner.

"At least I've given myself a decent chance tomorrow," McIlroy said.

At stake is a red cardigan sweater, a favorite of Palmer's, which replaces the blue blazer that previously went to the winner.

Hoffman doesn't have one, and wouldn't plan to wear it even if he were to win.

"I'm not a cardigan guy. I got zero cardigans and hopefully add one," he said. "And it wouldn't be in the closet, it would be on the wall."