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Kevin Kisner falls short in third PGA Tour playoff of season

The third time wasn't the charm for Kevin Kisner on Sunday.

Kisner played his way into a sudden-death playoff for the third time this PGA Tour season and, for the third time, he didn't come out the winner. The 31-year-old closed out The Greenbrier Classic with 6-under 64, including a 4-under back nine, to wind up as part of a four-man playoff at the Old White TPC at 13-under 267 along with David Hearn, Danny Lee and Robert Streb.

However, on the first playoff hole, Kisner's tee shot to the par-3 18th went long and into deep rough. It took him a pair of tries just to make decent contact with the ball. On the green in three shots, Kisner was out of it. With a par on the second playoff hole, Danny Lee had won his first PGA Tour event.

Unfortunately, the loss comes with a somewhat unwanted distinction. Kisner is the first active PGA Tour player to have lost three playoffs in a single season. Four players -- Steve Elkington in 1992, Sergio Garcia in 2008, Bill Haas and Webb Simpson in 2011 -- found their way into a trio of playoffs in a single year, but all went 1-2. Kisner previously lost in overtime to Jim Furyk at the RBC Heritage and Rickie Fowler at The Players.

While Kisner is still looking for that breakthrough PGA Tour win, he chose to take the optimistic view that he will eventually find his way to the winner's circle if he keeps getting himself in position to take the trophy.

"It's tough to win out here, man. I've had a heckuva year," he said. "If I keep playing like this, I'll get plenty of wins."


Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.