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Graeme McDowell is in contention for a second PGA Tour win in two weeks after an eventful 65 left him four off the pace after 54 holes of the RSM Classic.

McDowell was handed a one-shot penalty at the first on Saturday after picking up his ball when wrongly assuming that the clean and place rule was operating.

"I was thinking, 'Oh my goodness, you absolute idiot'," said the Northern Irishman, who won in Mexico last week.

American Kevin Kisner leads by three from Kevin Chappell after posting a 64.

McDowell is a further shot back, with the 2010 US Open champion still managing his par his opening hole despite the one-stroke penalty.

"It was a big four in hindsight," added last week's OHL Classic winner, who holed a 10-foot putt after the confusion. "It would have been a day changer. A bogey there could have made a real difference."

After his escape, McDowell went on to card five birdies in a bogey-free round.

Kisner is still seeking his first PGA Tour title after having four runner-up finishes this season.

The leader lost play-offs this year at the Heritage, the Players Championship and the Greenbrier Classic and was second behind Scotsman Russell Knox at the World Golf Championships event in Shanghai earlier this month.