Las Vegas golfer returns to roots, then comes close to win in Napa
The 2024 season had been a huge struggle for David Lipsky.
So while the FedEx Cup playoffs were going on in August, the Las Vegas resident went back to his golfing roots to relax, rediscover his love for the game and return for the PGA Tour’s fall season refreshed.
The result was a second-place finish over the weekend at the Procore Championship in Napa, California, virtually assuring Lipsky’s playing card for 2025.
“I think that’s the funny thing about golf, especially the level of golf we play on the PGA Tour. It’s just something small, these little things that can make the difference in your game,” Lipsky said.
Lipsky went to Chicago not only to escape the Las Vegas heat, but to reconnect with his college coach Pat Goss at Northwestern. He ended up spending two weeks there, getting advice from Goss and hanging out with the Wildcats.
“Being around him and the team and just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are not knowing what’s coming for them yet,” Lipsky said. “You know, it’s nice to see that. I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Lipsky, 36, needed the jolt. A champion on the European, Asian and Korn Ferry tours over the past decade, Lipsky has yet to find the winner’s circle since joining the PGA Tour in 2022. He came close in Napa, where he held the lead after the opening round and stayed near the top of the leaderboard the entire week. He eventually finished five shots shy of winner Patton Kizzire.
The week moved Lipsky from No. 165 to No. 102 in the FedEx Cup standings. That put him comfortably within the top 125 with seven events to play, making his playing privileges for next season all but secured.
“Close to being locked up at least, way closer than I was before,” Lipsky said. “It’s a good feeling. Obviously I wanted to win this week, but coming in second doing that, I’ll take it. That’s a small victory and that was sort of what my goal was going into the fall was just play consistent, play solid and sort of lock up my card for the next year. Did it the first event, so now I can play a little more freely.”
And play he will. Lipsky expects to be in almost all of the fall events, including his hometown Shriners Children’s Open next month at TPC Summerlin.
“I’m a golf sicko. I’m probably going to play everything,” he said.
And Lipsky will do it with the perspective he gained from his return to his alma mater.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out week in and week out,” Lipsky said. “Sometimes you’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that, seems like it’s working out.”
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Solheim success
Las Vegas golfers deserve much of the credit for the U.S. winning back the Solheim Cup over the weekend. Rose Zhang (4-0), Allisen Corpuz (3-1) and Alison Lee (1-2) combined for eight points. Zhang was the event’s best player, becoming the first player in Solheim Cup history to win at least four matches and have all of them wrap up by the 16th hole.
Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.
