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Las Vegas resident won’t be intimidated on PGA Tour

David Lipsky is headed to the PGA Tour as an official member for the first time next season, but don’t expect the Las Vegas resident to be in wide-eyed awe of his new surroundings.

A stellar season on the Korn Ferry Tour has locked up his promotion in the fall, but Lipsky isn’t your typical Korn Ferry player. He has been winning all over the world for several years.

Now 32, Lipsky decided it was time to come home.

“I’ve played internationally for years and the European Tour for five or six years,” Lipsky said. “The whole goal was to try and get back and play the PGA Tour.”

But coming home meant leaving behind Europe, where he won twice, played in three British Opens and a handful of World Golf Championships, to play on the Korn Ferry Tour, a step down but a requirement to earn his PGA Tour status.

“I took a little bit of a risk doing it,” he said. “I was playing really well in Europe, making good money, but I knew, ‘Why not now?’ “

The Korn Ferry Tour gave him a place to play and also allowed him to spend a good amount of time in his adopted home of Las Vegas.

Lipsky grew up in Southern California and starred at La Canada High School in Flintridge, the same school that would produce Collin Morikawa eight years later. Lipsky played college golf at Northwestern, won the Big 10 championship and turned pro after graduating in 2011 with a degree in political science and history.

Lipsky decided to try the Asian Tour, was medalist at a qualifying tournament, then won in his third start in Cambodia. Two years later, he won the European Masters in Switzerland, launching his successful run in Europe.

When it was time to come back to the United States, he settled on Las Vegas as his home.

“I’m a West Coast guy, and I had a few friends move out here. I came out and visited them and loved it here,” Lipsky said.

He praised the Las Vegas golf courses, the ease of navigating in and out of the city, and life in general in Southern Nevada.

“Life’s just easy, and it’s good, and I’ve just really enjoyed my time here,” he said.

Lipsky is fifth on the Korn Ferry season points list, with the top 25 earning their PGA Tour promotions come August. With his card secure, he has no intention of letting up this summer.

“I have my eyes on No. 1 now,” he said of his goal, which brings with it exemptions into the Players Championship and top priority to get into regular tour events. “Keep playing solid like I’m doing, keep the confidence and momentum going, and we’ll see what happens with that end of the season.”

And he wouldn’t mind another win to go with his title in San Antonio last summer.

“Another one would be great, always,” he said.

Senior Championship

Troy Helseth made it look easy in his first Southern Nevada PGA Senior Chapter Championship last week.

Helseth, the reigning chapter player of the year, was eligible for the senior event for the first time, and he posted a five-stroke victory over defending champion Jim Delaney at Red Rock Country Club.

Helseth shot rounds of 73-66 to finish at 5-under 139 in blustery conditions. Starting the second round three shots back, Helseth made three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to overtake Delaney, who failed to make a birdie in the final round.

Tom Sweeney was third and Bradley Church fourth.

A Record for Tringale

Cameron Tringale’s third-place finish at the Valspar Championship on Sunday moved him to $13,743,938 in career earnings on the PGA Tour. That makes him the player with the most earnings on the tour without a victory, passing Brian Davis for the dubious title. Tringale has played 299 tour events.

Greg Robertson is a freelance reporter who covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at robertsongt@gmail.com.

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