Lipsky gets the Procore lead and a tough question

NAPA — David Lipsky got the first-round lead of the Procore Championship and the type of question that never would have been asked of golfers such as Scottie Scheffler or Tiger Woods:

If you take a long view on your professional career… how would you describe it?

Talk about putting a guy on the spot. What’s Lipsky going to answer that doesn’t make him sound disenchanted or like a misanthrope?

A journalist might say he’s been persistent and not unsuccessful, especially after learning that while at Northwestern Lipsky was undecided about what to choose for a career.

Or was the option of turning pro and as demonstrated from his 7 under par 65 Thursday at Silverado Country Club’s North Course, it wasn’t a bad choice. 

He was a shot in front of Martin Laird, and Patton Kizzire with Mark Hubbard, who failed to register in time and needed to qualify on Monday, coming in with a 67. Defending champ Sahith Theegala had a 69.

Lipsky is 36. He has won in Asia but on the PGA Tour.  He spent the last couple of weeks getting instruction from his old coach at Northwestern, Pat Goss. The advice apparently helped.  Lipsky had eight birdies and one bogey in the round that signaled the start of the fall season.

Lipsky’s best finish this year was a 9th at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, a long time ago according to the golfing calendar. Then Thursday, on a course amidst acres of vineyards in America’s most famous wine area, he looked like a different competitor.

“I think that’s the funny thing about golf,” said Lipsky, “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 grew up in Southern California but resides in Las Vegas—not unlike other golfers trying to avoid taxes.

“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. Sometimes you’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that, seems like it’s working out.”

Silverado, redesigned in 1967 by Robert Trent Jones II, is a resort course about 50 miles north of San Francisco. Accepting enough to be enjoyable for amateurs but tricky enough to provide a decent test for the pros.

The PGA Tour guys like it because the weather usually is beautiful—it was in the 80’s Thursday, and they and their wives or partners take advantage of tasting Napa’s vintages.

Lipsky said this week of the tournament he is staying with a friend from Chicago who owns a vineyard, name unknown.

If things go right, there will be more than a few glasses raised.