After tying for thirteenth on the Sony Open in Hawaii, which he gained in 2018, Patton Kizzire didn’t put collectively a robust season.
He truly had simply the other: he missed 10 cuts and posted just one top-10 end. He didn’t play in any of the majors, both. Kizzire ended the common season with one other missed minimize on the Wyndham Championship and dropped to 134th within the FedEx Cup standings. He would wish to play nicely within the fall to safe a spot among the many high 125, the brink that ensures standing on the PGA Tour in 2025.
Nicely, to date in Napa, he has.
By means of 54 holes, Kizzire sits at 18-under par and holds a four-shot lead over David Lipsky. He credit his improved psychological method for why he’s seeing ends in Northern California.
“I believe you couldn’t see what was fallacious within the stats. I believe consistency comes from a strong psychological basis and permitting your self to compete,” Kizzire mentioned.
“So I’ve been engaged on that, and that’s been an enormous increase for me.”
Kizzire mentioned he’s been working with a psychological coach for a few month.
“I missed the Playoffs, so I needed to make just a little little bit of an adjustment with my golf sport, psychological sport, and bodily sport,” Kizzire mentioned after Friday’s second spherical, through which he posted a 7-under 65.
“It’s been actually cool to simply get organized and attempt to be extra playful on the market and be unflappable. That’s form of my phrase.”
After a yr of a lot negativity, Kizzire has tried to suppose solely positively.
“I’ve had lots of optimistic vibes and optimistic ideas. I used to be trying ahead to bringing it right here, persevering with it, and rising it,” Kizzire added on Friday.
“It is a good place. It’s a nice golf course, and I get pleasure from enjoying it. There’s at all times the doubt of whether or not you’re going to do it or not, however the positivity has outweighed that doubt, and I’ve been capable of trump it.”
He has overcome that doubt by means of three rounds and vaulted to the highest of the leaderboard. Now the query is, can he ship and win a PGA Tour occasion on Sunday for the third time in his profession?
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
