Patton Kizzire won the Procore Championship by five strokes.
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In 30 minutes, Patton Kizzire saw his five-shot lead cut to just two.
It’s something a pro never wants to happen while nursing a potential win as they complete the turn and head to the back nine on Sunday.
It wasn’t just poor shots, there was one bad break, on No. 10, where his approach shot hit the flag stick and bounced back nearly 50 yards.
But just as quickly as Kizzire seemed to let him go, he was back in control.
After a two-shot swing on the 11th, Kizzire ripped a fairway shot down the middle on the par-5 12th, pushed a 3-iron into the green bunker and made an up-and-down routine for the bride. Then on the 13th, Kizzire hit a wedge to within 10 feet and conserved the putt. When his closest follower, David Lipsky, failed to make birdie at 12 and bogey at 13, Kizzire’s lead was back to five shots and he parried home the final five holes to win Procore Championship at Silverado Resort.
His winning score of 20 under beat Lipsky by five and was just one shy of the tournament record that was compared last year by Sahith Theegala.
It is Kizzire’s third career PGA Tour victory and first since winning two events in two months during the 2017-18 season at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and Sony Open.
Even the victory could not have come at a better time for the 38-year-old. He made his way to East Lake in 2018 on the strength of his two wins, but had only made the postseason once in the years since. Before that, he had finished in the top 125 at the FedEx Cup in each of his first three seasons on the PGA Tour.
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Last season, he finished in the top 125 before the playoffs, but did not play in the postseason after the field for the FedEx St. play this season again outside the conditional status category.
He was in an even worse position heading into this fall season, ranking this week at No. 132 in the rankings.
But the win caps a two-year suspension for him and now puts him in the conversation to jump into the first two signature events of the year as he jumps to 70th in the fall rankings, which are a continuation of the regular season standings. Kizzire did not play in any of the Signature Events last season and has not played a major since 2022, but he will now return to the Masters for the first time since 2019 next season.
Kizzire looked to be on his way to victory when he chipped in for eagle on the 5th hole. He held on to the 9th ball with a five-shot lead, but was just two off the 11th green after he bogeyed 9 and 11 and caught the rough break on the 10th.
But back-to-back birdies came at just the right time on the 12th and 13th to stay and restore the cushion that was enough to send him into the winner’s circle.
