David Lipsky cards 66 to win TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It was a big day for La Cañada High School alumni in the golf world.

Early Sunday afternoon La Cañada alum Collin Morikawa topped Justin Thomas in a dramatic playoff on the PGA TOUR in Ohio. Less than an hour later and more than 1,300 miles away, another former Spartan, David Lipsky, put the finishing touches on his first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour in San Antonio.

“It was funny, last night after I shot 10-under, I was texting with Collin Morikawa a little bit,” said Lipsky. “We’re both from the same hometown and went to the same high school. We both told each other to take care of business today. And I just saw he won in a playoff which is pretty amazing…We actually practiced at the same golf course at Los Angeles together. I knew him in college when he was a stud at California and obviously he has done amazing things since then.”

Lipsky did some amazing things himself this week at the TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons. After rounds of 69-66 left him T5 after 36 holes, the 31-year-old matched the course record on moving day with a 10-under 62, equaling Fred Couples’ record set at the 2011 AT&T Championship.

He took a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round and stacked seven birdies against a lone bogey for a closing 66 and a win two days shy of his 32nd birthday.

“It’s my first win as a professional in the United States which is really important to me,” noted Lipsky a Northwestern alum who grew up in Los Angeles. “This is where I want to play…I’ve always wanted to come back and play in the United States. Obviously, this is home.”

Lipsky has won twice on the European Tour and twice on the Asian Tour but has never held full status on the Korn Ferry Tour or PGA TOUR.

Before the round started on Sunday, Lipsky turned to his caddie and told him not to check the leaderboard until after the 17th hole and not to tell him anything until he had hit his approach on No. 18, just in case he needed to sink a long putt.

After splitting the fairway at the last and leaving himself 150 yards to the pin, Lipsky pulled out a 9-iron and let it fly.

“I hit that shot to three feet and my caddie turned to me and said, ‘well you’re up by three shots,’” laughed Lipsky. “I was up by three strokes. Walking from my approach shot to the green was really special…It’s been such an amazing week.”

While he maintained confidence throughout the day, he really felt the juice flowing after a surprise birdie at the 10th.

“I was in a bunker on 10 off of the tee, a fairway bunker,” reflected Lipsky. “I had a dicey lie to a back-right pin and I hit a sand wedge to like five feet and made the putt. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. That energized my round and helped me keep my focus and got me through.”

Lipsky outpaced playing competitors Taylor Pendrith (solo second, 21-under) and Paul Barjon (T3, 20-under) on a day when lower winds allowed plenty of low scores. Paul Haley II carded an 8-under 64 to rise into a tie for third, while David Skinns matched the 64 to finish solo fifth.

The Korn Ferry Tour will remain at TPC San Antonio next week to play the Oaks Course, site of the PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open.