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Napa, Calif. — Silverado Resort is situated among the rolling hills of Napa Valley’s wine country and surrounded by more than 400 wineries. Luke Clanton, the No. 1 amateur in the world, is just 20 years old and a junior at Florida State so no wine for him. He said his parents have been indulging in the grapes of choice that have made this region famous.
“I’ve just been on the sidelines playing video games and eating Nerds, so it’s been a lot of fun,” Clanton said.
Indeed, it has. The kid made another cut on the PGA Tour, shooting 4-under 68 on Friday and picking up his 15th point in PGA Tour U. He continues to prove that he already belongs out here and that once he finishes chasing a national title with his teammates, he’s going to be a handful for the pros.
In the meantime, the likes of Patton Kizzire, David Lipsky and Rafa Campos are trying to prove they deserve another year in the land of milk and honey. Kizzire leads by one after a 65 at Silverado Resort’s North Course on Friday but the likes of defending champion Sahith Theegala (9 under) and Presidents Cup teammates Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Min Woo Lee (all 7 under) are lurking.
Here are five things to know after the second round of the 2024 Procore Championship.
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Kizzire’s new mental coach
Patton Kizzire became a tree hugger on Friday. Then he went out and shot 7-under 65 at Silverado Resort’s North Course to grab the lead in the second round of the Procore Championship.
Kizzire had three weeks off after missing the FedEx Cup playoffs last month and decided he wanted to work on the mental side of his game. As a result, he started working with a new sports psychologist, a local woman that he noted has worked with other professional golfers that live near him in Saint Simons Island, Georgia.
Among the things she has introduced into his regimen includes hugging trees, walking bare foot and looking at flowers.
“Not joking. I hugged that tree right there,” he said, pointing to a tree along Silverado Resort’s 16th tee. He added, “I’ve hugged one tree in my life and that was this morning.”
Whatever works. Kizzire opened with 66 on Thursday, birdied his first hole after hugging that tree and then made pars on the rest of the front nine. He said he didn’t have his best stuff but remained patient.
“That was it,” Kizzire said. “I could have gotten frustrated or talked about a bad shot or worried about why am I not hitting it like I want to or all those different things, but I chose not to do that.”
He carded six birdies on the back nine to improve to 13-under 131. So far, being in a better head space is helping Kizzire, as he put it, “Be the best version of myself.”
“It’s been really cool to just get organized and try to be more playful out there and be unflappable, that’s kind of my word,” he said. “Just finding joy and positivity and really not letting yourself go the other way, that’s been a key to my first two rounds.”
Lipsky’s 10 birdie round
David Lipsky is staying with a friend this week, who owns a vineyard in wine country. So, while visitors to the area are lining up for pours at the more than 400 wineries, Lipsky has been enjoying some special rose.
“I had a few glasses of that, tried it out,” he said.
He also had more than a few birdies on Friday. Eight was enough so he also made a hole-out eagle from 135 yards at the par-4 16th.
“I hit my gap wedge about 130 and it was sort of a perfect club. Even my caddie said it’s the perfect club,” Lipsky said. “Once it came off, took the wind a little bit right to left and landed right by the hole, one-hopped and spun back and came in.”
He also sprinkled in three bogeys and a double at No. 8, his 17th hole of the day, to shoot 67 and vault to 12-under 132 and one off the lead.
Of his round that consisted of just five pars, he said, “it happens in golf. Just got to accept that. Especially on a course that’s so firm and bouncy like this one, you’re going to get some bad breaks and you’re going to get some good breaks.”
And what does Lipsky anticipate on the weekend?
“Firmer and faster. I don’t see ’em slowing it down at all and that’s my favorite type of golf where you really have to think, think about where you’re landing it on the greens, think about positioning it off the tee, making sure you have the good angles in and I think that sort of suits my game,” he said.
Spaun’s on a roll
J.J. Spaun wasn’t ready for a break in his schedule after the Wyndham. He was just heating up, finishing T-3 at the Wyndham Championship for his second straight top-10 finish and sixth straight made cut. But he hasn’t cooled off despite the cooler climes compared to his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“It’s nice being out of 110 heat so I was kind of looking forward to wearing a sweater,” he said.
His game has picked up where he left off. On Friday, he shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to climb to 10-under 134 at the midway point of the tournament. After a slow start to the season during which he battled flu-like symptoms and lost about 15 pounds, he’s gotten serious about his training and it’s helped him gain distance off the tee.
“I’ve been driving the ball a lot farther this year and I finally found kind of like a setup with my driver where I’m able to like control the dispersion,” he said. “So getting off the tee at the start of the year was a struggle for me, but my irons have always been pretty solid. As long as I’m in fairways or semi rough I can manage to get proximity, pretty close to the hole.”
Kuchar climbs the leaderboard
Matt Kuchar may be of a certain vintage — to borrow a wine term – but he’s still young at heart.
“I know I’m 46, but I don’t see myself as a veteran,” he said, “I still see myself as a young kid that’s excited to go play. Like I love coming out here.”
Indeed, he does. He birdied half his holes on Friday at Silverado Resort’s North Course to tie for the low round of the day, an 8-under 64. He came out of the gate hot with four birdies in his first five holes. He jumped to 10-under 134 at the halfway point, three back and T-3 with Spaun. Kuchar is seeking his 10th career win.
“I feel like I can still win any given week,” he said. “Maybe places like this maybe suit my game a little better where there’s a real premium on driving the ball well. Here is a course that I love, but I know if you’re not driving it well it’s tough sledding out there. I certainly am pleased with the state of my game at the moment, I’m pleased with the course we’re playing and my chances this week. I came here excited and I’m glad it’s still working out that way.”
International Team trio in the mix
The International Team grouping of Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Min Woo Lee had it going on Friday morning. Conners was the low scorer, posting 8-under 64, which included an eagle at 18. Hughes shot 67 and Lee, who was leading until his drive hit a tree and ricocheted out of bounds, settled for 69. All three are at 7-under 137 heading into the weekend.
The trio bonded first at a team dinner on Wednesday and then had time to chat about the Presidents Cup for the first two days.
“It was fun to play with those guys and going to be teammates with them in a couple weeks,” Conners said. “Obviously Mac and I go way back to our junior golf days and really close friends. Got to know Min Woo better over the last few years.”
Conners got the birdie-fest going by stuffing his approach at No. 10 to two feet and Hughes let him know he liked that shot.
“I said, ‘Hey, if you’re my partner that’s kind of the length of putt I like so just make sure you hit it close like that for me,’ ” Hughes said.
At the fourth, Hughes did him one better, holing a pitching wedge from 152 yards.
“If we happen to be alternate shot partners, I do enjoy that very much, too,” Conners said.
All three are within touch of the lead, which is what they were looking for this week as they prep for the Presidents Cup, which begins Sept. 26.
“I’d say so far mission accomplished,” Hughes said. “My goal is to kind of get yourself in the mix, that’s the best way to kind of get yourself tournament ready, battle tested is to be in contention.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Hugging trees, sipping wine, eating Nerds among 5 things to know from second round of 2024 Procore Championship