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

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It was a great day for the former students of La Cañada high school in the world of golf.

Early on Sunday afternoon the alum La Cañada Collin Morikawa overtook 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 win on the San Antonio Korn Ferry Tour.

“It was fun, after shooting 10-under last night, I was writing a bit with Collin Morikawa,” said Lipsky. “We are both from the same hometown and went to the same high school. We both said to deal with business today. And I just saw that he won in a playoff which is quite surprising … We actually trained on the same golf course in Los Angeles together. I knew him in college when he was a stallion in California and he has obviously done extraordinary things since then. “

Lipsky has done some amazing things himself this week at the TPC San Antonio Challenge in the Canyons. After the 69-66 rounds that left him T5 after 36 holes, the 31-year-old equaled the record of the course in the day on the move with a 10-under 62, equaling the record of Fred Couples set in the 2011 AT&T championship.

He took a one-shot lead in Sunday’s final round and stacked seven birds against one cart for a 66 final and a victory two days from his 32nd birthday.

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

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

Before the start of Sunday’s round, Lipsky turned to his caddy and told him not to check the rankings until after the 17th hole and not to tell him anything until he reached his approach to No. 18, in case he needs to sink a long putt.

After splitting the fairway at the end and leaving 150 yards from the pivot, Lipsky pulled out an iron 9 and let it fly.

“I hit that three foot shot and my cart turned to me and said, ‘well, you’re three shots up’,” laughed Lipsky. “I got up three shots. Moving from my approach to the green was really special … It was such an extraordinary week. “

While he maintained confidence throughout the day, he really felt the juice flow after a tenth surprise birdie.

“I was in a bunker 10 minutes from the tee, a fairway bunker,” reflects Lipsky. “I had a deadly lie on a pin from the back to the right and I hit a wedge of sand about a meter and a half and I shot in the hole. I certainly wasn’t expecting it. This energized my round and helped me stay focused and made me overcome. “

Lipsky overtook competitors Taylor Pendrith (second only, 21 under) and Paul Barjon (T3, 20 under) on a day when the lower winds allowed a lot of low scores. Paul Haley II scored an 8-under 64 for a draw for the third, while David Skinns matched the 64 to finish fifth on his own.

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