Patton Kiziel did not have a strong season after finishing tied for 13th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, a tournament he won in 2018.
In fact, it was the exact opposite: He missed the cut 10 times, finished in the top 10 just once and hasn't played in a major. Kizier finished the regular season by missing the cut again at the Wyndham Championship and dropped to 134th in the FedEx Cup standings. He'll need to perform well in the fall to secure a place in the top 125, which would guarantee him a spot on the PGA Tour in 2025.
Well, that's what they're doing in Napa for now.
Kiziel is at 18 under par after 54 holes, four strokes behind David Lipsky, and he attributes his success in Northern California to an improved mental approach.
“I don't think the stats told me what was wrong. I think the consistency comes from having a strong mental foundation and allowing yourself to compete,” Kiziel said.
“So I've been working on it, and it's been a big boost for me.”
Kiziel said he has been training with a mental coach for about a month.
“After missing the playoff, I wanted to make some adjustments to my golf game, mentally and physically,” Kizier said after Friday's second round, where he shot a 7-under 65.
“It's really cool to just try to get organized and be more playful and stay calm. That's my word.”
After a year filled with so much negativity, Kiziel has tried to focus on the positive.
“I had a lot of positive vibes and positive thoughts and I was looking forward to bringing that here and continuing and growing it,” Kiziel added Friday.
“It's a nice place, a great golf course and a lot of fun to play. There's always that anxiety of whether you're going to do it or not, but the positivity outweighs the anxiety and got me through it.”
He overcame those doubts through three rounds and vaulted to the top of the leaderboard. Now the question is whether he can win a PGA Tour event on Sunday for his third career victory.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
