NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Patton Kizzire hugged a tree on the way to the first tee Friday as part of a mental exercise, then patiently worked his way around Silverado to take the lead into the weekend in the FedEx Cup Fall series opener.
Working with a new mental coach who has him embracing a more relaxed and even approach, Kizzire shot a 7-under 65 for a one-stroke advantage over David Lipsky in the Procore Championship.
Kizzire joked about some of the things his new mental coach has him doing, like walking around barefoot and hugging trees.
“It’s been really cool to just get organized and try to be more playful out there and be unflappable,” Kizzire said.
Kizzire had seven birdies, six on the back nine, as he seeks his first victory on the PGA Tour since 2018.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today, especially off the tee or into the green, but I putted well again,” Kizzire said. “My patience in the mental game and my putting have really kept me in it and allowed me to play really well.”
Kizzire had a 13-under 131 total on the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
Lipsky, the first-round leader, had a 67 that included eight birdies, an eagle, three bogeys and a double bogey.
Patrick Fishburn was 11 under after a 65. He had six birdies and an eagle to overcome a bogey on his 17th hole.
Matt Kuchar and J.J. Spaun were 10 under. The 46-year-old Kuchar, who caused a bit of controversy at the Wyndham Championship in August when he walked off the course because of darkness then returned the next day to finish his final round, had nine birdies and a bogey to tie for the best round of the day with a 64. Spaun shot 65.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala was four shots back after a 66.
Kizzire got off to a slow start and was sputtering off the tee and with his approach shots before heating up with six birdies on the back nine. He capped his afternoon with two long putts, one from 28 feet and the other from 13.
“I could have gotten frustrated or talked about a bad shot or worried about, ‘Well why am I not hitting it like I want to?’” Kizzire said. “I just chose not to do that. I still didn’t play my best on the back nine but I capitalized whenever I had an opportunity and made a few good putts.”
Lipsky was in good shape after holing out for an eagle on No. 16. He hit a gap wedge with his second shot that hit past the flag, bounced then spun back in the hole.
After three consecutive birdies on the back nine put him atop the leaderboard at 14 under, Lipsky picked up a penalty stroke when his tee shot on No. 8 sailed out-of-bounds.
“A little bit of everything but overall I’m really happy,” Lipsky said. “My game plan was to still stay aggressive and not back off at all. That’s sort of what I did.”
Two-time tournament champion Max Homa failed to make the cut. Presidents Cup International team captain Mike Weir, 2020 tournament champ Stewart Cink and Wyndham Clark also dropped out.
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Patton Kizzire hits from the eighth tee during the first round of the Procore Championship PGA golf tournament at the Silverado Resort North Course in Napa, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously Tuesday across Lebanon and in parts of Syria, killing at least nine people, government and Hezbollah officials said. Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. The Israeli military declined to comment.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire daily, coming close to a full-blown war on several occasions and forcing tens of thousands on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Here's the latest:
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says four soldiers were killed in southern Gaza and five others were wounded, with three of them in serious condition.
The deaths on Tuesday came nearly a year into the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The army did not describe the circumstances, but Israeli media reported that the soldiers were killed by a hidden bomb that exploded inside a building.
One of the four, Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, an army paramedic, was the first female soldier to have been killed in combat in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Hamas and other armed groups remain active across the territory despite months of heavy Israeli bombardment and ground operations that have destroyed vast areas and displaced most of the population.
Israel says 346 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of ground operations last October. The military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near-simultaneously Tuesday in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding more than 2,000. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack.
The AR-924 pagers used by the militants were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, according to a statement released Wednesday by Gold Apollo.
“According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement read.
Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told journalists Wednesday that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract.
The AR-924 pager, advertised as being “rugged,” contains a rechargeable lithium battery, according to specifications once advertised on Gold Apollo’s website before it was apparently taken down Tuesday after the sabotage attack. It could receive text messages of up to 100 characters and claimed to have up to 85 days of battery life. That’s something that would be crucial in Lebanon, where electricity outages have been common as the tiny nation on the Mediterranean Sea has faced years of economic collapse. Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, making them more resilient in emergencies — one of the reasons why many hospitals worldwide still rely on them.
FILE - Israeli soldiers move next to destroyed buildings following Israeli strikes during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
Civil Defense first-responders carry a man who was wounded after his handheld pager exploded, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.(AP Photo)
People gather outside the American University hospital after the arrival of several people who were wounded by exploding handheld pagers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Palestinians in Lebanon wave their national flags during a protest in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People gather around an ambulance carrying wounded people whose handheld pager exploded, at the emergency entrance of the American University hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The supermoon rises behind the houses in Mas'ade, a village in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A Lebanese Red Cross volunteer collects blood donations for those who were injured by their exploded handheld pagers, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, at a Red Cross center in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
