After missing PGA Tour playoffs, Patton Kizzire leads in Napa thanks to improved psyche

After tying for 13th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, which he won in 2018, Patton Kizzire did not put together a strong season.

He actually had just the opposite: he missed 10 cuts and posted only one top-10 finish. He did not play in any of the majors, either. Kizzire ended the regular season with another missed cut at the Wyndham Championship and dropped to 134th in the FedEx Cup standings. He would need to play well in the fall to secure a spot among the top 125, the threshold that guarantees status on the PGA Tour in 2025.

Well, so far in Napa, he has.

Through 54 holes, Kizzire sits at 18-under par and holds a four-shot lead over David Lipsky. He credits his improved mental approach for why he is seeing results in Northern California.

“I think you couldn’t see what was wrong in the stats. I think consistency comes from a solid mental foundation and allowing yourself to compete,” Kizzire said.

“So I’ve been working on that, and that’s been a huge boost for me.”

Kizzire said he’s been working with a mental coach for about a month.

“I missed the Playoffs, so I wanted to make a little bit of an adjustment with my golf game, mental game, and physical game,” Kizzire said after Friday’s second round, in which he posted a 7-under 65.

“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.”

After a year of so much negativity, Kizzire has tried to think only positively.

“I’ve had a lot of positive vibes and positive thoughts. I was looking forward to bringing it here, continuing it, and growing it,” Kizzire added on Friday.

“This is a good place. It is a great golf course, and I enjoy playing it. There’s always the doubt of whether you’re going to do it or not, but the positivity has outweighed that doubt, and I’ve been able to trump it.”

He has overcome that doubt through three rounds and vaulted to the top of the leaderboard. Now the question is, can he deliver and win a PGA Tour event on Sunday for the third time in his career?

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.