Kizzire overcomes erratic play off tee to open four-stroke lead at Silverado

NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Patton Kizzire overcame erratic play off the tee and a missed putt Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Procore Championship at Silverado.

Kizzire shot a 5-under 67 — with six birdies and a bogey — to reach 18-under 198. The 38-year-old former Auburn player is trying to end a long drought after winning his two PGA Tour titles in Mexico and Hawaii in a two-month span in late 2017 and early 2018.

“The greens were fantastic,” Kizzire said. “They’re rolling really nice. I’m seeing the greens well and putting it on the line. This is a golf course I really enjoy playing.”

David Lipsky, playing in the same group as Kizzire, was second after a 70 in the FedEx Cup Fall series opener. The first-round leader had four birdies and two bogeys.

Patrick Fishburn, in his first year on the tour, made a run at the leaders and got within two shots of Kizzire before ending his round with back-to-back bogeys. Fishburn shot 70, leaving him with tied for third at 13 under with Greyson Sigg and Canadian Presidents Cup players Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. — who all shot 66.

Kizzire had to scramble much of the afternoon after missing seven fairways off the tee. He made up for it with strong approach shots and a steady putter, remaining atop the leaderboard until he pushed a five-foot par putt past the hole on No. 10 and took a bogey.

Kizzire got back on track with a 21-foot birdie putt on No. 11, then made a fantastic shot out of a greenside bunker to save par on 16. He birdied the par-3 17th, then scrambled to save par on No. 18 after hitting his approach shot into a bunker.

That left Kizzire in position to break the tournament record at Silverado of 21 under, matched last year by Sahith Theegala.

Lipsky stayed close but dropped back to the pack after back-to-back bogeys on the back nine.

“I really didn’t have my best today,” Lipsky said. “Over the course of a week, days like this happen. Swing just didn’t feel as good as it did the past two days and I just battled through it. I was just trying to play safe.”

Theegala shot 69 on Saturday, leaving him six shots back at 12 under.

Wilson Furr and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., also were 12 under. Furr had 64, the best round of the day, and Silverman shot 65.

Roger Sloan of Calgary is tied for 26th at 7 under, while Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is tied for 38th at 5 under.

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