PALM HARBOR, FL. – The Valspar Championship came down to a duel between two former Northwestern golfers, though that might be a bit of a stretch.
Matt Fitzpatrick, a champion for the third time on the PGA Tour, only attended NU for one quarter in 2013. After helping the Wildcats to two in five tournaments Fitzpatrick won that year’s U.S. Amateur and decided to turn pro in 2014. Now 31, his pro career has been highlighted by a victory in the 2022 U.S.Open
David Lipsky, meanwhile, also won two tournaments during his career at NU and was an All-American in 2011. But, now 37, he’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. He certainly came close Sunday on the Copperhead Course, though.
The two were tied for the lead heading to the 18th tee. Fitzpatrick, playing in the twosome in front of Lipsky, hit two good shots on the par-4 and rolled in a 13-foot birdie putt to take a one-stroke lead. Lipsky hit his drive in the right rough but make a gutty recovery, hitting his second to the back fringe of the green. That left him a 32-foot putt for birdie to force a playoff. His didn’t drop.
“I was right between clubs on my second shot,’’ said Lipsky. “I almost pulled off that shot, and I almost made the putt.’’
Almost – but that only counts in horseshoes.
Fitzpatrick’s 11-under-par 273 edged Lipsky and provided the England-born star some consolation after a final hole bogey cost him the title in The Players Championship last week in the PGA Tour’s premier tournament after Fitzgerald’s mishap.
That was a tough loss for Fitzpatrick to shake off.
“It was frustrating, a weird feeling, played at another Florida course — TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra. Cameron Young got the title there’’ he said. “I didn’t feel I did much of anything wrong on the back nine, but today I played fantastic on every shot on 17 and 18, and that made this on so special.’’
The Valspar event ended the four-week Florida Swing and the PGA Tour has tournaments in Texas the next two weeks before the year’s first of four major championships, the Masters in Georgia.
While the title came down to Fitzpatrick and Lipsky there were plenty of other contenders. South Korea’s Sungjae Im was in position for a rare wire-to-wire win until his game unravelled in the early holes.
Brandt Snedeker, who will captain the U.S. team in the President’s Cup at Medinah in September, was paired with Im in the final group. Unlike Im, he stayed in the thick of the battle deep into the back nine. At 45 and coming off four missed cuts, Snedeker was tied for the lead along with England’s Jordan Smith and Marco Penge, Fitzpatrick and Lipsky with seven holes to go.
Snedeker faded to a 76 and tied for 18th. Smith would up two behind Fitzpatrick in third place and Xander Schauffele, who shot 65, grabbed a share of fourth with Im and Penge.
