NAPA, Calif. – Patton Kizzire became a tree hugger on Friday. Then he went out and shot 7-under 65 at Silverado Resort’s North Course to grab the lead in the second round of the Procore Championship.
Kizzire had three weeks off after missing the FedEx Cup playoffs last month and decided he wanted to work on the mental side of his game. As a result, he started working with a new sports psychologist, a local woman that he noted has worked with other professional golfers that live near him in Saint Simons Island, Georgia.
Among the things she has introduced into his regimen includes hugging trees, walking bare foot and looking at flowers.
“Not joking. I hugged that tree right there,” he said, pointing to a tree along Silverado Resort’s 10th tee. He added, “I’ve hugged one tree in my life and that was this morning.”
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Whatever works. Kizzire opened with 66 on Thursday, birdied his first hole after hugging that tree and then made pars on the rest of the front nine. He said he didn’t have his best stuff but remained patient.
“That was it,” Kizzire said. “I could have gotten frustrated or talked about a bad shot or worried about why am I not hitting it like I want to or all those different things, but I chose not to do that.”
He carded six birdies on the back nine to improve to 13-under 131. So far, being in a better head space is helping Kizzire, as he put it, “Be the best version of myself.”
“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,” he said. “Just finding joy and positivity and really not letting yourself go the other way, that’s been a key to my first two rounds.”