After missing his last two cuts in Mauritius, then Johannesburg, Asian American David Lipsky had lots of time to practice, and this week it paid off as he won his second European Tour title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, after a dramatic final round of 2018 at Leopard Creek Country Club, which is separated by the Crocodile River from the Kruger National Park with all of it's magnificent African wildlife.
The American was making his first visit to Leopard Creek but he was also making himself right at home as he opened up a six-shot lead at one point and led by four stood on the 16th tee.
That advantage was cut to one after a late wobble but Lipsky signed for a -4 68, -14 two shots ahead of Scotland's David Drysdale, with Scott Jamieson and Zander Lombard who had 2 late bogey's a further shot back.
Lipsky won the European Masters in 2014 in his first season as an Affiliate Member and had been a picture of consistency before securing just a single top ten last season.
That saw him finish outside the top 100 in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex for the first time but he will not be fighting for his card in 2019 after handing himself the perfect Christmas present in Malelane.
“It's been five years since the last one and to come off this year where I haven't played that well and to finish it off like this, this win couldn't be any better,” he said.
Lipsky is 30 now, born in LA and lists his home as Las Vegas, although his passport shows that he is a true world traveller. He began to golf as a 10 year old and despite his small stature (5'9") he had great success as a junior which got him into Northwestern University in Chicago, where he was an All-American.
His first win came on the Asian Tour, at the 2012 HANDA FALDO Cambodian Classic, before finishing 11th on the Order of Merit as a rookie. He qualified for the Web.com Tour in 2013.
As I mentioned his breakthrough came back on the European tour in Switzerland by winning the 2014 Omega European Masters, where he beat Graeme Storm in a play-off which earned him a 2 year full status. He was ranked 340th in the world before his win today.
That brings to a conclusion the five event wrap around start to the 2019 season and the players will take their Christmas holidays and next appear in the middle east on January 16 2019 in Abu Dhabi.
That brings to a conclusion the five event wrap around start to the 2019 season and the players will take their Christmas holidays and next appear in the middle east on January 16 2019 in Abu Dhabi.
Bryan Angus
(europeantour.com)
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