It is not always easy to be a professional golfer and consistently win on tours, but making it through and always maintaining a positive attitude goes a long way. David Lipsky knows all about this. The 36-year-old’s professional golf journey might have started in his 20s, but it was at the age of 10 that he first picked up a club and started playing. Lipsky, born on July 14, 1988, in Los Angeles, California, comes from an Asian American family and was born to Aaron and Yon Suk Lipsky.

The 36-year-old pro’s life was greatly influenced by another Korean pro, 7-time Asian Tour winner Charlie Wi and it was because of his coach, Jay Shinn, that Lipsky began to grow as a better golfer. But his life truly changed after he joined Northwestern University. Lipsky was a high schooler at La Cañada High School and an incredible amateur golfer. He won four times as an individual and was named to the Los Angeles All-Southern Section for three consecutive years starting in 2004.

Seeing his potential, Lipsky received a partial scholarship from Northwestern University in 2006. However, the first year he did not tee up for any event. But after that, coach Pat Goss helped him overcome his flaws, and in 2010, he won his first amateur major, the Big 10 Conference, realizing, “I could go all the way.” He graduated from the university in 2011 with a major in political science and, for the second time, was the top performer in golf.

Right after graduating, Lipsky decided to turn pro. Throughout his college career, the 36-year-old was not just a golfer; he also caddied from time to time. Thus, Lipsky had better intuition than most golfers and was hoping to succeed as a pro. But did he?

David Lipsky’s journey to being a pro and a PGA Tour member

David Lipsky began playing on the Asian Tour’s Q-School in 2011, and he saw immediate success after qualifying for the tour for the 2012 season. In just his third start, Lipsky found a maiden victory at the HANDA FALDO Cambodian Classic and was on cloud nine. While acclimating to the pro-life was coming easy on the Asian Tour, Lipsky decided to give the PGA Tour a chance as well. He played the then-Web.com Tour in a bid to make his debut on the PGA Tour but failed to qualify for the 2013 season.

Lipsky continued his career on the Asian Tour, and a year later, he won again. This time, the victory was at the 2014 Omega European Masters, a co-sanctioned event with the DP World Tour. This awarded him a European Tour membership, which he kept for many years. However, for the next four years, Lipsky could not bag any victories on either tour until his luck shone in 2018. At the Alfred Dunhill Championship, Lipsky defeated David Drysdale by two strokes and became a 2-time European Tour winner.

But he wanted to be part of his home circuit too, the PGA Tour. The 36-year-old decided to give it another attempt. In 2021, all his hard work resulted in what he had always dreamed of. That season, the 2-time Asian Tour winner won the TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons and carded two more top 10 finishes. This all made Lipsky 12th on the season-long standings and earned him one of the 25 promotions for the PGA Tour’s 2021 season. After earning the special membership, Lipsky said, “I’m looking forward to playing on the tour and being where I’ve always wanted to be since I turned pro and since I was a little kid.”

Now, it has been three years since Lipsky has kept his card, but in the 2024 season, he is currently 163rd on the FedExCup Fall Standings and would need at least a victory with other top finishes to be inside the top 125 mark and secure the 2025 membership. Will David Lipsky succeed in holding onto his childhood dream? It remains to be seen.