FLORIDA – Peter Malnati rolled in five birdies, charged up the leaderboard and captured the Valspar Championship title on March 24 in Palm Harbour, Florida, for his second career PGA Tour victory and his first since November 2015.
The win qualified Malnati, 36, for his first career Masters in three weeks, which he called “the realisation of another childhood dream”.
“That will be amazing,” said Malnati, who entered the week ranked No. 184 in the world.
“But I think more of what has sunk in to me is, this guarantees me that – this is my 10th season on the PGA Tour – it guarantees me that I’m going to have 12 (years), at least.”
He began the day two off the pace before shooting a four-under 67 in his final round at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course. He finished the week 12-under 272, beating fellow American Cameron Young by two strokes.
On the tee at the 198-yard, par-three 17th hole, Malnati stuck a five-iron shot to within six feet from the cup. He walked in the ensuing putt for birdie.
Up ahead, Young hit a bad drive at the par-four 18th, but somehow found the green from between the trees. From 42 feet away, he could only three-putt for bogey to finish with a 68 and drop to 10 under.
That sequence gave Malnati all the separation he needed.
“I obviously didn’t have it in real time knowing what Cameron Young was making on all the holes, but I knew I was – when I stood over the six-footer on 17, I was tied for the lead,” Malnati said.
“I knew before I hit my second shot on 18 that I had a two-shot lead.”
For Young, the 26-year-old who won the Tour’s Rookie of the Year award in 2021-22, this marked his seventh career runner-up finish without a title to his name yet.
“I think I kept myself in it mentally really well,” Young said.
“I hit a couple shots I was really proud of late. Those two par-threes on the back, both kind of can bite you.
“But I think I handled my own thoughts really well and, for me, that’s a big win regardless of the outcome.”
American Chandler Phillips (69) and Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes (70) tied for third at nine under.
Xander Schauffele tied the low round of the day with a 65 that featured an eagle and four birdies over his final eight holes. The American tied for fifth at eight under with compatriot Ryan Moore (68), China’s Carl Yuan (68) and Canadian Adam Hadwin (69).
Yuan had a remarkable day that saw him hole out no fewer than three shots from off the green – an eagle from the fairway at the par-five fifth, a 56-foot chip at the par-three eighth that bounced off the stick and curled in and another chip-in birdie at the par-four 12th that had him briefly tied for the lead.
“(To) kind of just look back on the weeks I do well, I play aggressive, enjoy hitting shots. Like, when I hit a shot, the ball, as soon as it leaves the club face, I can turn around confidently no matter where the ball goes,” Yuan said.
Keith Mitchell began the day with the lead and played in the final group with Ireland’s Seamus Power, but both players surprisingly dropped out of contention quickly.
Mitchell shot a six-over 77 and finished tied for 17th at four under, and Power carded a 76 to tie for 26th at three under. REUTERS
