Peter Malnati claims emotional second PGA Tour title at Valspar Championship
Peter Malnati secures his first win on the PGA Tour in nine years as Cameron Young comes up short again.
Peter Malnati secured his second PGA Tour title with a two-stroke victory over Cameron Young at the Valspar Championship.
Starting the day two shots back, Malnati, 36, carded a final round 4-under 67 at the Copperhead Course to finish the week 12-under, two shots clear of a chasing pack that featured Young, Chandler Phillips and Xander Schauffele.
Nine years after his first victory at the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship, the American finally tasted success once more, and his emotions got the better of him when his wife and two young children joined him on the 18th green.
He showed nerves of steel to navigate Copperhead's notoriously tricky final stretch named the 'Snake Pit', carding a stunning birdie on the par-3 17th hole thanks to an excellent tee shot.
Having found a fairway bunker on the 18th, Malnati managed to work his second shot onto the green before narrowly missing out on birdie with his first putt, giving him a tap-in par for the win.
The instantly recognisable figure was donning his typical bucket hat and yellow ball, which he revealed earlier in the week was a tribute to his children.
Malnati did get a good break on the 16th hole after his approach shot finished near a sprinkler head. After consulting a rules official, he was able to move his ball out of the thick rough and onto the green, leaving him with a far easier third shot.
⛳️ #WINNER — Peter Malnati wins the @ValsparChamp. This is Peter’s first win on The PGA Tour since 2015.
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) March 24, 2024
The victory has earned Malnati an exemption on the PGA Tour for two years, entry to all of the remaining signature events this season, and a spot at the 2024 Masters and PGA Championship.
He has also walked away with a winner's cheque worth $1.5 million.
The victory for Malnati comes in the same week that he jetted over to the Bahamas on Monday for showdown talks with Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Malnati is one of six player directors on the PGA Tour, along with Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Webb Simpson.
Young came the closest to ruining Malnati's day, but his search for a first PGA Tour victory continues.
He has now recorded seven second-place finishes without a win, the most of any player since 1983.
Elsewhere in the field, Schauffele had the round of the day, shooting a 6-under 65 to finish the week tied for fifth place.
It was a day to forget for the 54-hole leader Keith Mitchell, who plummeted down the leaderboard, eventually carding a disappointing 6-over 77 to finish tied for 17th.
Valspar Championship Final Leaderboard
-12 P Malnati (US)
-10 C Young (US)
-9 C Phillips (Eng) M Hughes (Can)
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