Peter Malnati admitted that he benefitted from a “great break” en route to winning the Valspar Championship, his second PGA Tour title and first since 2015.
It could have been a different story for the American had the Rules not allowed him to a free drop on the difficult par-4 16th, although few would deny that the 36-year-old deserved his slice of fortune.
Malnati’s heart would have been in his mouth when his approach three holes from home went long and into some nasty rough at the back of the green, from where he would have been facing one of the most difficult up-and-downs of the day.
However, on arriving at his ball and testing his stance, he realised that he was standing on a sprinkler head – so this was a time to be smart.
According to Rule 24-2 in the Rules of Golf, a player is entitled to relief without penalty from an immovable obstruction for a ball that lies in or on the obstruction or when the obstruction interferes with the intended swing or stance.
“I feel this is a great break, and I want you to be here,” Malnati said to PGA Tour rules official Steve Rintoul.
Signing off from @ValsparChamp 🤳 pic.twitter.com/CMytIBw4MoMarch 25, 2024
The man from New Castle, Indiana wasn’t wrong – it was indeed fortunate, and he took full advantage.
It allowed Malnati to take one club length from the nearest point of relief but no closer to the hole, and there was nothing wrong with his drop on to the fringe.
From there, approximately 50 feet from the hole, Malnati, who had Cameron Young breathing down his neck, two-putted for par.
At the following hole, he made birdie, and when Young bogeyed the 72nd hole, it gave Malnati a two-shot victory, his first since the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2015.
Nine years after his first win, an emotional Malnati said: "I told myself I was going to do my best on every shot. I was so nervous coming down the stretch.
“You wonder if you are ever going to do it again. It has got harder with the level of talent and guys coming out aged 20 years old who are so good.
“So to have this moment it feels so amazing. It was so cool. My family believes in me. My caddie has been loyal and I am so thankful. This is my dream job and it is amazing but it is hard and this feels so good.”
