PALM HARBOR (Fla.) Taylor MooreHe was not the main attraction at the Valspar Championship, but he was the one who had hit all the right shots. After that, he posed with the trophy to his first PGA Tour title.
Adam SchenkAnd Jordan SpiethThe day was full of entertainment, with enough drama to last the entire day. Innisbrook’s Copperhead course had its back nine.
They shared their misfortune after the event was over.
Moore surged into contention with a 9 iron to 5 feet for birdie at the 15th green and a 25-foot birdie putt at the 16th. Followed by two tough pars, Moore finished the round 4-under 67.
This was a winning shot as Spieth hit his tee shot into water on the 16th. Schenk also went for his first PGA Tour win and hit a drive that settled next to a large tree. He made bogey, and finished one stroke behind.
Moore, a native Oklahoma City child, was practicing at the range in preparation for a playoff, when he realized he’d won at 10-under 274.
Moore said that although I may have been under the radar of some people, it felt like I was actually in the tournament. “I was just excited to control everything and get it done,” Moore said.
The win sends him to the Masters in just three weeks, which is a welcome addition.
Spieth was tied for first on the 16th when he hit his tee shot into water. However, he managed to stay in play by getting up and down from 163 yards to save bogey. Spieth hit 4-iron to 6ft on the par-3 17th. He only made two birdies throughout the day.
Tommy FleetwoodHe was part of a three way tie on the back nine, until he made bogey on 14th par-5. Spieth didn’t realize that anyone else was in this mix.
“I thought it was Adam and me.” Spieth said that he thought it was us two. “I was thinking that Tommy was one back of us with a couple of holes to go, so I thought we could still control it from the previous group. I then saw 10 (under), who was walking off the 16 green.
Schenk’s wife, who flew to Florida for the final round one month before their first child was due, was the real victim. Schenk hit a 70-foot birdie shot on the 12th. To tie the score, Schenk made tough par saves at the 16th hole and 17th hole.
He pulled his 18th-round tee shot left on the 18th. It was almost the same line Moore hit earlier with his teeshot, but Schenk’s ball rolled through a gallery and stopped near a pine tree.
Schenk stated that he wished he could have lightly hit someone and stayed where he had a chance to reach the green. But it didn’t and it didn’t deserve it.
His only shot was an inverted wedge left-handed hit, which was a great shot that he took across the fairway into rough. His third shot was only 40 feet short of the ridge, and rolled onto a fringe. The par putt to force a playoff hit on the hole, but he was too fast and hopped out.
Schenk played for the 10th consecutive week to allow him time off when his son was born. He closed with a 70.
He said, “It is painful to get so close.”
Spieth missed a par putt at the 18th, which was worth FedEx Cup points. He signed for a 70 and tied Fleetwood for third.
Moore was not a well-known player until the Arkansas 29-year-old began hitting quality shots after another. Moore’s approach was 2 feet long on No. 12 for a birdie. He won the tournament with a great swing and a 9-iron on 15th. His big putt on the next green was the best.
Moore was able to get up-and down for par on the 17th by hitting a long bunker ball, and he then two-putted at 70 feet from the green at the 18.
Moore won $1,458,000 and was ranked No. Moore is currently ranked 9 in the FedEx Cup standings. He also plays in the Masters. He moved up from No. He is now at No. 103 and just inside the top 50 worldwide.
