Unheralded Taylor Moore birdied two of the last four holes to win a back-nine shoot-out on Sunday and capture the Valspar Championship for his first PGA title.
The American, 29, fired a four-under 67 – the only round in the 60s among the final 11 pairs on the course – to finish on 10-under 274 at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida.
That was good enough to pip Adam Schenk by one stroke, with England’s Tommy Fleetwood and three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth sharing third on 276.
“It’s a pretty awesome feeling,” Moore said. “Super happy.”
In only his 46th PGA start, he sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-three 15th and made a 26-foot birdie putt at the par-four 16th.
He then closed with back-to-back pars while Spieth and Schenk stumbled down the stretch.
“The shot on 15 is really when I kind of locked in for the finish,” Moore said. “Hit a great nine-iron there.
“Then 16. I was trying to just hit the middle of the green there. It got a little closer than I thought it would and made that putt, and finished it off.”
The world No. 103’s previous best PGA finish was a share of fourth in 2022’s pairs event at New Orleans, but he made all 64 of his putts this time from inside seven feet.
“That was pretty awesome,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything close to that, so that was really cool. Just a testament to the work I’ve put in. Yeah, that was pretty slick to see.”
Spieth, Schenk and Moore shared the lead at 10 under entering the final holes, but Spieth was undone when his tee shot at the 16th found a watery grave and Schenk went left beyond a cart path and then over the green. (StraitsTimes)