Peter Malnati won the Valspar Championship 2024 on Sunday at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor.
The 36-year-old golfer carded a four-under 67 to finish 12 under par and beat runner-up Cameron Young to the trophy. Malnati bagged the winner’s prize of $1,512,000 along with other perks, including a trip to the Augusta Masters.
Malnati is excited about the Masters call. The two-time PGA Tour winner said that he had multiple offers to go the Masters as a spectator in the past, but he never went. The golfer revealed that he always wanted to go as a player, and he’s finally going to fulfil his longtime dream.
The Indiana native addressed the fact that Masters is still an invitational event, and there’s a chance that he would not be called. Peter Malnati jokingly said that he will “probably get an invitation” and he will “probably accept” it.
Sharing his feelings on going to the Masters, Peter Malnati said in his post-event press conference (at 17:38):
“I got to asked a lot when I was a kid, ‘my uncle has tickets to Masters you want to come? My friend has tickets to the Masters, you want to come?’
“And I always said no. I don’t want to go watch people play golf, that doesn’t sound fun… And then as I became a PGA Tour member and played on the Tour, I would occasionally meet the right person who say ‘do you want to come play Augusta?’ I was like I want to go play Augusta when I’m in the Masters.”
He concluded:
The fact that, it’s still an Invitational, they can choose not to invite me I suppose but I think historically they’re pretty consistent.
“And I think I’ll get an invitation I’ll probably accept that invitation and go play the Masters, which will be the realization of another childhood dream. I think it hasn’t sunk in yet at all because I’m going to be there.”
Peter Malnati celebrates the Valspar Championship win with family
Peter Malnati won his second PGA Tour event at the 2024 Valspar Championship and had his family there to back him.
The win saw, Malnati’s wife Alicia and his two sons, Hatcher and Dash, join him on the greens. The golfer celebrated his victory with his family, sharing hugs and kisses. The golfer later dubbed it a ‘dream come true’ to have his family on the field.
In his post-tournament press conference, Malnati said that he always imagined celebrating a win with his family.
The golfer said that he’d often watch other players doing the same and wished for it. He finally realized a dream. The 36-year-old thanked his wife in his post-round interview while carrying his younger son in his arms.
