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Mar 20th, 2023
Taylor Moore wins the Valspar Championship
American claims his maiden PGA Tour title at Innisbrook Resort
Words: GolfPunk Photography: Getty Images
Taylor Moore claimed his first PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship after a final-round four-under-par 67 saw him home by a single shot. Overnight leader Adam Schenk almost forced a playoff, but his long-range putt at the last agonisingly bounced off the pin, leaving him to rue what might have been.
The 29-year-old Moore recovered after a poor tee shot at the par-4 18th at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course, making a six-foot putt to save par. Then, as the leader in the clubhouse, Moore watched as Schenk and Jordan Spieth came up the last behind him.
Schenk was tied with Moore at ten-under but also found trouble off the tee at the 18th. Spieth was a further shot back on nine-under and needed a birdie to get into a playoff. However, after Schenk had to lay up, both he and Speith left their approaches on the wrong side of the green.
Spieth failed with his fifty-foot birdie effort to tie Moore and missed the 4-foot par putt back. Schenk made a great putt from just a little closer than Spieth but it was too pacy, and it glanced off the cup and the pin to leave Moore the champion.
"It hasn't really hit me yet," Moore, 29, told NBC. "I was just in compete mode and just watching the guys finish, maybe in a playoff, maybe not, and it's so cool.
"It's so awesome, it's what I work for and I'm really excited not just for me but for everyone around me. It's a cool moment."
Moore's previous best finish in a non-team event on tour was tied for fifth at last August's Wyndham Championship.
"I really wasn't worried about everybody else with how tricky this place is. I was just really trying to focus on me and my conversations with my caddie and what I was doing. I might have been under the radar to some people watching, but I felt like I was in the golf tournament from the time I teed off today and was just excited to control what I could control and get it done."
Tommy Fleetwood fell short of a maiden PGA Tour title once again. His final round one-under 70 was only good enough for a share of third alongside Speith. The Englishman moved into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-five 11th but a bogey on the 14th, after he took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker, effectively ended his chances of victory.
Wyndham Clark closed with a 70 to claim fifth at six-under and two-time defending champion Sam Burns posted a 67, his best round of the week, to take sixth place at five-under.
Schenk was tied with Moore at ten-under but also found trouble off the tee at the 18th. Spieth was a further shot back on nine-under and needed a birdie to get into a playoff. However, after Schenk had to lay up, both he and Speith left their approaches on the wrong side of the green.
"It hasn't really hit me yet," Moore, 29, told NBC. "I was just in compete mode and just watching the guys finish, maybe in a playoff, maybe not, and it's so cool.
"It's so awesome, it's what I work for and I'm really excited not just for me but for everyone around me. It's a cool moment."
Moore's previous best finish in a non-team event on tour was tied for fifth at last August's Wyndham Championship.
"I really wasn't worried about everybody else with how tricky this place is. I was just really trying to focus on me and my conversations with my caddie and what I was doing. I might have been under the radar to some people watching, but I felt like I was in the golf tournament from the time I teed off today and was just excited to control what I could control and get it done."
Wyndham Clark closed with a 70 to claim fifth at six-under and two-time defending champion Sam Burns posted a 67, his best round of the week, to take sixth place at five-under.