Taylor Moore claims first PGA Tour title with victory at Valspar Championship | Golf News

Taylor Moore carded a four-under 67 on the final day of the Valspar Championship to win his first PGA Tour title; The American beat an impressive field that included England’s Tommy Fleetwood, three-time major champion Jordan Spieth and overnight leader Adam Schenk

American Taylor Moore claimed his first PGA Tour title in the 46th start after a dramatic finish to the Valspar Championship.

Moore closed with a 67 at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course to post the clubhouse target of 10 under par before then waited to see if any rivals could match it.

Overnight leader Adam Schenk needed to par 18 to force a play-off but pulled a drive left of the fairway and saw the ball come to rest just inches from the base of the tree.

From there he made good contact on a left-handed shot that went wide of the fairway but, after approaching 41 feet, his long par attempt went too fast and flew past five feet.

Taylor Moore claimed his first PGA Tour title in the 46th event at the Valspar Championship

Schenk’s teammate Jordan Spieth needed a late birdie to catch Moore, but three-putted from long distance to move back into a tie for third on eight under with England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Spieth had been tied for the lead, but then hit the water on the 16th, although he still managed to save an incredible bogey. He then hit his best tee shot of the day on the par-three 17th, just missing from six feet for birdie.

Moore said NBC: “It hasn’t really hit me yet. I’m just in competitive mode and watching guys finish – maybe in the play-offs, maybe not, and that’s cool.

“It’s amazing, it’s what I wanted and I’m so happy not only for me but for everyone around me. It’s a happy moment.”

England’s Tommy Fleetwood, one shot off the overnight lead, could not maintain his challenge for his first PGA Tour title

Fleetwood was also tied for the lead after his third birdie of the day on the par-five 11th, but he needed two attempts to escape an awkward lie in the greenside bunker on the 14th and a resulting bogey effectively ended his first opportunity. PGA Tour title.

Two-time defending champion Sam Burns, looking to become the first player in more than a decade to win the same PGA Tour event three years in a row, finished sixth after closing with a 67.

Former Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker is the last player to achieve the feat, doing so at the John Deere Classic from 2009-11.

There have been 13 players who have had a chance to challenge Striker since then, none of whom have succeeded. Brooks Koepka came closest when he finished runner-up at Pebble Beach in 2019 to his third US Open title.

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