Malnati Slogs His Way To Victory At Sanderson Farms Regatta

Peter Malnati had a miserable year on the PGA Tour back in 2014.

He knew he wasn’t ready and it showed. He lost his card, making only five cuts.

The former University of Missouri golfer buckled down and settled in nicely on the Web.com last year, finishing fourth on that money list and earned his way back to the big stage.

Malnati became the fifth winner in as many fall tour events on Monday with final rounds of 68-67 to win the Sanderson Farms Championship at the soggy Country Club of Jackson.

Malnati and the rest of the field spent most of the weekend in Mississippi watching the rain fall and the course conditions were more suited for a boating regatta. Most of the players went at least 30 holes for the Monday finish.

Roberto Castro was the 36-hole leader at 11-under but a third round 75 left him trying to make up ground on Malnati. Malnati finished a good 45 minutes ahead of the final groups and posted his winning 18-under par total.

Bill McGirt and veteran David Toms were a shot back at 17-under. Castro, Patton Kizzire, Aaron Baddeley, Bryce Molder and Jhonattan Vegas shared fourth position.

Malnati was all smiles when none of the final threesome holed their second shots at 18, assuring him of his first PGA Tour win. “This year I feel like I have a plan,” Malnati said as he looked back at his experience of 2014. “That year there was too much other stuff going on, it was like I was living my childhood dream. Now I have a plan, a practice schedule and that’s my key to success.”

The win earned Malnati a two-year exemption but it did not give him a Masters berth as this event was opposite a WGC tournament. It did get him in the Players Championship, the PGA and the other big invitationals on tour.

It was a great end to a long day, a long week as the players spent almost as much time watching it rain as they did playing golf.

Final Results: