Patrick Cantlay was supposed to be the next Jordan Spieth, or Justin Thomas, the next rising star, a sure thing.
Then life happened.
He suffered a stress fracture in his L-5 vertebrae in 2013. Things got even worse in February of last year when he watched his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, killed in front of him by a hit-and-run driver in their hometown of Newport Beach.
Life had hit rock bottom for the kid who was the best amateur in the world a few years earlier.
Cantlay came to the Valspar this week with a sponsor’s exemption and had a major medical exemption from the PGA Tour.
He worked hard early, shooting 71-66-66 and by late Saturday, had put himself into the last pairing of the tournament with leader Adam Hadwin. Cantlay was a full four shots back but a good afternoon would assure him of his place on the PGA Tour for the rest of this season.
Somewhere over the span of those last 18 holes, Cantlay’s pedigree took over and after he holed a 12-footer for birdie at the 14th hole, he found himself just a shot back of Hadwin with four tough holes to play. Cantlay looked as though he’d made it impossible for himself when he hit a bunker shot at the par three 15th an exasperating 25 feet past the hole. Just like that he handed Hadwin a two-shot lead with three to play.
Then golf happened.
Hadwin hit his tee shot right at 16, so far right it found the water, making bogey improbable.
Cantlay played it smart, made his par and found himself tied with Hadwin after the Canadian walked off 16 with a double-bogey six.
Deadlocked at 14-under, both parred the 17th.
Cantlay made a huge mistake at 18 when he left his approach hanging short and right, into a greenside bunker. After the experience at 15, there had to be doubts. Doubt turned into reality when Cantlay left his bunker shot 16 feet short.
His finishing bogey handed the championship to Hadwin, who shot rounds of 68-64-67-71, 14-under par at the testy Copperhead.
Cantlay, despite locking up his playing privileges, was deeply disappointed by the finish. “It doesn’t fee like much consolation at the moment. I didn’t finish the deal.”
Dominic Bozelli’s 12-under total tied him for third with Jim Herman. It was Bozelli’s best career finish and it was Herman’s best finish since he won the Shell Houston Open last year.
Tony Finau came through with the day’s best round, a seven-under par 64 that earned him solo fifth at 11-under par.
