Peter Malnati breathed a sigh of relief after winning the Valspar Championship, ending an 8-year drought since his last career victory. In his interview, Malnati passionately spoke about his love for golf and the happiness he felt after such a win.
This moment could be crucial in his career, serving as a powerful motivation for him.
Rarely does an interview pass without mention of the chaotic situation in the golf world since the emergence of LIV Golf. Malnati is one of those clearly tired of constant chatter and rumors surrounding LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
Stories about money, contracts, and potential changes are not what Malnati enjoys hearing. He believes golf fans deserve to see what they most want to watch: high-quality golf and excellent individual performances. Division in the golf world is the last thing Malnati wanted to see. Known for his positivity and optimism, the 36-year-old golfer recalled famous moments in the world of sports, primarily in basketball and golf, when nobody knew how much athletes earned.
“I think people are just sick of the narrative in golf being about, you know, contracts on LIV, purses on the Tour, guaranteed comp on the PGA Tour,” Malnati said, as quoted by Golfmonthly!
“I think people are so sick of that. They want to see sport, they want to see people who are the best in the world at what they do do it at a high level and celebrate that, celebrate the athleticism, celebrate the achievement.
We can all probably remember when we were kids. I remember watching [Michael] Jordan and the ’97 [Chicago] Bulls, I remember watching Tiger in the 2000 Masters. I didn’t care one iota what Jordan’s contract was. I didn’t care one iota what the winner’s cheque at the US Open was. I think people are sick of that.”
Peter Malnati on golfers who make huge money
Malnati has nothing against top golfers who earn significantly more money than the lower-ranked ones. The American is aware that sports have become a business today, and that individuals at the top of the rankings attract more attention. He believes that it is necessary for such practice to continue and for such golfers to be compensated fairly. Malnati, on the other hand, is not happy that the emphasis is on money. He wants to see golf as a sport that brings excitement and interest to fans.
The American golfer recalled his childhood and the moments when he had the opportunity to watch Michael Jordan. He pointed out that in those moments, the last thing he was thinking about was how much Jordan was earning. Malnati believes that this was the case with other boys as well. They wanted to be in Jordan’s place, dreaming that one day they would be stars and people who would play sports on the big stage. Malnati has a feeling that golf fans still want to see that today.
Peter Malnati explains the tears in his eyes after his victory at the Valspar Championship
This 36-year-old golfer has once again reflected on his victory at the Valspar, which is difficult to describe how important it is to him. Malnati had tears in his eyes, happy about such an achievement. However, the American golfer emphasizes that his tears were not at all related to the money he will earn. His tears were the result of relief after many years of attempting to win the trophy. His tears were the result of tremendous effort and hard work that paid off.
“I hope those tears that I was crying on that 18th green had nothing to do with my share of that, what was it, an $8.4 million purse last week.
My tears had nothing to do with my share of that. I’m going to enjoy it and we’re going to use it to do a lot of good in this world, but it had nothing to do with that.”
He went on to express his opinion, believing that fans are motivated to watch golf because of money. They intend to watch exciting golf with many beautiful plays. His greatest desire is to see top golfers under ‘one roof’ where golf fans will have the opportunity to watch amazing skills.
Peter hopes that the future of golf can indeed be like that. At this point, it’s difficult to predict whether there are chances for such a thing, but a merger would certainly be the most important step toward it. Negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF are still ongoing, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan optimistic that an agreement will be reached soon.
