A Lefty Letdown

After an uneventful Players Championship where Scottie Scheffler took a 2 stroke lead on Saturday and never looked back, the Valspar Championship provided some entertaining moments despite its less than elevated prize pool. The field contained a hodge-podge of rising PGA Tour stars like Sam Burns, as well as a few familiar favorites in guys like Jordan Speith, Justin Thomas, and Tommy Fleetwood. I myself had a vested interest in Tommy this week, and while he may not have taken home the trophy, he made a valiant effort on Sunday and snagged me quite a few points in my on-and-done. In the end, the man lifting the trophy and collecting the big check was Taylor Moore, a University of Arkansas alumni who I am sure was ecstatic to snag his first PGA Tour win since turning pro in 2016.

Even with the win, Taylor was not the name creeping across the golf course on Sunday afternoon. No, instead, the name in question was Adam Schenk, the leader after rounds 2 and 3, who was looking to bring things home for the first time on the PGA Tour himself. Now, Adam has won a couple of tournaments on the Web.com, so most would think he was poised to bring home his first PGA win after solid rounds leading up to a championship Sunday, but you never know what can happen...Stepping up to the tee on 18 Schenk was tied for the lead with control of his destiny in his own hands. With a birdie in round 1, a bogey in round 2, and another birdie in round 3, I imagine his head was spinning as he gazed out across the 18th fairway. And after a swing that only a mother could love, Schenk found himself nestled up near a tree that had him wishing he was a little more like Phil Mickelson, well his swing anyway...

Despite an impressive Phil-like swing with an upside down iron, Adam was unable to do better than bogey on his final hole and ended up in solo 2nd, just one stroke behind Moore.

And while this finish could end up as a highlight for Adam this year, the thoughts of what "could have been" will certainly haunt him for some time. Especially considering that winning this event would have secured him an invite to this year's Masters and sent him shooting up the FedEx Cup rankings as it did for Moore. No doubt Adam played great, but as he experienced, it only takes one or two shots to really ruin your chances at winning a golf tournament. And while I can say with confidence that I will not be competing for a PGA Tour title in my lifetime, I may give the lefty swing a couple of tries the next time I am at the driving range. After all, you never know what will happen on the golf course, and a little bit of lefty magic may be just what you need to bring home a couple of skins from your buddies.