By Joshua Lees
The world of golf has been dominated by the PGA Tour's bitter fallout with their LIV Golf rivals for almost two years now, but for a little over four hours on Sunday, Peter Malnati showed what really matters.
Malnati himself has been involved in the ongoing saga between the rival circuits, taking on a role as a PGA Tour Player Director on the policy board. Just last week, the 36-year-old found himself alongside some of the most influential names in the sportin the Bahamas, as the American-based circuit met with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) as they continue to negotiate a peace deal.
There is no doubt the off-course role is important Malnati, with the American keen to help forge a deal that will benefit the whole of the sport in reuniting the world's best players after months and months of fallout.
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Seven days later however, he had his hands on his first PGA Tour title in nine years, a £1.2 million winners' cheque and a first ever invite to the Masters which gets underway at Augusta National next month. Malnati prevailed in Sunday's Valspar Championship, overturning Keith Mitchell's overnight lead to win by two at Copperhead.
Much has been said about the true meaning of professional golf in recent years, amid the eye-watering payouts on offer on both sides of the sport's civil war. LIV have made their name by offering multi-million pound signing on fees to their stars before a ball has even been hit, not to mention the guarantee of a cool payout at each event, all whilst playing less golf.
When it comes to financially motivated moves the PGA Tour are not off the hook either, having similarly followed suit in a bid to fend of the LIV lure. The circuit's recently introduced Signature Events comprising of a limited field, no cuts and £16 million prize pots often only available to the Tour's elite thanks to the qualification requirements.
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Malnati's victory on Sunday however was a timely reminder of what professional golf is truly about. Away from the likes ofTiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, Malnati's humble - but still well respected - journey within the sport has shown playing at the top level is not all seven-figure payouts and major championship wins.
Starting on the Korn Ferry Tour - then the Web.com Tour - the American earned his way onto the PGA Tour in 2013, before losing his card a year later. It was back to the minor circuit for Malnati, but he dusted himself down to finish fourth in the 2015 season money list to regain his PGA Tour playing rights.
And just a few months later this was rewarded, as the 36-year-old won his first PGA Tour event at the Sandersons Farms Championship. A nine-year drought would then follow, but it was no doubt worth the wait after getting himself over the line in Florida on Sunday.
In the immediate aftermath, Malnati tugged on the heart strings of the world of golf, shedding a tear whilst letting out his emotions in his post-tournament interview. Puffy-eyed and with his son in his arms, the American said: "I told myself I was going to do my best on every shot and that is what I did and I was so nervous you could kind of see it," fighting back the tears, he went on: "I just can't describe it. It is just amazing.
"You wonder if you are ever going to [win] again because it is hard. In the nine years since my last win it has got a lot harder too. The level of talent out here, guys coming out when they are 20-years-old and they are ready to play on this stage and they are so good. You just wonder, so to have this moment it just feels so amazing... am just so thankful.
"Thankful to my wife, she makes this all possible. Life is hard. It is obviously glamorous at times like this and this is my dream job and it is absolutely amazing, but life is really hard too when you are trying to figure out how to live this lifestyle and have two kids and be everything you want to be, it is really hard."
The meaningful words were exactly what pro golf needed, with the efforts of those on the course often overshadowed by the politics off it in recent times. And as modest as ever, asked what Sunday evening's celebration entailed he simply replied a family car journey back to the airport with some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for good measure.
