2020 Bermuda Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Port Royal
Peter Malnati hopes a couple weeks away from competition don’t cool him down. He didn’t qualify for the CJ Cup or Zozo Championship, but comes to the Bermuda Championship ready to contend.
Malnati, a PGA Tour winner at the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship, had chances for another trophy again at the Sanderson (2nd) and a week later at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (T-5th).
An impressive Sunday 63 nearly ousted Sergio Garcia in Mississippi. He knows how to take it low with a Friday 62 in Las Vegas. That already makes two rounds that beat his low round of 2019-2020 (64).
“This is my dream job, and I get to do it every day, and it beats me up and it’s so hard, and the competition out here is so strong, and you fail so much,” Malnati was quoted by Golfweek after the Sanderson. “What I did out there today felt like, it just felt awesome.
“I feel like I won the tournament.”
He’s made three of four cuts on the young 2020-2021 season. It’s a better start after Malnati narrowly missed last season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs at 137th in the rankings. Top 125 qualified for The Northern Trust.
The 33-year-old University of Missouri product is one of golf’s more underrated putters. Malnati had his “worst” strokes gained putting season in 2019-2020 at 40th (.333). He was in the top 20 the previous two seasons, including a career best eighth (.619) in 2017-18.
His strong performances at the Sanderson came on bermudagrass, so I like that to continue this week.
Malnati’s had an above average short game throughout his half decade on Tour and will benefit from playing a shorter course like Port Royal.
He ranked 22nd in approaches from 125-150 yards (20’6”).
This is Malnati’s first Bermuda Championship start.