Wheaton native Streelman has rough day at Valspar Championship

PALM HARBOR, Florida — Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman won his first PGA Tour event on Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in 2013, so that seemed a good place for him to get a much needed career boost.

And it was — for a while.

Hampered by a back injury suffered while hitting a shot out of the rough in California’s Farmer’s Insurance Open in February, the 45-year old Streelman made only one cut — a tie for 32nd place in Puerto Rico — in his first six starts of 2024.

His luck changed when he got to Copperhead for the Valspar Championship, though. Streelman led solo after shooting a 64 in Thursday’s first round and was tied with four others for the 36-hole lead.

Paired with 50-year old Stewart Cink in the final group on Saturday, Streelman got off to a great start, two-putting for birdie on the par-5 first hole. After that, it wasn’t much of a day. His third-round 73 dropped him into a tie for 18th entering Sunday’s final round.

Streelman wasn’t much in the mood to talk about it afterward, but he didn’t rule himself out of contention, either.

“I’ve just got to attack,’’ he said. “I was only 2-over (on Saturday) and I’m 6-back. I’ve just got to focus on golf on the range and tighten things up.’’

With that he headed for the range in hopes of challenging for the lead on Sunday. Keith Mitchell owns it at 10-under-par 203. Mitchell owns a two-stroke lead on Seamus Power, Mackenzie Hughes and Peter Malnati.

Mitchell finished birdie-birdie-eagle to cap off a 7-under 64. He holed a 7-iron from 190 yards for his eagle.

“I looked up and something flew in my eye, so I looked away and never saw it come down and land,’’ Mitchell said of his last shot of the day. ”It’s an elevated green, so I wasn’t going to see it go in anyway, but I didn’t even see it come down next to the flag.’’

Defending champion Talor Moore is tied for 34th and Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim tied for 55th. Sam Burns, who won the tournament in 2021 and 2022, and reigning British Open champion Brian Harman missed the cut when the weather-delayed second round was completed early Saturday. Also missing were Chicago stars Nick Hardy and Luke Donald.

Sunday’s round marks the end of the four-tournament Florida Swing which dominated the PGA Tour’s schedule in March.