Patrick Cantlay winning the Valspar would be the golf story of the year

After a long few years, it looks like Patrick Cantlay is ready to win again

I remember watching Patrick Cantlay hole out on the tough par-4 7th hole at the 2012 Masters. His eagle propelled him to a front-nine score of 34. He finished T47 that year. I was a fan then, before I started writing. He was low amateur at the Masters that year.

Cantlay has played just 22 PGA Tour events since that Masters. This week’s Valspar Championship is No. 23. He is in second place at 10 under, four strokes back of leader Adam Hadwin. 

Cantlay is a former UCLA star who has bounced around with injuries since that Masters, and, as we recently learned, has been hampered by the fact that he watched his caddie get hit by a car a year ago and died.

(Chris) Roth was walking about 10 feet ahead of Cantlay as they got to the intersection of Newport Boulevard and 30th Street. As Roth started across the street, a hit-and-run driver smashed into him, sending him flying through the air to the other side of the intersection.

Cantlay rushed to his friend, dialing 911 on the way.

When he got to his caddie, blood was everywhere.

Roth’s heart was still beating, but Cantlay said he knew his friend “wasn’t there anymore.” Later that night, Roth was pronounced dead at Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana.

The Valspar Championship is just Cantlay’s second tournament this season. You can see why everyone is rooting for him. Cantlay said he wants to win but doesn’t expect much with a four-stroke deficit.

“Try not to have much expectation,” Cantlay said. “Just trying to stick to my game plan. I know my game is good, and I’ve been able to prep how I want for the tournament. Just trying to do my own deal and see where it ends up.”

Where it ends up if he wins is at the Masters, where I first saw him. That trip back to Augusta has felt so far away for the past few years as Cantlay nursed injuries and saw a great pal pass away in a freak accident. Now, it’s just 18 holes away.

“It was a concern for sure,” Cantlay said on Saturday of ever getting back out on the PGA Tour. “You know, being out for so long and not feeling the best for a long time. But I knew I was always going to be able to, I’m very fortunate and very happy. I put in a lot of hard work to feeling good and I’m happy to be back playing.”