One thing worse than a bad form is a long-term bad form. Take Xander Schauffele‘s example. His best performance came at The Sentry after a jarring medical break. The weight of it sits heavy on the shoulder who says he is “pretty grossed out” by his current games. But, we are not here to talk about Schauffele. It’s Peter Malnati, the current World No. 65. So, what’s going on with him?

The 37-year-old golfer has been struggling with poor form for some time now. Take a look at his recent two seasons. Last year, the golfer missed sixteen cuts with only 2 top-10 finishes. His best came at the Valspar Championship where he registered a win. This year? The golfer appeared in 8 events and missed cuts 5 times. T49 at the WM Phoenix Open was his peak. Peter Malnati will be active on the Copperhead Course as the defending champion, but he doesn’t look very confident regarding his current situation.

Active during the Valspar Championship press conference, the golfer talked about his bad form and its consequences. Facing “cut anxiety,” how much does the golfer think his demeanor changes as he hangs around the cut line? The golfer was honest. He expressed, that although he hates to admit it, he believes that PGA Tour players are independent contractors. He explains-

“Like, PGA TOUR players pay our own travel, we do our own lodging, accommodations, pay our caddies, we do all that. And if you miss the cut at a TOUR event you get exactly zero dollars for compensation.” Malnati isn’t wrong. The Top 65 and ties in most regular PGA Tour events make it through the final two rounds and get paid. However, the rest don’t. Consequently, it adds a financial burden.

Malnati agrees that this was an initial problem, but now he’s lucky to say at least he isn’t facing that. His golf career (mostly from the Valspar Championship win) has bagged over $10 million. But there’s something else troubling him. It’s the feeling of failure. “There is this sense of pass/fail around the cut line, and it feels miserable to fail. It’s an awful feeling. Whether you need the money or not, whether you need the FedExCup points or not, whether you need the validation or not, it’s awful feeling to fail.”

Entry fees, travel, accommodation, caddie charges, equipment, coaching, and more expenses. Then, there are a million income instabilities, depending on your sponsors, the number of events played, and even gender. We all know the last one, sadly, goes for nearly every working sector. Malnati says it’s a feeling that both rookie golfers and star players like Schauffele deal with. Think of Schauffele’s statement defending his disappointment: “I almost missed the cut on what is a pretty easy course right now, so I don’t think so.” So, what else is keeping Peter Malnati busy?

What’s going on with Peter Malnati in the 2025 season?

Peter Malnati will be honored at Innisbrook Resort during a ceremony on Peter Malnati Appreciation Day. So, what does he feel about it? If there’s one word, the golfer is upbeat. “We’re all just a hot streak and a little bit of confidence away from crushing it. I have that feeling that the sky’s the limit. Obviously, it’s all happening below the surface right now, we haven’t seen anything come to fruition in this short three-week time yet, but under the circumstances, I feel really, really good.” Will that translate into his green performances? Yet to be seen, but it is likely the world will see a better him on Copperhead Course.

Besides, the golfer also made his opinion known on the LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger. The two formats are trying to re-unite the men’s professional golf. So, back in February, he sat down for a discussion with Sports Illustrated and said, “It’s been really interesting to me.” He adds that it’s been an eye-opening experience. “I will end my term on the board with a lot deeper understanding of the PGA Tour and the world of professional golf.” Consequently, he isn’t very sure about what’s happening at the Tour. Regardless of the merger update, we hope the best for the golfer for the rest of the season.