2026 Valspar Championship Recap: Redemption in the Snake Pit
A week after the PGA Tour’s best teed it up at The Players Championship, the tour made its way to the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort—a track known for rattling even the steadiest players. Even with a less-than-stellar field thanks to last-minute dropouts of many of the tourney’s most popular players, the 2026 Valspar Championship delivered exactly what the sponsors and TV execs wanted: late-round drama, a few untimely collapses, and a winner looking for redemption. With the infamous Snake Pit looming, Sunday turned into a test of nerve, precision, and patience—and one player rose above it all when it mattered most.
Fitzpatrick Finishes the Job
Matt Fitzpatrick arrived at Copperhead with something to prove—and left $1,638,000 richer.
Still shaking off a tough finish the week prior (2nd place at The Players), Fitzpatrick played the kind of composed, methodical golf that has become his calling card. While others faltered on Sunday, he stayed steady, carding a bogey-free, final-round 68 and navigating the closing stretch with confidence. Standing on the 72nd hole, he delivered the defining moment of the tournament: a clutch birdie that sealed a one-shot victory at 11-under.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t chaotic. It was simply clinical—and very profitable.
So Close for Lipsky
For David Lipsky, the story was one of inches—and $991,900.
Lipsky surged into contention and gave himself a real chance to force a playoff, but his final birdie attempt slid just past the edge. A runner-up finish and a career-best payday will certainly ease the pain, but this one will linger. Opportunities to win on Tour are rare, and he was right there.
Sunday Slips: Im Can’t Hold On
Sungjae Im entered Sunday with the lead, but the Copperhead Course had other plans—along with a $382,958 consolation prize.
A disastrous start quickly derailed his momentum, and a final-round 74 dropped him into a tie for fourth. His pedestrian front nine did him in, but he never quit. What looked like a potential win turned into a tough Sunday and a missed opportunity. But we’re still a big fan of Im.
Quietly Strong Performances
Not everyone in contention made noise—but several players still cashed in.
Jordan Smith fired a Sunday 66 to secure solo third and a $627,900 payday, one of the most impressive finishes of the week.
Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele hovered near the top of the leaderboard all tournament, ultimately earning $382,958 for his T-4 finish. He’s now stringing together some nice tourney finishes and is on the verge of breaking through.
Brawny Brooks Koepka, who quietly posted a T18 and took home approximately $151,970—hardly headline-grabbing, but a solid week’s work as he builds toward bigger stages.
Fan favorite Jordan Spieth didn’t seriously contend on Sunday, but continued to show encouraging signs in 2026. After an inconsistent stretch over the past couple of seasons, Spieth’s improved ball-striking and renewed confidence on the greens have translated into more consistent finishes—something fans (and President Cup captains) are certainly keeping an eye on.
The Valspar Championship doesn’t always carry the biggest purse or deepest field, but it consistently delivers compelling golf—and this year was no exception.
For Fitzpatrick, it was a story of resilience—and a seven-figure reward. One week removed from disappointment, he found himself in the same pressure-packed position—and this time, he didn’t blink.
That’s the beauty of golf. One week, it breaks your heart. The next, it pays you.
Winners & Losers from Sunday at the Snake Pit:
Losers: Sungjae Im and Brandt Snedeker. If you took Im’s front nine (40) and Snedeker’s back nine (40), combined, that score wouldn’t qualify for the FL High School Championships. The pressure on Sunday proved to be too much for these guys to fight through.
Winner: Xander. The diminutive San Diego St. star has quietly posted three top 10s in his last four tourneys. His 6-under final round tied for the lowest in the field. Is it safe to say that Xander is back?
Loser: Brooks Koepka. At one point on Sunday, Koepka was three back of the lead and in a position to make a run for the tourney, but he didn’t. His back nine two-over par 37, which included an untimely double on 16, proved he still has a ways to go before he’ll be ready to contend every week now that he’s back on the PGA TOUR.
Winner: Emiliano Grillo. Sunday’s biggest leaderboard leaper (31 spots) turned out to be Emiliano Grillo, who fired a final round 65, tying Xander for the best round of the day. Golf addict factoid: Grillo and Xander sometimes tee it up together at The Farms in San Diego. Who has the edge during those off-season matches?
Prize Money Payouts From the 2026 PValspar Championship:
| POSITION | GOLFER | SCORE | FEDEXCUP POINTS | EARNINGS |
| 1 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 273 / -11 | 500.000 | $1,638,000.00 |
| 2 | David Lipsky | 274 / -10 | 300.000 | $991,900.00 |
| 3 | Jordan Smith | 275 / -9 | 190.000 | $627,900.00 |
| T4 | Xander Schauffele | 276 / -8 | 115.000 | $382,958.33 |
| T4 | Marco Penge | 276 / -8 | 115.000 | $382,958.33 |
| T4 | Sungjae Im | 276 / -8 | 115.000 | $382,958.33 |
| T7 | Emiliano Grillo | 277 / -7 | 82.500 | $276,412.50 |
| T7 | Stephan Jaeger | 277 / -7 | 82.500 | $276,412.50 |
| T7 | Patrick Cantlay | 277 / -7 | 82.500 | $276,412.50 |
| T7 | S.H. Kim | 277 / -7 | 82.500 | $276,412.50 |
| T11 | A.J. Ewart | 278 / -6 | 65.000 | $211,575.00 |
| T11 | Jordan Spieth | 278 / -6 | 65.000 | $211,575.00 |
| T11 | Matthieu Pavon | 278 / -6 | 65.000 | $211,575.00 |
| T14 | Hank Lebioda | 279 / -5 | 54.000 | $161,525.00 |
| T14 | Jacob Bridgeman | 279 / -5 | 54.000 | $161,525.00 |
| T14 | Gary Woodland | 279 / -5 | 54.000 | $161,525.00 |
| T14 | Corey Conners | 279 / -5 | 54.000 | $161,525.00 |
| T18 | Webb Simpson | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Lee Hodges | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Danny Walker | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Brooks Koepka | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Tony Finau | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Chandler Blanchet | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Tom Kim | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T18 | Brandt Snedeker | 280 / -4 | 42.063 | $108,290.00 |
| T26 | Denny McCarthy | 281 / -3 | 31.750 | $69,160.00 |
| T26 | Dylan Wu | 281 / -3 | 31.750 | $69,160.00 |
| T26 | Rico Hoey | 281 / -3 | 31.750 | $69,160.00 |
| T26 | Adrien Dumont de Chassart | 281 / -3 | 31.750 | $69,160.00 |
| T30 | Justin Thomas | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Alejandro Tosti | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Michael Kim | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Andrew Putnam | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Jimmy Stanger | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Ryo Hisatsune | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | David Skinns | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Seamus Power | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T30 | Kevin Yu | 282 / -2 | 22.000 | $51,142.00 |
| T40 | Matti Schmid | 283 / -1 | 13.500 | $35,035.00 |
| T40 | Blades Brown | 283 / -1 | n/a (non-member) | $35,035.00 |
| T40 | Matt Wallace | 283 / -1 | 13.500 | $35,035.00 |
| T40 | Davis Chatfield | 283 / -1 | 13.500 | $35,035.00 |
| T40 | Patrick Rodgers | 283 / -1 | 13.500 | $35,035.00 |
| T40 | Doug Ghim | 283 / -1 | 13.500 | $35,035.00 |
| T46 | David Ford | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Davis Thompson | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Kensei Hirata | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Ricky Castillo | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | John VanDerLaan | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Takumi Kanaya | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Alex Smalley | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Patrick Fishburn | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T46 | Isaiah Salinda | 284 / E | 8.500 | $24,115.00 |
| T55 | Pierceson Coody | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Keegan Bradley | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Nicolai Højgaard | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Andrew Novak | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Mackenzie Hughes | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Chandler Phillips | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Justin Lower | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | John Parry | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T55 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | 285 / 1 | 5.200 | $20,657.00 |
| T64 | Sam Ryder | 286 / 2 | 3.900 | $19,474.00 |
| T64 | Chad Ramey | 286 / 2 | 3.900 | $19,474.00 |
| T64 | Karl Vilips | 286 / 2 | 3.900 | $19,474.00 |
| T64 | Joel Dahmen | 286 / 2 | 3.900 | $19,474.00 |
| T68 | Vince Whaley | 287 / 3 | 3.060 | $18,655.00 |
| T68 | Rasmus Højgaard | 287 / 3 | 3.060 | $18,655.00 |
| T68 | Kevin Streelman | 287 / 3 | 3.060 | $18,655.00 |
| T68 | Billy Horschel | 287 / 3 | 3.060 | $18,655.00 |
| T68 | Henrik Norlander | 287 / 3 | 3.060 | $18,655.00 |
| 73 | Kevin Roy | 288 / 4 | 2.700 | $18,109.00 |
| 74 | Bud Cauley | 291 / 7 | 2.600 | $17,927.00 |