Fitzpatrick’s Valspar Redemption - March 23rd, 2026

On March 23rd, 2026, we recap a dramatic Sunday at the Valspar Championship where Matt Fitzpatrick’s bogey-free weekend earned him a one-stroke victory over a surging David Lipsky.FITZPATRICK'S REDEMPTIONErasing the sting of last week's Players Championship runner-up finish, Matt Fitzpatrick fired a final-round 68 to win by one stroke at 11-under. A clutch 13-foot birdie on the 18th capped off an incredible bogey-free weekend."The big thing was I felt I was playing well... To do that for four rounds was special," Fitzpatrick said, noting he used a specific coaching technique to reduce putting stroke acceleration on the 18th hole.Fitz is now taking two well-deserved weeks off to reunite with his wife Katherine and prepare for the Masters.LIPSKY’S LIFE-CHANGING SUNDAYThirty-seven-year-old journeyman David Lipsky vaulted up the leaderboard to secure a solo second-place finish at 10-under. His aggressive club selection on 18 and dialed-in flighted irons—thanks to coach Dana Dahlquist—earned him Signature Event status.Lipsky walked away with a massive $991,000 payday, admitting, "the short game and the putter really saved me."The massive FedEx Cup vault completely alters the trajectory of the veteran's 2026 season.SUNDAY HEARTBREAKSThe Snake Pit bit back on Sunday. Fifty-four-hole leader Sungjae Im stumbled with a front-nine 40, while 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker suffered a brutal back-nine 40, derailed by an unforced error on the 12th hole.A devastated Snedeker finished T18 and lamented, "My swing left me on the back nine... all the good stuff this week kind of feels like I threw it away today."Despite the collapse, Im showed incredible fight with a valiant chip-in on 16 to salvage a T4 finish.LEADERBOARD MOVERS & MAJOR PREPFiring four opening birdies, Xander Schauffele carded the round of the day with a 65. Meanwhile, DP World Tour veteran Jordan Smith shot 66, aggressively leaderboard watching to secure third place—his best PGA Tour finish.Schauffele sank a wild 17-percent probability putt and noted he's using "mental imagination" on flat Florida courses to prepare for Augusta's slopes.Brooks Koepka spent the day tinkering with ball position and alignment, struggling mightily off the tee: "I drove it terrible all day... Just put it in the worst places possible."Quick HitsJustin Thomas salvaged a T64 finish with a flawless, highlight-reel chip-in from thick rough • Seamus Power made a desperate T17 push to escape his schedule struggles as an alternate and secure a Houston Open exemption • Canadian rookie A.J. Ewart fired a 67 to earn a crucial rookie bump, jumping to 65th in the FedEx Cup standings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.