Two of the top 5 Players finishers withdraw from Valspar Championship

The Valspar Championship had some field changes Sunday night and Monday morning, with two of the big money winners from the 2026 Players Championship now deciding to sit this week out.

Defending champion Viktor Hovland, who finished T-13 at TPC Sawgrass, will be back for another run at the Valspar title at Innisbrook Resort.

But on Sunday evening, Keith Mitchell (T-46 at the Players) and Robert MacIntyre (solo fourth at the Players) made it known they were withdrawing from the Valspar. Monday morning saw Sudarshan Yellamaraju WD as well. Yellamaraju tied for fifth, probably the most surprising finish of the week.

MacIntyre’s finish at the Players was good for $1,225,000, one of four to clear seven figures at TPC Sawgrass. Yellamaraju was in a three-way tie for fifth, which earned him $925,000. That dollar figure represents 72 percent of his PGA Tour career earnings, which now stand at $1,283,940.

The sponsor exemptions this week are Adam Hadwin, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.

The copperhead snake statue near the 15th tee at Innisbrook Resort for the Valspar Championship.

The Florida Swing concludes with the Valspar, the 11th stop on the PGA Tour’s 2026 schedule and it’s the third-to-last before the Masters.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort will host once again. It ranks ninth on the Golfweek’s Best 2025: Top public-access golf courses in Florida list.

After the Valspar, the PGA Tour takes a Texas two-step to the Texas Children’s Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open before heading to Augusta National Golf Club for the first major of the season. There are now just three more chances for those not already invited to earn a tee time in the Masters by virtue of winning a PGA Tour event.