A week after suffering disappointment when a bogey on the 72nd hole saw him lose The Players Championship to Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick bounced back in style to beat David Lipsky by one at the Valspar Championship.
The Englishman was remarkably consistent throughout his final round, and that helped him force his way into a five-way share of the lead at one point, with Lipsky, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Smith and Marco Penge all firmly in the hunt too.
Overnight, it was Sungjae Im who had a two-shot advantage at the Copperhead Course, but a poor front nine saw him drift out of contention before rallying to finish T4.
As for Fitzpatrick, who began the day three behind Im, there were no such issues, with a couple of pars to begin proceedings, followed by his first birdie of the day at the third.
While Fitzpatrick remained steady, with further pars to complete the front nine, others made bigger moves, including Smith, with five birdies and two bogeys before the turn to give him a chance of his maiden PGA Tour win.
Another DP World Tour graduate, Penge, also remained in contention with three birdies and three bogeys over the front nine, while both Lipsky and Snedeker were also even par for the day at the turn.
With five players soon tied for the lead, something had to give, and Penge was the first to blink with a bogey at the 12th to slip back to eight under.
Not long after, Snedeker, who had been looking for his first PGA Tour win since 2018, fared even worse at the same hole with a double bogey, and he followed that up with a bogey at the 13th as his challenge began to fade.
Further on, Smith kept plugging away, eventually holding the clubhouse lead following a five-under 66, with Lipsky and Fitzpatrick increasingly the players to watch still out on the course.
Fitzpatrick briefly held the solo lead over Lipsky with a beautiful birdie putt from 30 feet at the 15th, but his opponent hit back with his own birdie at the 14th to join him at 10 under.
Unfortunately for Lipsky, that was to be as good as it got, while Fitzpatrick still had one birdie in him, which he saved for the 72nd hole.
After finding the green with his approach, Fitzpatrick made no mistake with his putt to give him breathing space at 11 under, and that piled the pressure on Lipsky, who needed to make a birdie but had strayed into the rough with his tee shot at the same hole.
When he needed it most!Matt Fitzpatrick birdies the last to take a one-stroke lead into the clubhouse @ValsparChamp. pic.twitter.com/BsIBVVmLWwMarch 22, 2026
In the end, he also had a birdie putt, albeit from off the green, but he failed to convert it, and Fitzpatrick had his first PGA Tour win since the 2023 RBC Heritage.
Following the victory, Fitzpatrick described the feeling of holing the putt that gave him the decisive edge.
He said: "Amazing. Amazing. Particularly, I felt frustrated all day that I had not made anything. Obviously to make something there on 15, and hole the long one there on 18 to in the end to secure the win was an amazing feeling."
He added: "To obviously come away with a win this week is really special, considering last week's performance as well. So just feel really good about my game coming into the week and to continue that this week was really a great feeling."
VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
- 1st -11 Matt Fitzpatrick (68)
- 2nd -10 David Lipsky (70)
- 3rd -9 Jordan Smith (66)
- T4 -8 Xander Schauffele (65)
- T4 -8 Marco Penge (71)
- T4 -8 Sungjae Im (74)
- T7 -7 Emiliano Grillo (65)
- T7 -7 Stephan Jaeger (66)
- T7 -7 Patrick Cantlay (67)
- T7 -7 SH Kim (70)
LIVE UPDATES FROM...
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to what is sure to be a fascinating closing stretch at the 2026 Valspar Championship. We currently have a five-way tie at the top with seven or eight holes to go for the leaders and so many storylines are capable of unfolding over the next few hours.
Currently, Brandt Snedeker, Marco Penge, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Smith and David Lipsky are in a share of the lead, so it really is anyone's game at this stage.
Stick with us and we'll bring you all of the key moments as they happen!
AS IT STANDS
Welcome to our coverage of the closing holes of the Valspar Championship, where a host of players remain in contention.
Five players are currently at nine-under in a share of the lead - Matt Fitzpatrick, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Smith, David Lipsky and Marco Penge.
A BIT ABOUT THE LEADERS
Assuming one of those five goes on to win the title, each would have an extraordinary story to tell. A win for Fitzpatrick would represent a superb bounce back from narrowly missing out to Cameron Young a week ago at The Players Championship.
For Snedeker, it would be his first win since 2018. Smith and Penge, meanwhile, are two of the 10 players who graduated to the PGA Tour from the DP World Tour at the end of 2025, while Lipsky is without PGA Tour victory in his career so far.
SUNGJAE STILL IN IT
Sungjae Im was the overnight leader, but it's not gone quite according to plan for him so far today. However, he makes a beautifully judged birdie putt - his first of the day - at the 11th, to move to seven under and just two back of the leaders.
SETBACK FOR PENGE
A setback for Penge at the 12th, where a putt from the fringe of the green needs to drop to save par... but it stays right and he'll move back to eight under.
CLOSE FOR SMITH
Unlike others in the leading group, Jordan Smith doesn't have the advantage of several holes to improve his score. At the 17th there's a birdie chance, though, but it misses by a whisker, and he'll feel he needs to push for a birdie at the 18th to give himself a realistic chance before the others come in.
UNCONVENTIONAL FROM BRANDT
Seeking his first win in over seven years, Snedeker employed an... interesting tactic earlier on - hitting driver off the deck off the tee! Will it pay off? We'll find out in the next couple of hours or so.
45-year-old Brandt Snedeker is ...• Co-leading• Seeking his 10th win• Seeking his first win in 7.5 years• Hitting driver off the deck off the tee(!)📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/FffoYslm1KMarch 22, 2026
THEN THERE WERE THREE...
Only a matter of minutes ago, five co-led, but after a bogey from Marco Penge, Brandt Snekedker is the latest to slip up, at the 12th, and it's a double to move to seven over.
SMITH THE NEW CLUBHOUSE LEADER
Smith finishes with a par to head back to the clubhouse at nine under - the same score as Matt Fitzpatrick and David Lipsky, who are on the 14th. We now know that for the second week in a row, Xander Schauffele's chances of a win have evaporated while an interested observer. He could only manage eight under.
BRANDT RUNNING OUT OF STEAM
Brandt Snedeker has rolled back the years for much of this week, and until two holes ago, co-led the Valspar Championship. However, he follows up a double bogey at the 12th with a missed par putt at the 13th to slip to six under and three off the leaders.
BREAKTHROUGH FOR MATT
At the 15th, Matt Fitzpatrick drains a 30-footer for birdie move to 10 under. A week ago he was subjected to some boos in his tussle with Cameron Smith, but hearty cheers greet the moment he moves clear.
Birdie from deep 💪@MattFitz94 is tied at the top @ValsparChamp.📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/2ohxJjNOTaMarch 22, 2026
LIPSKY LEVEL AT TOP
David Lipsky hadn't made a birdie since the first, but what a time to get his second of the day, at the 14th, and he shares the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick.
CO-LEADERS KEEP UP PRESSURE
Matt Fitzpatrick is at the par-3 17th, and sends his tee shot into the center of the green. That'll leave a nice birdie chance.
Further back, on the 16th fairway, Lipsky has 184 yards to the pin with his second shot. It beats the rough and hops onto the green, and that will leave a long birdie putt.
NOT QUITE FOR LIPSKY AND FITZPATRICK
Matt Fitzpatrick, of course, has big wins to his name, not least a Major with the 2022 US Open.
For that reason, you'd probably make him favorite. But can David Lipsky hole a long birdie putt at the 16th for the solo lead? It's a good-looking putt but stops a foot or so short.
Next up, at the 17th, Fitzpatrick has a 13-foot putt for the solo lead. It looks good too, but just heads right at the last second. Both players will remain at 10 under.
PENGE SLIPS UP
It increasingly looks like a straight battle between Lipsky and Fitzpatrick, particularly as Marco Penge, who had been two behind as he headed to the 16th, is now three back of the co-leaders after a bogey.
Penge knows how to win, having done it three times on the DP World Tour last year, but it looks like he'll have to wait for his first on the PGA Tour.
ON THEY GO...
Lipsky gives himself a birdie chance with a great iron shot at the par-3 17th to find the center of the green. At the 18th, Fitzpatrick finds the fairway iwth his tee shot.
CLOSE FOR LIPSKY
Lipsky has 15 feet for birdie at the 17th. This for the solo lead.
It's a touch short and another chance gets away from him.
Moments later, Matt Fitzpatrick's approach onto the 18th green leaves him with a similar distane for birdie to get to 11 under...
WOBBLE FROM LIPSKY
Off the 18th tee, David Lipsky finds the rough to the right of the fairway. It's only a foot or so into it, but the look on his face tells you he knows it won't be easy.
ADVANTAGE FITZPATRICK!
Matt Fitzpatrick lines up his birdie putt at the 18th for the chance to move to 11 under, one up on David Lipsky.
It's a beauty! Now the pressure's on Lipsky to match him.
FITZPATRICK ON THE CUSP OF VICTORY
David Lipsky needs a birdie to force a playoff with Matt Fitzpatrick.
He's in the rough to the right of the 18th. This is pivotal.
It's on the green, then off into the collection area, and that will leave a tricky birdie chance to stop Fitzpatrick from winning.
MATT FITZPATRICK WINS VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP!
It's now or never for Lipsky. He has his putter out with a birdie chance from the collection area of the 18th green. Not quite! It drifts left and Matt Fitzpatrick wins the Valspar Championship!
