England’s Matt Fitzpatrick got the job done a week after coming up just short.
Fitzpatrick made a 14-foot putt for birdie on the final hole and waited for two groups behind him to finish, winning the Valspar Championship by shooting 3-under-par 68 on Sunday at Palm Harbor, Fla.
“I was playing well going into this week, obviously wanted to continue that and I felt like I had confidence in myself to do so,” Fitzpatrick said. “Then obviously to sort of do that over four rounds was special this week.”
It was a form of redemption for Fitzpatrick, who a week earlier was the runner-up in The Players Championship.
Fitzpatrick finished at 11-under 273 on Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club’s Copperhead Course, one stroke better than David Lipsky to secure his third victory on the PGA Tour.
To drain a pressure putt added to the pleasure.
“To get it done like that was special,” Fitzpatrick said.
Lipsky, who posted 70, almost rolled in a 33-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force a playoff, but needed a tap-in to finish his round. It was nearly an incredible recovery after his tee shot was in the fairway rough on that hole.
Yet the week’s work marked a significant step for Lipsky.
“This week was an awesome week and I’m really looking forward to seeing what events I get into the rest of the year and trying to play my way into those playoffs,” Lipsky said.
Fitzpatrick had a consistent tournament, turning in 68s for the first, third and fourth rounds. He last won on the tour at the 2023 RBC Heritage.
“To obviously come away with a win this week is really special, considering last week’s performance as well,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the lone Englishman with some excitement. Jordan Smith shot 66, putting him in third place for his best finish on the PGA Tour. Smith played the final 14 holes in 5 under after starting with a pair of birdies followed by a pair of bogeys.
“We got off to a nice quick start, and then before you know it, we were in the hunt there,” Smith said. “So, it’s just nice to know that we can get there.”
Smith said he thrived on the opportunity to make a run toward the top.
“I always watch the leaderboards, I like to know where I am,” Smith said. “It’s just nice that in those situations I know what to do.”
South Korea’s Sungjae Im shot 74, tying for fourth place with Xander Schauffele (65) and England’s Marco Penge (71) at 8 under.
Im, who was atop the leaderboard after each of the first three rounds, fell from the top spot quickly on Sunday. He had bogeys on three of the first six holes and five of the first 10. He rallied to pull within two strokes with two holes to play but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Im was joined in the final pairing by Brandt Snedeker, who also struggled. Snedeker shot 76, finishing at 4 under and in a tie for 18th place.
Snedeker, who was seeking his first victory since 2018, had a three-putt double-bogey on the 12th hole that cost him a share of the lead and never recovered.
“Stood on the 10th tee tied for the lead, which is all you can do,” Snedeker said. “My swing left me on the back nine. I really struggled. I couldn’t really find anything to put the ball where I wanted to.”
Schauffele and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, who ended in a seventh-place logjam at 7 under, had the final day’s best rounds at 65.
–Field Level Media
