El Valspar Championship, 10th tournament of the season on the PGA Tour (11th if you count the Puerto Rico Open that shared a week with the Arnold Palmer Invitational), heads into the weekend embroiled in a close battle for the title. Four players are directly involved, with others hoping to join on ‘moving day’ Three of them share a common aim: to secure their first win on the tour. The other wants to use his greater experience in these situations to claim a third title and start to put a season that began on the wrong foot back on track
Of the four, the one who already knows what it is to win is South Korean Sungjae Im (-9), whose wrist injury stopped him at the start of the year and who, on his return to competition, has missed the cut in his only two appearances, at Bay Hill and at the TPC Sawgrass. His debut on the tricky Copperhead Course at the Innisbroock Resort in Palm Harbor, in Florida, was impeccable. Taking advantage of the good conditions of the Thursday morning tee times he went solo leader with a 64. And today, playing in the afternoon, he has been able to stay at the top and emerge victorious from the snake pit with a sensational birdie at 17
It is true that on Friday the wind in the afternoon tee times was not as troublesome. But with firmer, more uneven greens and an intimidating rough, mistakes can be costly on this course. Im has produced his best version, responding with birdies to every error until he carded a 69, leaving him heading into the final 36 holes as the clear favourite to win. Almost five years have passed since his last victory on the tour, at the Shriners Children’s Open in 2021, and it won’t be for lack of trying because he’s one of those who plays as much as possible and then some…
To join the three-time winners’ club on the PGA Tour he will have to overcome three challengers seeking their first win. American David Lipsky (-8) is the closest to the leader. Finishing the FedEx Fall outside the top 100 is costing him playing opportunities this season. But the Californian has made a virtue out of necessity: “It’s different, but it’s also given me time to work on my game, and I think the results are showing it,” he said after his round. Now he is looking for a big result to give him momentum: “I’ve made three of four cuts this season, but I’ve had few opportunities because of the Signature Events. From now on I’ll play more and this week I want to build momentum” With a 65 today and a clean card, without bogeys, he has given himself a fantastic chance to achieve it
Behind them, tied for third, are two other Americans, Doug Ghim (-7) and Chandler Blanchet (-7). Ghim‘s case is truly curious. The same age and of the same generation as the World No. 1 of the world, Scottie Scheffler, he coincided with him in practically everything: they attended university together in Texas, and turned professional in the same year, 2018. However, the wins that seem to fall into the pockets of the man from Ridgewood are the ones that have yet to appear in Doug‘s trophy cabinet, as he hasn’t won a single tournament eligible for the Official World Golf Ranking
His modest putting numbers have limited his chances of success. Until this season, a 135th place was his best result in the strokes gained putting rankings on the tour. At the start of this year he seems more focused on improving this aspect of his game and being among the 20 players with the best putting stats this week has helped him stay in the fight with two rounds to play. He will try to finally taste what it means to win on the tour after throwing himself into the fight today with a solid 67 that could have been better (he closed with two bogeys at 15 and 16)
Alongside him, two shots off the leader, is Blanchet, who has indeed recorded wins in his career, on the PGA Tour of Latinoamérica and on the Korn Ferry, but who also wants to do so in the first division of American golf — perhaps arriving a little late by age (this is his first season with a card and he is 30) — but at a very good moment in terms of his game. Today he was especially inspired on the greens and only a bogey at 18 denied him a clean card, after he had posted six birdies, four of them in a row between 11 and 14
Three Englishmen, Marco Penge (-5), Matt Fitzpatrick (-5) and Jordan Smith (-5), together with Americans Alex Smalley (-5) and Brandt Snedeker (-5) share fifth place with the chance to be fully in contention for the win tomorrow. And close behind are also illustrious names such as Tom Kim (-4), Tony Finau (-4), Gary Woodland (-4) or none other than Brooks Koepka (-4), among others, so there is still much to decide in Florida…
As for the cut, which closed at +1, several notable names have missed the weekend in Palm Harbor. Starting, of course, with the defending champion, Viktor Hovland (+3), with a horrific start to the back nine: a birdie, a par, two bogeys and a double bogey from 10 to 15. Also set to miss the remainder of the tournament are players of the calibre of Wyndham Clark (+2), Nick Dunlap (+4), Nick Taylor (+4), J.J. Spaun (+6), Sahith Theegala (+7) or Austin Smotherman (+8), who had been playing wonderfully at the start of 2026 and today came crashing down with a round of 79
