Matt Fitzpatrick Finds Redemption by Winning Valspar Championship

Last week at the Players Championship, a bogey on the last lost Fitzpatrick the title by a stroke. A week later, a birdie on the last won him his first PGA Tour event in three years.

Matt Fitzpatrick won the Valspar Championship after finishing runner-up at the Players Championship. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Matt Fitzpatrick was eyeing a redemption story. 

A week ago, on the final hole of the Players Championship, he was tied for the lead. Then, he sliced his tee shot into the pine needles en route to a bogey that lost him the title by one. 

Seven days later, at the Valspar Championship, the 31-year-old Englishman was again in a prime position to snatch a victory coming down the stretch. 

On his 72nd hole, playing in the third-to-last group, Fitzpatrick was tied for the lead at 10 under par with David Lipsky, a 37-year-old journeyman in pursuit of his maiden win. So Fitzpatrick smashed his drive down the middle, hit his approach 13 feet and canned his birdie putt. 

That put the pressure on Lipsky, a group behind, to make a birdie after hitting his tee shot in the right rough. From there, the world No. 154 hit a pitching wedge that bounced on the green and settled 32 feet right of the hole. 

When that attempt rolled just left of the cup, Fitzpatrick’s comeback story was complete. 

“I felt like last week I played so well, right until the end,” Fitzpatrick said. “To lose the way I did, it’s always disappointing, always feels like it takes a little out of you when you spend four days of your life battling to try and get that top spot, and to lose it right at the death is always difficult to take. So this week was important to get back on the horse and try and push myself to continue playing well.”

MORE: Final results, payouts from the Valspar Championship

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, began the day three strokes back of 54-hole leader Sungjae Im, who faltered with a front-nine 40. Yet, Fitzpatrick played the front in 1 under, and didn’t card a birdie on the back until the par-3 15th, dropping a 30-foot putt. 

When he needed it most!

Matt Fitzpatrick birdies the last to take a one-stroke lead into the clubhouse @ValsparChamp. pic.twitter.com/BsIBVVmLWw

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 22, 2026

“I felt frustrated all day that I had not made anything,” said Fitzpatrick, who shot a final-round 3-under 68. “Obviously, to make something there on 15, and hole the long one there on 18 in the end to secure the win was an amazing feeling.”

Lipsky, meanwhile, was even on the front and only birdied the par-5 14th after making the turn. Still, that notched him his second runner-up on Tour after 144 career starts (the other being the 2024 Procore Championship). 

“Oh, [finishes like this are] massive,” Lipskey said. “Because it gets you into so many more events. You don't feel like you’re behind the 8-ball, especially going into the summer. So 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.”

Other challengers included Jordan Smith, who finished at 9 under for his second Tour top 10, along with the 2017 PGA Championship. Marco Penge finished at 8 under with Im and Xander Schauffele. And there was 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker, who hadn’t won since 2018 nor made a cut this season, playing in the final group. But two poor iron shots on Nos. 12 and 13 led to him playing those holes at 3 over, with a final-round 76 dropping him to 4 under. 

“My swing left me on the back nine,” Snedeker said. “I really struggled. I couldn’t really find anything to go to to put the ball where I wanted to. This golf course, it’s a perfectly designed golf course, if you get out of position, it’s going to punish you. All those putts I’ve been making all week dried up today.”

And when it was crunch time, Fitzpatrick seized the opportunity on the challenging Copperhead course. He was the only player to break 70 on Sunday in the final seven twosomes and the only person to record four rounds in the 60s. 

It’s Fitzpatrick’s first Tour title since the 2023 RBC Heritage. After that triumph, his game spiraled, partially because he rigorously chased speed and distance. But he began his upward trajectory at last year’s PGA Championship (T8) and was T4 in the British Open. Then, all the pieces came together at November’s DP World Tour Championship, beating Rory McIlroy in a playoff. 

That regained form nearly won him the Players Championship. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be last week, but his redemption at the Valspar was.