The Valspar Championship has come and gone. This tournament goes without much fanfare, but the points do count. In its history, the Valspar has risen from winter golf, to alternate event, and now to a full tour event, but they scheduled it the same weekend as March Madness. Maybe it has not gained full respect yet, but golf fans still care.
Typically, this is a tournament in which you get acquainted with some lessor known players. Some of the guys in the field are Korn Ferry guys, some are on the Canadian Tour, etc. This year was no different, but a little bit disappointing if you are a star searching scout type of fan.
While the new guys and the outsiders definitely held up their end of the bargain and played some great golf at Innisbrook, the show was somewhat stolen from them by a couple of established players.
Sungjae Im might seem like to some as an outsider, but those who follow golf closely know his name. Yes, he is on the Korean Tour, but he also has a PGA card. Im has made it as high as 16 in the World Golf Rankings, secured two wins on the PGA Tour, and even finished second in the Masters once. An accomplished player who held the lead almost all weekend…but lost (because that is the big trend right now on Tour).
Matt Fitzpatrick came in and stole the show on Sunday. He came as close as he could at The PLAYERS last week, but it was not meant to be. This Sunday, he just stayed consistent. His 11 under par score was better than anybody else’s. He also is no slouch though. Sure, he spends a great deal of time on the Euro Tour, but this was his third career PGA victory, and that resume includes the 2022 US Open.
All-in-all, there was still good golf to be seen from some relatively unknown players. David Lipsky, a player who hovers around that sacred Top 100 mark, only missed out on hoisting the trophy by one stroke. As a player who is on the rise, he would definitely like for this to be a springboard moment in his career but seeing as he has been slowly progressing through different tours and better fields, it was likely a blip.
Whether or not the Valspar Championship holds any of your interest at all or not, it is still a PGA Tour event, and it still provided some opportunities this weekend. That opportunity might be Sungjae Im racking up some points he may need to make the playoffs this year. It might prove to be Matt Fitzpatrick’s chance to correct the ship in his career and get back to winning more often. It could even be David Lipsky’s arrival as a serious Tour player. You never know, and that’s why they play the rounds.
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