Matt Fitzpatrick rebounds from Players disappointment with 72nd hole birdie, emphatic victory at Valspar

Redemption? Nah. Rebound?

Most certainly. One week after a bogey on the final hole cost him a chance to win the Players Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick birdied the 72nd hole on Sunday to capture the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla. Fitzpatrick converted from 14 feet for his first birdie in 12 rounds on the par-4 18th hole at the Copperhead Course to break a tie with David Lipsky and secure his third career PGA Tour title and first win since the 2023 RBC Heritage.

The 31-year-old Englishman didn’t have a bogey in closing with a three-under 68 and 11-under 273 total to keep Lipsky winless in 145 career tour starts. A Los Angeles native, Lipsky, 37, settled for his second career runner-up finish and his seventh top-five finish after shooting a final-round 70. “I think the big thing was I felt like I was playing well,” said Fitzpatrick, who came into the week ranked 15th in the world.

“Obviously wanted to continue that, and I felt like I had confidence it in myself to do so. Then obviously to sort of do that over four round was special this week. ” Sungjae Im, who led after each of the first three rounds and began the final day two strokes ahead of Lipsky and 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker, bogeyed five of his first 10 holes to fall out of contention.