PALM HARBOR, Florida – The Copperhard Course at Innisbrook Resort is one of the most challenging events on the PGA Tour. This year the challenge will be met by one of the strongest fields in the 50 years of competition in Tampa Bay. After a successful final week of signs up, a star-studded field is set for the 2026 Valspar Championship.
Justin Thomas was added to the field as were five other notables to bolster the field – Robert MacIntyre (currently 8th in the Official World Golf Ranking), U.S. Open Champions Wyndham Clark (2023) and Matt Fitzpatrick, (2022) Tony Finau and Max Homa.
Ten of the top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field. MacIntyre at #8, #10 Xander Schauffele, #11 2025 U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, #13 Ben Griffin, #18 defending champion Viktor Hovland, #19 Akshay Bhatia (fresh off his win in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational), #22 Jacob Bridgeman, #23 Keegan Bradley and #24 Fitzpatrick.
The field now includes three of the last four U.S. Open champions – Spaun in 2025 plus Clark and Fitzpatrick.
Other prominent players include Brooks Koepka, winner of five Major Championships and Jordan Spieth who has three Major Championship wins along with the 2015 Valspar Championship.
Five prominent Canadian players include Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes, Nick Taylor and 2017 Valspar Championship winner Adam Hadwin. Tampa-based pros Jimmy Stanger and Jackson Suber will also compete.
The 2026 Valspar Championship is the 25th full-field PGA TOUR event sponsored by the Copperheads since 2000. Including the JCPenney Classic (1977-1999), the Copperheads have now sponsored professional golf in the Tampa Bay area for 50 years. Of the players currently on the PGA TOUR’s Top 50 Career Money List, all but one have played in the Valspar Championship, with nine among the tournament’s champions.
Tournament week starts Monday March 16 with the AmeriLife Pro-Am on the Copperhead Course. Tournament play begins Thursday March 19 – Sunday March 22. The annual Valpar LIVE concert presented by Chick-fil-A is Saturday after play featuring Lee Brice and Tyler Hubbard.
A new interactive area for fans at this year’s Valspar Championship is The Turn hosted by @barstoolgruden located between the 9th and 10th fairways featuring the Fan Shop, a giant Plinko Game, activities from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, celebrity appearances and Gruden’s Den where fans will receive something from one of Jon Gruden’s many boxes for a $10 donation to the Humane Society.
All in all, it promises to be another great year on and off the Copperhead Course including one of the greatest finishes in golf, the famed “Snake Pit” !
https://valsparchampionship.com/
