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Valspar Championship · Round 2 · March 20, 2026
Copperhead Course · Innisbrook Resort · Palm Harbor, FL
Im Holds Firm —
Hovland Heads Home
Hovland Heads Home
Sungjae Im maintains his lead at -9 after a gritty 69 on a firm, fast Copperhead. Defending champion Viktor Hovland misses the cut. The Snake Pit bites again.
-9 Im leads
-8 Lipsky 2nd
70-75 Hovland MC
$9.1M purse
Copperhead Course · img1
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook — firm, fast, and unforgiving after two rounds | Photo: Getty Images
The second round of the 2026 Valspar Championship delivered exactly what the Copperhead Course is known for: drama, difficulty, and a handful of big names heading home early. Sungjae Im survived a shaky front nine to rally on the back and maintain his lead at 9-under par. But the biggest story of Friday might be who won't be around for the weekend.
After Round 2
The Leaderboard: Top 10
| Pos | Player | R1 | R2 | Total | To Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sungjae Im | 64 | 69 | 133 | -9 |
| 2 | David Lipsky | 68 | 66 | 134 | -8 |
| T3 | Chandler Blanchet | 69 | 66 | 135 | -7 |
| T3 | Doug Ghim | 69 | 67 | 136 | -7 |
| T5 | Brandt Snedeker | 65 | 72 | 137 | -5 |
| T5 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 68 | 69 | 137 | -5 |
| T5 | Jordan Smith | 69 | 68 | 137 | -5 |
| T5 | Alex Smalley | 69 | 69 | 138 | -5 |
| T5 | Marco Penge | 70 | 68 | 138 | -5 |
| T10 | Brooks Koepka | 71 | 67 | 138 | -4 |
Key Storylines
Round 2 Highlights
Sungjae Im · img2
Im rallied on the back nine to stay atop the leaderboard | Photo: Getty Images
Sungjae Im
South Korea · World #23 · Leader at -9
64-69
After missing two straight cuts in his return from a wrist injury, Im found his form on the Copperhead Course. His Round 1 was brilliant — two eagles, six birdies, a 64 that set the pace. Friday was a different story: three bogeys on a front nine that could have unraveled his tournament. But Im rallied with birdies on 11 and 12, then broke a tie for the lead with a clutch 7-footer on the par-3 17th. His message through a translator was clear: "The most important thing is getting my drives into the fairways. If I do that, I will give myself good chances."
David Lipsky
USA · Solo 2nd at -8
68-66
The 36-year-old American quietly moved into second with a bogey-free stretch through the meat of the course, then saved crucial pars on 16 and 18 — two of the toughest finishing holes on Tour. "I did everything well. Missed it in the right spots, holed the putts early on to get momentum going," Lipsky said. One shot back heading into the weekend, he's in perfect position to apply pressure.
Jordan Spieth
USA · T-15 at -3 · Weekend threat?
69-70
Spieth's rollercoaster continued. After a stunning eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie start to Round 1 (5-under through 7), he collapsed with a double bogey on 16 and a closing bogey. Friday was similar — 2-over on the front, then three birdies on the back to salvage his round at 70. "I hit it better yesterday and putted better today," Spieth said. "Try to put them both together on the weekend." Six shots back, but we've seen this movie before.
Brooks Koepka
USA · T10 at -4 · Return to Innisbrook
71-67
Koepka's return to Innisbrook produced a strong Friday 67 with three birdies, though he missed a 3-foot birdie putt on his final hole. "Just keep doing what I'm doing. Playing well, like the way I'm striking it," Koepka said. Five shots back but trending up — the kind of position where Koepka historically makes weekend moves.
The Casualty List
Notable Missed Cuts
Viktor Hovland · img3
Defending champion Viktor Hovland heads home after rounds of 70-75 | Photo: Getty Images
❌ Major Names Missing the Weekend
Viktor Hovland
Defending Champion · 70-75 (+3)
The biggest name to miss the cut. Hovland won here last year at -11, but couldn't find his game on the firm Copperhead surfaces. Went 2-over through six holes Friday and never recovered. A stunning exit for the defending champ.
Xander Schauffele
World #2 · 68-?? (TBD, on the bubble)
Started at -3 after Round 1 but struggled in Friday's breezy afternoon conditions. One of the biggest names in the field fighting to make the weekend cut line.
Keegan Bradley
U.S. Ryder Cup Captain · Opening 71+
The Ryder Cup captain was looking for form at the Copperhead — the course where he famously went "Full Keegan" in 2016 (first-round leader to missed cut). History may have repeated.
Patrick Cantlay
World #14 · Opening 70
Cantlay opened at -1 but faced tough afternoon conditions Friday. The Snake Pit stretch (holes 16-18) continued to claim victims in the gusty wind.
The cut fell around +1, making it one of the tougher cuts on Tour this season. The Copperhead Course's firm, fast conditions, combined with the swirling afternoon wind, separated the field decisively. The Snake Pit — holes 16, 17, and 18 — played as the hardest finishing stretch on the PGA Tour this week, averaging over par across all three holes.
The Snake Pit
Holes 16-18: Where Tournaments Are Lost
The Snake Pit · img4
The Snake Pit: holes 16, 17, and 18 at Copperhead — the toughest closing stretch on Tour
The three-hole gauntlet claimed numerous victims on Friday. Spieth double-bogeyed 16 in Round 1 after driving into the water. Ghim gave back two strokes on 15-16 after his eagle on 11. Even Snedeker, who posted a bogey-free first round, found trouble in the Snake Pit during his afternoon second round. Im's 7-foot birdie on the par-3 17th was one of the few highlights on this brutal stretch — a testament to his iron play under pressure.
Looking Ahead
Weekend Watch List
With Hovland out and Im holding a one-shot lead, the weekend at Copperhead is wide open. Lipsky, Blanchet, and Ghim are within striking distance, while bigger names like Fitzpatrick (-5), Koepka (-4), and Spieth (-3) lurk close enough to make a Sunday run. The conditions are expected to remain firm and breezy — favoring the patient, precise ball-strikers over the bombers.
Keep an eye on Brandt Snedeker (-5). The 45-year-old Presidents Cup captain hasn't won since 2018 and received a sponsor exemption this week. His bogey-free opening 65 was his best round of the season by a mile. If the putter stays hot, Snedeker could write one of the feel-good stories of the PGA Tour season.
The Copperhead Course showed its teeth on Friday. The defending champion is gone, the leader is a Korean star finding his form after injury, and the Snake Pit continues to be the most feared stretch on Tour. Saturday's moving day is going to be a battle.
The Fitting Room Golf · www.thefittingroomgolf.com