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Valspar Championship 2026 · Round 3 Recap · March 21
Moving Day at The Copperhead Course
Im Stays Ice Cold.
Snedeker Storms Into the Final Pairing.
Snedeker Storms Into the Final Pairing.
Sungjae Im sinks a clutch 13-foot birdie on 18 to stretch his lead to two shots at -11. Brandt Snedeker fires a bogey-free 67 to set up a Sunday showdown with the 54-hole leader.
-11 Im (54-Hole Lead)
67 Snedeker's Bogey-Free R3
2 shots Lead Margin
$9.1M Purse
Sungjae Im — 54-Hole Leader at -11
Sungjae Im enters Sunday's final round at the Copperhead Course with a two-shot lead. (Getty Images)
Sungjae Im did what great front-runners do on Moving Day: he kept everyone at arm's length without ever looking like he was truly in trouble. His third-round 69 was workmanlike rather than spectacular — and that was exactly the point.
The 27-year-old South Korean entered Saturday's round with a one-shot lead over David Lipsky and left with a two-shot cushion heading into Sunday's finale. The key? A 13-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole that came after nine consecutive holes without a birdie. Im's 54-hole total of 11-under 202 (64-69-69) sets up what could be his first PGA Tour victory since the 2021 Shriners Children's Open.
But the real story of Round 3 might be the 45-year-old playing in the final pairing with him tomorrow.
54-Hole Leaderboard
After Three Rounds at Copperhead
| Pos | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sungjae Im 🇰🇷 | 64 | 69 | 69 | -11 (202) |
| T2 | Brandt Snedeker | 65 | 72 | 67 | -9 (204) |
| T2 | David Lipsky | 69 | 65 | 70 | -9 (204) |
| T4 | Marco Penge | 68 | 69 | 68 | -8 (205) |
| T4 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 69 | 68 | 68 | -8 (205) |
| T6 | S.H. Kim 🇰🇷 | — | — | — | -6 |
| T6 | Chandler Blanchet | 69 | 66 | — | -6 |
| — | Brooks Koepka | 71 | 67 | — | ~-5 |
| — | Tom Kim 🇰🇷 | — | — | — | Top 10 area |
The Storyline of the Week
Snedeker's Bogey-Free Masterclass
Brandt Snedeker — Bogey-Free 67
Snedeker posted the co-low round of the day with a flawless 67. (Getty Images)
Brandt Snedeker is 45 years old. He's the U.S. Presidents Cup captain. He received a sponsor exemption to get into this field. He had missed every cut this season before arriving at Innisbrook. None of that mattered on Saturday.
Snedeker opened with three birdies in his first four holes and never looked back, going bogey-free for the second time in three rounds at Copperhead this week. His third-round 67 matched the best score of the day and vaulted him into a share of second at 9-under, tied with Lipsky.
The significance: Snedeker will be in Sunday's final pairing with Im. He hasn't recorded a top-three Tour finish in six years. He hasn't won since 2018. And yet here he is, two shots back with 18 holes to play, putting with the confidence of a man who switched to a mallet putter a few weeks ago and can't miss inside 15 feet — he went 7-for-7 from that range on Saturday.
The Leader
Im's Quiet Dominance
Im's Saturday wasn't flashy. He was 3-under through his first eight holes, looking like he might run away from the field. Then the Copperhead bit back: nine straight pars stretched from the 9th through the 17th. On a course this demanding, pars aren't failures — but the lack of birdies meant the field closed in.
Then came the 18th. Im faced a 13-foot birdie putt, the kind of putt that separates wire-to-wire winners from third-round leaders who fade on Sunday. He buried it dead center. That birdie was the only one on the 18th hole all day — just the third birdie there in the entire round.
Im's 54-Hole Stats
-11Total
202Strokes
64Low R1
2Eagles (R1)
2ndCareer 54H Lead
A key stat from Im's week: he converted his first career 54-hole lead into a win at the 2021 Shriners Children's Open. Overall, he's 1-for-4 holding or sharing the lead through 54 holes. The last time he held a 36-hole lead, he also held the 54-hole lead — and won. History is on his side, though the Copperhead's snake pit will have the final say.
The Contenders
Lipsky's Erratic Saturday
David Lipsky came into Saturday tied for second at -8 after a sizzling Friday 65. His Round 3 was a different beast — an erratic 70 that somehow still left him in a share of second. Lipsky remains winless on the PGA Tour, and Sunday at Copperhead would be the toughest place to break through. But at two back, he's very much alive.
Fitzpatrick & Penge: The English Charge
Matt Fitzpatrick continues his strong Florida stretch. After finishing second at THE PLAYERS last week, he shot a steady 68 to sit at 8-under, three off the lead. His iron play has been elite all week, and a low Sunday round could put serious pressure on the final group.
Alongside him at -8 is Marco Penge, who matched Fitzpatrick's 68. Both Englishmen will be in the penultimate pairing on Sunday, adding a dangerous presence just ahead of Im and Snedeker.
Course Highlight
The Snake Pit Still Bites
The Snake Pit — Holes 16, 17, 18
The Snake Pit stretch continues to define the Valspar Championship. (Getty Images)
Copperhead's famed closing stretch — the par-4 16th, par-3 17th, and par-4 18th — lived up to its reputation again on Saturday. Only three birdies were recorded on the 18th hole all day, with Im's closing birdie being the signature moment. The 16th, where Spieth dunked his tee shot in Round 1, continued to play as one of the hardest holes on Tour this week.
For Sunday's contenders, the Snake Pit will be everything. Im navigated it at even par on Saturday. Snedeker parred all three. The player who handles 16-17-18 best will likely be slipping on the winner's jacket at Innisbrook.
Sunday Preview
Final Round Storylines to Watch
🏆 Final Pairing
Im vs Snedeker
-11 vs -9
The 27-year-old Korean star vs the 45-year-old Presidents Cup captain. Im has the lead, the ball-striking, and the course history. Snedeker has the putter, the experience, and absolutely nothing to lose. This is appointment viewing.
👀 Lurkers
Fitzpatrick / Penge
-8 (3 back)
Three shots is nothing at Copperhead. Fitzpatrick has been the hottest player in Florida over the past two weeks. One early run on Sunday could flip the entire leaderboard.
Sunday — Who Takes the Trophy?
The final round tees off Sunday at Innisbrook's Copperhead Course. (Getty Images)
Sunday's final round will be broadcast on Golf Channel (1-3 PM ET) and NBC (3-6 PM ET), with PGA Tour Live streaming on ESPN+ starting at 7:45 AM ET. The Im-Snedeker final pairing is expected to tee off around 1:55 PM ET.
Im is searching for his third career PGA Tour title and his first since October 2021. A wire-to-wire victory at Copperhead — one of the Tour's most demanding courses — would send a powerful signal that his wrist injury is fully behind him and that he's a legitimate Masters contender in three weeks.
The Copperhead Course has given us three rounds of drama, heartbreak, and incredible golf. Sunday promises more. Im has been the best player all week. But Snedeker has the putter rolling, Fitzpatrick has the iron game, and the Snake Pit has the final word. Stay locked in.
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