Why Is the 2024 Valspar Championship Slowly Turning a Nightmare for the PGA Tour?

Tiger Woods, Chandler Phillips, Tom Kim, and Garrick Higgo. What do these players have in common? Well, these four golfers are among the many who were forced to withdraw from various PGA Tour events on the 2024 calendar. Unfortunately, the Valspar Championship doesn’t appear to be any different as misfortune seems to have struck this tournament as well. A total of three golfers had pulled out from the ongoing event at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort before round 2.

In addition, it appears two more athletes have also decided to join their fray and stop playing in the tournament. Meanwhile, as all of this transpires, one can’t help but wonder if the final stop on the Florida Swing has been nothing short of a nightmare for the Jay Monahan-led circuit!

PGA Tour Pros withdraw from the Valspar Championship

The three golfers who pulled out including Camilo Villegas, Justin Lower, and Erik Barnes, did so from the event following their first-day scores of 5-over par 76, 77(+6), and 9-over par 79. Meanwhile, Pierceson Coody and David Bradshaw, the two athletes who announced their intention to do the same, did so “after the second round suspension of play at the Valspar Championship.”

Interestingly, this makes them the seventh and eighth in the group of PGA Tour Pros who have withdrawn from the ongoing contest. In the meantime, a total of three other professionals had pulled out from the same prior to the onset of the tournament including the likes of J.B. Holmes, Aaron Wise, and Garrick Higgo.

Bradshaw and Coody, despite not being able to finish their second day’s play, sadly, could only place themselves below the projected cut-line at T124 and T133 with scores of 5-over par and 6-over par respectively. While the former could only finish till the 6th hole on the back nine, the latter had just two holes remaining.

When Justin Lower withdrew from the tournament before  the second round, no explanation was given for his exit. And when Aaron Wise was forced to withdraw from the Valspar Championship, the PGA Tour decided not to get a replacement for this week’s tournament and for the next 2 events on the schedule too. They had confirmed that no alternates would be added unless the field size got below 144.  The PGA TOUR Communications page on X wrote, “Aaron Wise is a WD (tee time 1:40pm off 10) from the Valspar Championship. He will not be replaced. The field size is now 153.”

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A total of eight withdrawals from the Valspar Championship does paint a bleak picture all the while hinting at a bit of a nightmare for the PGA Tour. However, the picture was made complete with the recent suspension of the second round.

Bad light plays villain again for the PGA Tour

Every event on the Florida Swing was hit with a setback of sorts owing to the unfavorable weather forcing play to become canceled early on, including The Cognizant Classic, The Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS, and now, the Valspar Championship. Meanwhile, both the rounds at Copperhead Course were suspended due to bad light.

Regardless, many in the community will undoubtedly be looking forward to the rest of the field to finish the remaining two days of play. What’s more, the golf world would also be hoping for no more WDs and cancelation of play so that they can enjoy the game of golf properly.

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