The PGA Tour has been hit with another big blow just hours before the beginning of the 2026 Valspar Championship. The tournament was already plagued with a number of withdrawals on Monday. Now, they have also lost another big name who recently won a Signature event: Akshay Bhatia.

As confirmed by many sources, “It appears that Akshay Bhatia has withdrawn from the Valspar Championship – replaced by Sam Ryder.”

Bhatia had just come off a controversial Arnold Palmer Invitational 2026 win a couple of weeks ago. He received a lot of criticism for his putting technique. Netizens questioned his position and accused him of cheating. He also tried to prove his innocence by suggesting something absurd at TPC Sawgrass for the spectators to see.

Speaking of Sawgrass, Bhatia delivered another promising performance in the PGA Tour flagship event. He finished at T13 in The PLAYERS Championship. The 24-year-old might have performed better if he hadn’t been subject to mockery from the spectators. That said, two weeks of intense action were probably enough for him. And Bhatia might have needed a breather to avoid any injuries before the Masters Tournament.

That said, neither Bhatia nor the PGA Tour has confirmed the reason behind his withdrawal yet. While the pro might be busy resting up, alarm bells must be ringing in the Tour’s headquarters with so many withdrawals.

On March 16, 2026, three players had already confirmed their withdrawal from the 2026 Valspar Championship. Keith Mitchell, Robert MacIntyre, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju were all confirmed to have withdrawn by PGA TOUR Communications. Neither of them had provided any explanation for their exit from the event. However, considering their hectic schedule, it was assumed that they, too, might have needed a break.