The Valspar Championship was supposed to be a reset for Brian Campbell after struggling in every event so far this season. Instead, Friday at Copperhead handed him a mid-round exit and a fanbase full of people who watched everything that unfolded at the infamous Moccasin.

Campbell withdrew, citing a neck injury. He began his second round on the 10th tee with a bogey. Matters got significantly worse at the beginning of the snake pit on the par-4 16th, where he hit into the water three times. He later informed the PGA Tour that neck pain was behind the decision. This explanation did not sit entirely well with fans online. The moment went viral quickly, with many questioning whether the injury told the full story.

“Neck injury, aka hitting his 1st, 3rd, and 6th shots into the water. Respect the WD instead of carding a 12,” one fan wrote, suggesting Campbell made the smarter call by walking away rather than posting a disastrous score. The dig was important because the 33-year-old had already started Round 1 with a 2-over 73, which included a double bogey on 13 and more dropped shots on 16 and 18.

Another fan went further, joking, “Buddy blew his neck out trying to go full Tin Cup in the Snake Pit.”

Another fan added a more pointed comment: “How the f— did he get injured? He doesn’t swing hard enough to get injured,” questioning how a neck issue was even possible given Brian Campbell’s playing style.

The skepticism makes more sense when you look at what the week had already been for Campbell. He had entered the Valspar after three straight missed cuts at the Genesis, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The PLAYERS Championship. Surprisingly, he also missed the cut at the 2025 Valspar Championship with a score of 8-over par, making this week another chapter in a difficult stretch.

However, Brian Campbell was not the only one to withdraw from the field this week. Keith Mitchell, Robert MacIntyre, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, and William Mouw had all withdrawn as early as Monday, March 16, followed by Akshay Bhatia and Max Greyserman later in the week.

MacIntyre, who had finished fourth at The Players Championship just a week earlier, admitted the physical and emotional toll of contending on Sunday had left him needing rest. The context matters because the withdrawals piling up reflect a genuinely exhausting stretch on the PGA Tour calendar, with major events stacked back-to-back.

Campbell’s exit was the seventh withdrawal from the original Valspar field. Whether the neck injury was the sole cause or the water on 16 had already determined his fate, the outcome remained unchanged: another early exit in what has been a challenging season for the 99th-ranked pro.

For fans watching online, the injury was less important than what they had just seen on that par-4. While Brian Campbell’s exit dominated online, Copperhead’s scoreboard had its own drama.

The weekend setup after a week of withdrawals at Valspar Championship

After two rounds at Copperhead, Sungjae Im is in first place alone with scores of 64 and 69, totaling 9 under par. The Korean golfer is one stroke ahead of David Lipsky, who moved up 15 spots with a second-round 65 to 8-under.

Chandler Blanchet and Doug Ghim tied for third at 7-under; both F. Blanchet’s 14-spot rise and Ghim’s consistency speak for themselves. Five golfers, including Fitzpatrick, Penge, and Smith, are one shot behind at 5-under.

Brooks Koepka, ranked among the bigger names in the field, sits T10 at 4-under after rounds of 71 and 67. Danny Walker made the loudest move in that group, jumping 90 positions after a second-round 64. Jordan Spieth sits T-16 at 3-under, with two rounds of 69-70 keeping him in weekend contention.

With Brian Campbell dropping out midway through the round and six others out, the field is shrinking as the weekend approaches. Copperhead’s back nine always changes things up, even when Im leads. The weekend picture is becoming clearer as the cut line is about even par.