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The PGA Tour has been hit with another row of withdrawals. Multiple pros have exited from the last event of the Florida swing days after their participation was confirmed. Interestingly, all of them were in action at TPC Sawgrass.

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As PGA Tour Communications reported, “Valspar Championship field update: Keith Mitchell WD / Doug Ghim IN, Robert MacIntyre WD / Andrew Putnam IN, Sudarshan Yellamaraju WD / Kris Ventura IN.”

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Keith Mitchell, Robert MacIntyre, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju were all on the field for the PLAYERS Championship. In fact, the latter two also delivered strong performances at TPC Sawgrass. They finished at solo fourth and T5, respectively. Meanwhile, Mitchell managed a modest T46 finish, alongside Rory McIlroy & Co.

Neither of them has explained their withdrawal so far. However, MacIntyre had stated how stressed he was after receiving the poor lies at TPC Sawgrass. That may have led to his exit from the tournament.

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It could also be the fact that the Scottish pro had played two consecutive weeks of stressful golf. He competed at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the PLAYERS Championship against very strong fields.

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Mitchell also did the same and more. Before the trip to Bay Hill, the 34-year-old was at the PGA National Champion Course playing in the Cognizant Classic. While he wasn’t competing for the title at Sawgrass, he was in contention three weeks ago as he grabbed a T9 finish at Brooks Koepka‘s home course.

Yellamaraju also had a similar schedule to Mitchell. However, instead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he was competing at the Puerto Rico Open. While the field might not have been as challenging in the alternate event, the Canadian pro must have still experienced some fatigue traveling to the island.

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Despite these withdrawals, the Copperhead course will still host some big names this week.

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The Valspar Championship still boasts a strong field despite Robert MacIntyre & Co.’s withdrawal

Losing high-ranked golfers like Robert MacIntyre & Co. might lower the rating of the Valspar Championship 2026. However, the field for the $9.1 million event is still strong enough to attract great viewership.

A number of big names are still committed to playing at the Copper course this week. They include former major winners like Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, and Justin Thomas. Notably, two of them finished inside the top-10 at TPC Sawgrass. That would excite a lot of fans eager to watch the event.

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The field at the Copperhead course also includes Brooks Koepka. The five-time major champion delivered one of his best performances at the PLAYERS Championship. He had also finished at T9 in the Cognizant Classic a few weeks ago. With the Valspar Championship being the last event in his home state, fans will be eager to see how Koepka performs.

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Written by

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Molin Sheth

2,138 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story. Molin comes from a diverse professional background that enriches his coverage. With extensive experience in digital marketing, content management, and quality assurance, he excels at optimizing processes and enhancing user experiences, skills that translate into delivering well-researched, engaging content efficiently. His roles in customer support, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration have honed his problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. This comprehensive skill set allows Molin to approach golf reporting with a unique blend of creativity, analytical rigor, and operational excellence, ensuring his work resonates with both casual fans and serious golf enthusiasts.

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Pratham Sharma

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