March 25, 2026
Welcome to the nineteenth edition of The Tee Sheet - your weekly read on what matters in the world of golf right now.
The Florida Swing is over, and it delivered.
Matt Fitzpatrick left Copperhead with his first win in nearly three years, coming into form ahead of Augusta. Bryson DeChambeau won back-to-back on LIV in Singapore and South Africa and is heading to Augusta on a roll.
The season has found its footing, and everything right now is pointing toward one place.
The Masters is a couple of weeks away. The top 50 OWGR snapshot drops the week after Houston, making Memorial Park this week the last real audition for players on the outside looking in.
Big names are still fighting for their spots (and a full breakdown of “who needs what” is at the bottom of this issue)
Let's get into it.
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Let’s dive in!
Official World Golf Ranking Tracker & Movers
Big Movers Up: Matt Fitzpatrick storms to World #6 following a win at the Valspar, David Lipsky jumps into the Top 100 after his 2nd place finish
Top 5: Xander Schauffele moves to World #5 after a strong week at the Valspar
Tourney Recap
2026 Valspar Recap:
Fitzpatrick Finishes the Job
The Florida Swing ended the way it's been ending all month, with the 54-hole leader watching someone else lift the trophy.
Sungjae Im was the wire-to-wire leader through three rounds: a 64 on Thursday highlighted by two eagles, a 69 on Friday, and another 69 on Saturday to head into Sunday with the lead (would’ve been his first since 2021). On Sunday, Im bogeyed five of his first ten without making a birdie, and a week that looked like one of his best turned into a collapse. He finished with a 74 (tied fourth at -8) the latest 54-hole leader on the Florida Swing to hand the trophy to someone else, joining Shane Lowry, Daniel Berger, and Ludvig Åberg in that unwanted company early in the season.
Into the vacuum stepped Matt Fitzpatrick. Three shots back to start the day, the Englishman ground his way around Copperhead with strong iron play and patience. He was missing birdie chances early and looked like he had let it slip, but then drained a 30-footer on the par-3 15th to tie the lead. On 18, he threaded his drive, put it to 14 feet, and made the putt for the eventual win. -11, 273. One week after losing on the final hole at The Players to Cameron Young, he didn't miss this time around.
Some other notable performers this week include:
37 year-old David Lipsky who closed with a Sunday 70 to finish solo second at -10, his best career result
Jordan Smith quietly posted a final-round 66 for third at -9
Xander Schauffele closed with a 65 but had given himself too much ground to make up
Brandt Snedeker (at 45 years old playing on a sponsor exemption!) was at the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday but fell apart on the back nine Sunday.
Patrick Cantlay (T7), Jordan Spieth (T11), Brooks Koepka (T18) played well
The win is Fitzpatrick's third on the PGA Tour and his first since the 2023 RBC Heritage. He moves from No. 15 to No. 6 in the world and picks up 500 FedExCup points. The Masters is approaching with Fitz finding the best form of his career.
One missed putt at Sawgrass. One made putt at Copperhead. Fitz back in the win column.
Valspar Championship Quick Stats:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green Leaders
Matt Fitzpatrick (1): +2.90
Jordan Smith (3): +2.49
Hank Lebioda (T14): +2.14
Strokes Gained: Putting Leaders
Kensei Hirata (T46): +1.72
Matthieu Pavon (T11): +1.66
Vince Whaley (T68): +1.66
Strokes Gained: Approach Leaders
Hank Lebioda (T14): +1.69
Matt Fitzpatrick (1): +1.49
Brooks Koepka (T18): +1.38
Tourney Preview
2026 Houston Open Preview:
Anybody’s Game…
Two weeks before the Masters, the PGA Tour lands in Houston, and for much of this field, it's the last competitive tune-up before Augusta or the last shot at earning a spot there. The Texas Children's Houston Open carries a $9.9 million purse, 500 FedExCup points, and a Masters ticket for any winner not already exempt.
The biggest news before a shot is taken: Scottie Scheffler has withdrawn - not due to injury - but for the imminent birth of his second child. The world No. 1 will head to Augusta in a couple of weeks following a T22 at The Players, skipping the tune-up he's used as his final Masters prep the last two years - both of which ended in runner-up finishes at Memorial Park.
Memorial Park is one of the more distinctive stops on the calendar. A 2019 renovation stripped the course to its bones: 54 bunkers became 20, replaced by tightly mown runoff areas that reward creativity. The par-70, 7,475-yard layout rewards tee-to-green consistency.
Last year, Min Woo Lee settled it emphatically with a tournament-record -20 (260), holding off Scheffler and Gary Woodland by one for his first PGA Tour win. He's back to defend.
With Scheffler out, the week opens up considerably. Chris Gotterup (No. 10 in the world) lines out well across the key stat categories for this course. Koepka knows the layout inside out from the design process and has the ball-striking to contend (see more there below). Ben Griffin at No. 16 could be a good fit for the track. And Min Woo Lee defending on a course where he already owns the tournament record is one to watch as well.
Scheffler's absence doesn't diminish the week, but rather opens the door for someone to make a statement two weeks before Augusta.
For what it’s worth:
Brooks Koepka (who is in the field this week) served as a player consultant on the 2019 redesign of Memorial Park, which is one of the more hands-on advisory roles a Tour player has taken in course architecture - keep an eye on him this weekend
Who’s In / Out?
Houston Open Quick Stats:
Course: Memorial Park Golf Course
Par: 70
Distance: 7,475 yards
Purse: $9,900,000 & 500 Fedex Cup Points
Recent Champs: Min Woo Lee (2025, -20), Stephan Jager (2024, -12), Tony Finau (2022, -16)
Picks & Players to Watch
Top 40: Tony Finau (-110)
Top 30: Rickie Fowler (-136)
Top 20: Jake Knapp (+112)
Top 10: Chris Gotterup (+210)
Disclaimer: The picks and predictions in The Tee Sheet are for informational and entertainment purposes only.
⛳ Masters Bubble Watch
The OWGR top-50 snapshot that determines the final Masters field is taken the week before the tournament, meaning the next two tournaments are effectively the last meaningful opportunities for players on the fringe to play their way in
On the PGA Tour side, the most notable names still outside the top 50 are:
Rickie Fowler (No. 61, needs a top-5 in Houston or win the following week)
Sahith Theegala (No. 80, needs a top-3 or win in San Antonio)
Billy Horschel (No. 87, same situation)
Tony Finau (No. 104, needs a top-2 in Houston - his streak of 7 consecutive Masters appearances is in serious jeopardy)
Tom Kim at No. 123 needs a win in one of the next two weeks to have any shot
The LIV side is interesting as well:
Thomas Detry (No. 57) finished third in South Africa when he needed second or better and will miss Augusta
David Puig (No. 75) and Elvis Smylie (No. 79) are both playing this week's Hero Indian Open as a last-ditch attempt to win their way in
Joaquin Niemann (with his 7 LIV individual titles and two previous special invitations from Augusta) sits at No. 155 and will miss the Masters, the clearest symbol yet of what LIV's limited OWGR points allocation (last year) costs its players
FedEx Cup Points Tracker
Top 10 Movements: Matt Fitzpatrick moves to third in the FedEx race after the Valspar win (up from eighth last week)
PGA Tour Money List Tracker
Top 10 Movements: Jacob Bridgeman reclaims the top money spot with a T14 at the Valspar (Cam Young did not play)
The Weekly Rundown
Other Stories to Know This Week
🏆Bryson Goes Back-to-Back
Bryson DeChambeau claimed his fifth LIV Golf title at Steyn City, defeating Jon Rahm in a playoff at the inaugural LIV Golf South Africa, which means back-to-back wins for the first time since 2018 for Bryson
The decisive moment came on the par-5 18th playoff hole, where Bryson hit an all time fairway wood from the rough to 15 feet. Rahm missed his birdie. Bryson two-putted and it was over
Will Bryson be able to keep the form when Augusta rolls around?
Author’s Note
Two tournaments left before Augusta. The field is taking shape, players are emerging, and the stories are writing themselves.
We'll be back next week with the Houston recap and Valero preview ahead of Masters week.
Thanks again for reading, and see you next week!
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