Akshay Bhatia will not be part of the field at the 2026 Valspar Championship after withdrawing on Wednesday, just a day before the tournament begins. The PGA Tour confirmed the update in a post on X, though no reason was given. His withdrawal comes less than 24 hours after he featured in the TGL playoffs at the SoFi Center, where he helped Jupiter Links secure a semifinal win.
Bhatia had been in strong form coming into the week. He recently won his third PGA Tour title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he defeated Daniel Berger in a playoff. He followed that with a tied-13 finish at The Players Championship.
He is not the only notable name to withdraw from the Valspar Championship. Robert MacIntyre, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Keith Mitchell and Max Greyserman have also stepped away from the event in the last couple of days.
Sam Ryder takes Bhatia’s spot in the field. Others including Doug Ghim, Andrew Putnam, Kris Ventura, Justin Lower and Joel Dahmen have also gained spots following the late changes. Matt Kuchar and Seamus Power entered through the Returning Member category after Brooks Koepka’s return.
Despite the withdrawals, the field still has enough star power. Viktor Hovland is back to defend his title, while Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Koepka remain among the top names set to play at the Copperhead Course.
How to watch the 2026 Valspar Championship live
Fans can follow the 2026 Valspar Championship across TV, digital platforms and radio throughout the week.
Here is the schedule for all four rounds of the Valspar Championship listed below (all times Eastern):
Thursday – Round 1
- Start time: 7:35 a.m.
- PGA Tour Live: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Golf Channel (TV): 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Streaming: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on GolfChannel.com
- Radio: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on PGA Tour Radio
Friday – Round 2
- Start time: 7:35 a.m.
- PGA Tour Live: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Golf Channel (TV): 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Streaming: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on GolfChannel.com
- Radio: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on PGA Tour Radio
Saturday – Round 3
- Start time: 7:45 a.m.
- PGA Tour Live: 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Golf Channel (early TV): 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- NBC (main broadcast): 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Streaming: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on GolfChannel.com, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Peacock
- Radio: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on PGA Tour Radio
Sunday – Final Round
- Start time: 7:45 a.m.
- PGA Tour Live: 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Golf Channel (early TV): 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- NBC (main broadcast): 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Streaming: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on GolfChannel.com, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Peacock
