Akshay Bhatia And Other Players Withdraw From Valspar

This weekend, the next PGA Tour event is set to start, the Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.  The players are already arriving and preparing for the main show.  It’s the eleventh event of the 2026 season, and the last for Florida.  Afterwards, it will be nearly time for the homestretch towards the Masters Tournament.  However, there have been a number of withdrawals from the event, including Akshay Bhatia.

Akshay Bhatia Withdrawals

Bhatia’s withdrawal came as a surprise to fans.  So far into this season, he’s been on a roll.  He recently achieved a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and dedicated it to his late niece.  Bhatia is even performing well at the TGL practice rounds.  He even finished within the top 20 during the Players Championship.  At the time of writing, there is no specification as to why Bhatia withdrew from the Valspar.  The PGA Tour only made the announcement on the official Twitter account, along with who will be taking his place for the tournament. 

Why The Withdrawal? 

Theories are moving around, ranging from injuries to simple rest time.  Rest time is the most likely of the theories.  Bhatia is also a member of the TGL, and he was performing in these events back-to-back.  This is a common thing for top players; their schedules fill out, and they grind hard.  After such an intense stretch, he has done pretty well for himself, netting the victory in the Arnold Palmer, a top twenty finish, and even a hole in one during a TGL practice round.  With the Masters coming up in April, the players need to get as much rest as they can before such a big tournament.  Nonetheless, Bhatia has withdrawn, and Sam Ryder will be filling in for him.  However, Bhatia is not alone, as there are other players who withdrew from the event.

The Withdrawals

Before Bhatia withdrew, there were a few other players who withdrew.  Two of which were in the top five of the Players Championship.  Keith Mitchel, who tied for 46th, withdrew from the event and won’t be attending.  Neither will the fourth-place winner, Robert MacIntyre, be attending the event.  Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who tied for fifth, won’t be attending either.  This does mean that the four players withdrawing are all in the top fifty, with three in the top 20.  Like with Bhatia, a reason wasn’t given as to why they aren’t attending the event.  Just an updated list of who will be on the field in their place.

Valspar Without Bhatia

The Valspar Championship is the last stop on the Florida swing.  So many withdrawals are a shame to see, as the season is reaching another milestone.  On the field at least, the event organizers are prepared as always for this exact scenario.  The positions have been filled as fast as they opened, and the event should go on without issue.  Despite his solid performance, Bhatia will not be there, but the show must go on.