Xander Schauffele hits from the second tee during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Today I will be following the grouping of Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, and Patrick Cantlay during round 1 of the Valspar Championship.
Xander Schauffele is coming off of a solo 3rd finish at The Players Championship and looking to continue building momentum. In his press conference on Tuesday he talked about needing to make more putts this week. That should be something that is a bit easier at Innisbrook as their greens play a bit easier than those at TPC Sawgrass and Bay Hill. Xander is currently 7th in the Official World Golf Rankings and looking to make a jump at a place where his worst finish is T12.
Keegan Bradley is currently sitting at 24th in the Official World Golf Rankings and looking to get his season going at the Valspar Championship. In the six events Bradley has played in a T29 finish has been his best result. When you pair that with 3 missed cuts it’s been a not ideal start for the former Ryder Cup Captain.
Patrick Cantlay is currently 35th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Despite being ranked lower than Bradley in the OWGR he has had, by my estimation, a better 2026 so far. He has missed 2 cuts at Bay Hill and the Farmers Insurance Open but also has two top-15 finishes in his 6 six events played.
Live Updates from the Group’s Back Nine:
As it stands on the 10th tee: Xander is -2, Cantlay is -1, and Bradley is +1.
