INNSBROOK, FL – The 2026 Valspar Championship gets underway Thursday morning at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, promising a challenging start to the final event of the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing. Golf fans have multiple options to follow the action, with coverage spanning Golf Channel and streaming via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. Xander Schauffele, fresh off a strong showing at The Players Championship, will be among those teeing off as he looks for his first PGA Tour victory of the season.
Schauffele, a two-time major champion, is aiming to build on recent momentum. Although he secured a win at the Baycurrent Classic in October, he didn’t qualify for the Tour Championship after failing to win a regular PGA Tour event. He finished tied for seventh at the Genesis Invitational and solo third at The Players Championship, signaling a return to form. According to golf.com, Schauffele is looking “much sharper” heading into the Valspar Championship.
The Copperhead Course, known for its demanding layout, will test players with its thick rough, punishing elevation changes, and difficult par 5s. The course has played as the hardest of the four Florida Swing venues over the past three years, and its narrow fairways often require players to forgo the driver. The closing three holes – affectionately known as “The Snake Pit” – are particularly treacherous, averaging nearly half a stroke over par for last year’s field.
How to Watch the Valspar Championship on TV
Golf Channel will broadcast live coverage of the first round of the Valspar Championship on Thursday, beginning at 2 p.m. ET and continuing through 6 p.m. ET. This provides a traditional television viewing option for those wanting to follow the tournament.
Streaming Options with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+
For those preferring to stream, PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ offers exclusive coverage starting at 7:30 a.m. ET on Thursday. In addition to the main broadcast feed, PGA Tour Live will feature exclusive featured group and featured hole coverage throughout the day, allowing viewers to follow specific players or challenging holes. A subscription to ESPN+ is required to access this streaming service. ESPN+ provides access to a wide range of PGA Tour events.
Thursday’s Round 1 Tee Times
Here are the scheduled tee times for the first round of the 2026 Valspar Championship, all times Eastern:
Tee No. 1
- 7:35 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Justin Lower, Max McGreevy
- 7:46 a.m. – Brandt Snedeker, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Takumi Kanaya
- 7:57 a.m. – Thorbjørn Olesen, Chandler Phillips, Hank Lebioda
- 8:08 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Nick Taylor, Aaron Rai
- 8:19 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Cam Davis, Patrick Rodgers
- 8:30 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Davis Thompson, Matt Kuchar
- 8:41 a.m. – Joe Highsmith, Davis Riley, Pierceson Coody
- 8:52 a.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Eric Cole, Kevin Roy
- 9:03 a.m. – Chad Ramey, Andrew Putnam, Luke Guthrie
- 9:14 a.m. – Jeremy Paul, A.J. Ewart, Gordon Sargent
- 9:25 a.m. – John Parry, John VanDerLaan, Marcelo Rozo
- 12:30 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Gary Woodland, Adam Hadwin
- 12:41 p.m. – Taylor Moore, Beau Hossler, Joel Dahmen
- 12:52 p.m. – Peter Malnati, Nicolai Højgaard, Marco Penge
- 1:03 p.m. – Sam Ryder, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick
- 1:14 p.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Wyndham Clark, Jordan Spieth
- 1:25 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau
- 1:36 p.m. – Max Homa, Kevin Streelman, Danny Walker
- 1:47 p.m. – Vince Whaley, Kristoffer Reitan, Johnny Keefer
- 1:58 p.m. – David Skinns, Dan Brown, Davis Chatfield
- 2:09 p.m. – Jordan Smith, David Ford, Greg Koch
- 2:20 p.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Jimmy Stanger, Tyler Wilkes
Tee No. 10
- 7:40 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Charley Hoffman, Danny Willett
- 7:51 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Matti Schmid, S.H. Kim
- 8:02 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Denny McCarthy, Austin Smotherman
- 8:13 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka, Corey Conners
- 8:24 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay
- 8:35 a.m. – Ricky Castillo, J.J. Spaun, Billy Horschel
- 8:46 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Karl Vilips, Sungjae Im
- 8:57 a.m. – Lee Hodges, Mark Hubbard, Henrik Norlander
- 9:08 a.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Tom Kim, Zac Blair
- 9:19 a.m. – Jesper Svensson, Zach Bauchou, Jeffrey Kang
- 9:30 a.m. – Kris Ventura, Kensei Hirata, Adrien Saddier
- 12:25 p.m. – Austin Eckroat, Doug Ghim, David Lipsky
- 12:36 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Seamus Power, Rasmus Højgaard
- 12:47 p.m. – Adam Svensson, Michael Kim, Bud Cauley
- 12:58 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Stephan Jaeger, Lucas Glover
- 1:09 p.m. – Adam Schenk, Kevin Yu, Webb Simpson
- 1:20 p.m. – Garrick Higgo, Taylor Pendrith, Ryo Hisatsune
- 1:31 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Dylan Wu, Mac Meissner
- 1:42 p.m. – Nick Dunlap, Rico Hoey, Chandler Blanchet
- 1:53 p.m. – Zecheng Dou, Jackson Suber, Neal Shipley
- 2:04 p.m. – Paul Peterson, Paul Waring, Blades Brown
- 2:15 p.m. – Patrick Fishburn, Isaiah Salinda, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
- 2:26 p.m. – Alejandro Tosti, Luke Clanton, Pontus Nyholm
The first round of the Valspar Championship promises an exciting day of golf, with a strong field vying for position on a challenging course. Fans can follow all the action through Golf Channel’s television coverage and the comprehensive streaming options available on PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. The tournament continues through Sunday, with the final round determining the 2026 Valspar Championship winner.
Further updates and complete tournament results will be available on the official PGA Tour website: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.
What are your predictions for the Valspar Championship? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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