The golf gods giveth and taketh. 

How else can you explain the last two PGA tournaments. 

Matt Fitzpatrick (Titleist Pro V1x) wins the Valspar Championship by one stroke after losing the Players Championship seven days before by one stroke. 

Fitzpatrick was gracious in defeat, so perhaps he was rewarded for his good sportsmanship.  

But if I’m honest, I wanted Brandt Snedeker (Bridgestone Tour B X) to win.

Wouldn’t it have been great if the 45-year-old turned back the clock and won. He entered the final day in the last pairing with Sungjae Im (Titleist Pro V1x), who had the lead. But both faltered. Im, who shot three-over par was done early in the front nine, including bogeys on four of the first six holes, and shot four-over par and tied for fourth. His payday was $382,958. The South Korean with the funky knee bend before swinging became the latest leader this season heading into the final round to squander a lead. Nonetheless, he is still getting into playing shape following an injury. I’m sure he will win at some point.

I’m not sure about Snedeker. It was a marvelous image off him holding the Tour Championship in 2014, but that was eons ago. Gone are the long, blond locks and the victories. It was a real feel-good story entering the final day. Snedeker talked of having fun on the final day, part of a new attitude, and trusting his new putter, the TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet, foregoing his Odyssey Rossie White House XG. But he blew up on the back nine, shooting five-over par. He finished T18 and won $108,290.

“It’s frustrating, it sucks,” he told the media when asked about his finish. “All the good stuff this week kind of feels like I threw it away today."

“But that’s part of golf. That’s why I love this challenge. I’ll come back next week, try to figure out what I did wrong, and try to fix it.”

He last won in 2018 in the Wyndham Championship, which he’s won twice, and his results show more missed cuts than paydays. He’s been through a lot, including various injuries, and began the 2026 PGA season on conditional status.

There was talk on the Golf Channel about Snedeker’s $10 million payout winning the 2014 Tour Championship. Apparently, he bought a refrigerator with a built-in device to produce ice chips. Those salad days are long over. He’s actually on the back nine of his career and I’m sure he’s looking forward to the Champions Tour.

Snedeker is scheduled to be Captain of Team USA in the Presidents Cup in September in Chicago.

Look, the PGA Tour is really a young man’s game. There are so many players coming direct from university with technically strong games and without anything on their mind except golfing. The talent pool is greater than ever. The likelihood of someone winning past age 40 is razor thin, notwithstanding the ageless Justin Rose (Titleist Pro V1x).

THIS AND THAT:

• Tony Finau is clearly struggling, but I dig the look of his footwear.

• I thought for sure Brooks Koepka (Srixon Z-Star Diamond) would finish among the leaders last week, but his putting needs to be better. I think he’ll win this year, just not sure when.

• Nelly Korda (TaylorMade TP5x) is clearly having a bounce-back year. She’s also due for a win.

• The Masters is approaching and I’m looking out my window and it’s snowing.

• I also felt bad for David Lipsky, who finished second. The 37-year-old Lipsky (Titleist Pro V1x) has yet to win a PGA Tour tournament, though he’s won others in different circuits throughout the world. At some point, perhaps, the golf gods will reward him.

• Isn’t Sam Burns (Callaway Chrome Tour X) due to win, perhaps this week in the Houston Open?

• Why does Xander Schauffele (Callaway Chrome Tour) always seems to fade in the third round and rebound in the last round? Inquiring minds like me want to know.