Brendan Valdes, a rising star on the Korn Ferry Tour, has been diagnosed with primary mediastinal lymphoma and will take an indefinite leave from professional golf to undergo treatment. The 22-year-old, who turned pro last summer after a stellar college career at Auburn, shared the news on social media and has already completed his first round of chemotherapy. He expects to return to the course fully healthy later this year.
Brendan Valdes' promising golf career has been paused by a serious health challenge. The 22-year-old announced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, via social media that he was recently diagnosed with primary mediastinal lymphoma after a mass was discovered in his chest during a medical exam about a month earlier. Entering his first full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, Valdes will remain in Auburn, Alabama, for treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world's leading facilities.
Valdes has already begun chemotherapy, completing his first round, and remains optimistic about his recovery. “Life, like golf, is often unpredictable,” he wrote. “A month ago, I was preparing for the start of my first full season on the Korn Ferry Tour when, during a medical exam, a mass was discovered in my chest. After further testing, I was diagnosed with primary mediastinal lymphoma, requiring me to step away from the Korn Ferry Tour.” He added, “I have recently completed my first round of chemotherapy, and while a long journey lies ahead, my treatments should have me back on the golf course and completely healthy this year.”
A three-time All-American at Auburn University, Valdes helped the Tigers win the 2024 NCAA Championship. He holds school records for career birdies (558), top-10 finishes (25), rounds in the 60s (57), and subpar rounds (81), with a career scoring average of 70.61, second all-time behind Jackson Koivun. Finishing No. 2 in PGA TOUR University, he turned professional in June 2024 and earned a full Korn Ferry Tour card for 2026 by accumulating the most combined points among PGA TOUR U graduates last season.
In his partial 2025 Korn Ferry Tour campaign, Valdes made four of 11 cuts, with a tie for third at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Hiland Dairy Foods and a T-13 at the Wichita Open. He also made all three of his PGA TOUR starts, including a T-20 at the 3M Open.
Valdes has long been involved in cancer advocacy, inspired by the 2015 death of his friend Ian Supra from esophageal cancer. He founded the Brendan Valdes Charity Golf Scramble in Supra's honor, holding its fifth event last December, and has volunteered with the Ian Supra Memorial Foundation. “To raise money for pediatric cancer, that means more than going out and playing well in a major or winning tournaments,” he said previously.
The diagnosis comes shortly after a personal milestone: Valdes proposed to his fiancée, Auburn senior Rachel Gourley, on December 22, 2024, at Niagara Falls. He expressed gratitude to sponsors Callaway and Adidas, PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour staff, his medical team, family, and fiancée. “I’m grateful for all the words of encouragement, and I look forward to a return to competition,” he concluded. “I’ll be back!”
