Brendan Valdes is stepping away from professional golf to take care of his health.
The former Auburn Tiger announced Wednesday on social media he was taking an indefinite leave of absence to undergo chemotherapy. Valdes, 22, was diagnosed with primary mediastinal lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Before the Korn Ferry Tour season, a mass was discovered on Valdes' chest.
He recently underwent his first round of chemotherapy.
"While a long journey lies ahead, my treatments should have me back on the golf course and completely healthy this year," Valdes wrote on social media.
Valdes finished his collegiate career last spring, being named a Golfweek first-team All-America selection for the second time in his career. He leads Auburn's record books in birdies (558), rounds in the 60s (57) and top-10s (25). His 70.61 career scoring average is second behind current junior and world No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun.
Last year, he made four of 11 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour after turning pro and has full status on the tour for the entirety of 2026. But his focus now is on his health.
"I have endless gratitude for my team of doctors, my family and, most especially, my fiancee Rachel. I'm grateful for all the words of encouragement and I look forward to a return to competition."
"I'll be back!"
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Brendan Valdes stepping away from KFT for cancer treatment
