The PGA Tour draws to a close this week on its traditional Florida swing with the staging of the Valspar Championship, one of the events most highly rated by players on the calendar. The tournament is held at the ever-demanding Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, a layout that rewards accuracy off the tee and will once again attract a high-quality field.
The event will feature seven players in the world top 20, led by Xander Schauffele, who arrives after finishing third at THE PLAYERS. Alongside him are names such as Viktor Hovland, the defending champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka, all at different points in their form but with reasons to contend for the title.
Hovland returns to the scene of his seventh PGA Tour victory after finishing 13th at Sawgrass, on a course where there have been recent instances of champions defending their title. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, is enjoying a good start to the season, with three top-15s in six tournaments and a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS, where he briefly led at the 17th hole before yielding to Cameron Young.
Also arriving with confidence is Justin Thomas, who has carefully managed his comeback after back surgery and comes off a top-10 at TPC Sawgrass. Koepka, for his part, is continuing to regain his feel after a modest start to the year, although he has strung together improved results with a top-10 at PGA National and a top-15 at THE PLAYERS.
Among the notable names are also Rickie Fowler, returning to the tournament for the first time since 2010, and the young Akshay Bhatia, who arrives in form after his win at Bay Hill and a top-15 at Sawgrass. The field will also include past champions such as Jordan Spieth (2015) and Taylor Moore (2023).
The Valspar will also spotlight young talents such as Blades Brown, just 18 years old, who earned his spot after finishing third in Puerto Rico, and Luke Clanton, who finished fifth in the same event.
As for the invitations, notable is the presence of Adam Hadwin, the 2017 winner, who is looking to regain his form after losing his status on the tour last season. Also set to compete are veterans such as Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker, both with a very strong record around this course.
The Copperhead Course, a par-71 of 7,352 yards designed by Larry Packard, is known for its demanding closing stretch, the famous “Snake Pit”, three holes that often decide the tournament and where any mistake is costly.
In play, in addition to prestige, there will be 500 points of the FedExCup for the winner, at a key point in the calendar, as the results from these weeks can open the door to upcoming Signature Events, such as the RBC Heritage.
The historical benchmark is Vijay Singh‘s 266 (2004) as the tournament record and the 61 posted by Padraig Harrington in 2012. Everything is therefore set for a Valspar Championship that will bring the Florida swing to a close with a mix of established stars, emerging youngsters and a course that never gives anything away.
