2025 Valspar Championship: Field, Prop Picks, and Best Bets
The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing continues with the Valspar Championship, set to begin Thursday at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. While it may not carry the same prestige as Bay Hill or TPC Sawgrass from earlier this month, the Copperhead course at Innisbrook is a favorite among players, offering a challenging layout and plenty of history. The field for this year’s tournament features some of the Tour’s top stars, including Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas. As the 2025 season picks up steam, golf fans are eager to see who will rise to the occasion.
Tournament Details:
- Location: Palm Harbor, Florida, March 20-23
- Course: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (Par 71, 7,352 yards)
- Purse: $8.7 million (Winner: $1.566 million)
- Defending Champion: Peter Malnati
- FedExCup Leader: Rory McIlroy
How to Follow:
- TV Coverage:
- Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App), 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
- Streaming (ESPN+):
- Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
- Saturday-Sunday: 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
- Social Media: @ValsparChamp
Prop Picks:
- Sam Burns to Beat Xander Schauffele (+110 at DraftKings): Despite a rough start to the season, Burns has excelled at Copperhead in the past and will look to capitalize on his familiarity with the course.
- Corey Conners Top 20 Finish (+120 at BetRivers): Conners has been in solid form lately with two top-10 finishes at notable events, making him a strong candidate for a top-20 finish at the Valspar.
Best Bets:
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1100 at DraftKings): Fleetwood has been consistent across worldwide events and is still in search of his first U.S. victory.
- Xander Schauffele (+1200): Despite struggling since his return from a rib injury, Schauffele’s strong finish here last year and his ranking as the highest in the field make him a dangerous contender.
- Sepp Straka (+1600): With a solid start to the season, including a win at the AmEx and a top-5 at Bay Hill, Straka is a strong pick to continue his momentum.
- Justin Thomas (+2000): Thomas has performed well in recent tournaments and is fond of Copperhead, where he hopes to break his winless streak since the 2022 PGA Championship.
- Sam Burns (+2200): A two-time Valspar winner, Burns is hoping to reclaim his past success at this event, despite some mixed results this season.
- Michael Kim (+3000): Kim’s solid start to the year shows promise, although fatigue could be a factor after a missed cut at The Players.
- Corey Conners (+3500): A two-time Tour winner, Conners has been competitive in recent weeks and leads the field in betting percentages.
- Lucas Glover (+6000): After a strong T3 finish at The Players, Glover is one to watch at Copperhead.
Tournament Notes:
- 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking will compete, including eight of the top 25.
- The ninth hole will play from the No. 11 tee this year to increase length and bring bunkers into play.
- Defending champion Peter Malnati aims to become the third player in the last seven years to successfully defend his title, joining Paul Casey and Sam Burns.
- Neal Shipley, last year’s low amateur at the Masters, and Luke Clanton, who earned an exemption by winning the 2024 Valspar Collegiate Invitational, are both in the field.
- Vijay Singh set the tournament’s scoring record of 266 in 2004, while Padraig Harrington holds the 18-hole record with a 61 from 2012.
As the Valspar Championship gets underway, the Copperhead course promises exciting challenges and memorable moments as players vie for the coveted title and share of the $8.7 million purse.
