Valspar Championship 2024: Course and current form stats

• Testing parkland layout, with tight tree-lined fairways

• Time for Thomas 12/113.00 to win again

• Go for Ghim 50/151.00 as a higher-priced [e/w] option

Tournament and Course Notes

• The PGA Tour has travelled 220 miles south-west from Ponte Vedra, to tee-up at Innisbrook Resort close to Florida's western coast. This week's Valspar Championship takes place approximately 25 miles north-west of Tampa city centre, with Innisbrook's Copperhead Course hosting the event for a 23rd time.

• Starting out as the Tampa Bay Classic in 2000, the event changed names on a number of occasions before Valspar took over as title sponsor 10 years ago. There was no tournament in 2001, because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, while the 2020 event was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic;

• Despite being a resort course, the Larry Packard-designed parkland layout is one of the most testing on the PGA Tour calendar. Opened in 1974, Copperhead was given a facelift nine years ago when greens, tees and bunkers were all re-built.

• Although putting surfaces were slightly enlarged during this upgrade, with the purpose of creating a greater variety of pin positions, they remain about average size for PGA Tour events.

• A number of bunkers were repositioned, while the pros will be tested by a handful of subtle dog-legs on these fairly tight and gently undulating tree-lined fairways. Water comes into play on six holes.

• During the past couple of years, the rough has been grown higher and brought closer to putting surfaces.

• Fourteen of Copperhead's last 20 champions were no worse than fifth at the half-way mark.

Latest betting for this week's Valspar Championship

Good Current Form

'Top seed' Xander Schauffele 8/19.00 is fast becoming the nearly man of world golf, having narrowly missed out on a number of prestigious titles over the past few years.

Seven times he has finished inside the top-six of a major and, on Sunday, he tied-second at TPC Sawgrass for the second time in his career.

That said, he's posted three top-four finishes so far in 2024 and his most recent victory on the PGA Tour came 20 months ago.

On his sole appearance at Innisbrook, two years ago, he tied-12th.

Current Open champion Brian Harman 20/121.00 was also a joint runner-up at the weekend, which followed on from his tie-for-12th seven days earlier.

His best finish at Innisbrook is fifth, although there have been six missed cuts from nine visits.

Keith Mitchell 40/141.00 has played solidly during the early weeks of 2024 but has greater potential as an each-way candidate than that of a champion - for this week at least.

And if you're seeking a bigger-priced e/w option, then head down to world No 118 Doug Ghim 50/151.00 whose last five starts have all yielded top-16 finishes.

In eight weeks, the 27-year-old has moved 99 spots up the World Ranking.

Latest betting for next month's Masters Tournament

Good Course Form

There are few course specialists teeing-up this week.

The main exceptions are two-time winner Sam Burns 10/111.00 and Justin Thomas 12/113.00. Both pros have made reasonable starts to the year.

Burns has had four top-10s in seven starts, while Thomas has posted four T12s from six.

Two-time major champion Thomas last won on the PGA Tour 22 months ago, yet he doesn't appear to be too far away from another victory.

Stroke Averages

Lowest 10 At Innisbrook (2017-23)

Average .... (Rounds)
68.85: Sam Burns (20)
69.36: Justin Thomas (14)
69.78: Adam Hadwin (18)
69.92: Matt Kuchar (12)
70.25: Brandt Snedeker (12)
70.38: Keegan Bradley (16)
70.38: Stewart Cink (16)
70.45: Scott Stallings (20)
70.50: Jhonattan Vegas (10)
70.61: Webb Simpson (18)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves.

Note: No tournament in 2020 due to Covid pandemic.

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