Wow! What a finish at The Players Championship… Scottie Scheffler has proved time and time again he’s the best golfer in the world. A Sunday 64 with a stiff neck and 5-shot deficit on one of golf’s biggest stages is about as gutsy as it gets. Fortunately for the golfers making the trip south from TPC Sawgrass, Scheffler will not be joining them for the Valspar Championship.
The field for the 2024 Valspar Championship is relatively stacked compared to past tournaments. Xander Schauffele headlines as the favorite, but 2-time winner Sam Burns and best friends Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are right behind Xander. Regardless of who it is, expect an exciting finish. Other than 2021, every Valspar Championship in the last 10 years finished in either a playoff or a win by 1 stroke. Should be a great Sunday!
The Course: Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort
Even against Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass, and PGA National, the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort may actually be the toughest course on the Florida Swing. In most years, a score of -10 will win this event. The par 71 course is not overly long, but the incredibly tight and tree-lined fairways force a lot of layups. From there, long approach shots into challenging green complexes will make birdies hard to come by.
With that being said, Par 5 scoring will be VERY important for success. If a golfer can birdie 2 or 3 of the Par 5s, the other 14 holes will be more focused on managing the golf course and limiting mistakes. I fully expect golfers to really focus on these 4 holes, as these few scoring opportunities will determine the winner. I have my eyes on a few golfers that have found and should find success at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.
Best Bets: Valspar Championship
Sam Burns (+1200)
Sam Burns absolutely LOVES the Valspar Championship. He came into Copperhead in 2023 as a back-to-back champion. Solo 6th may have been disappointing, but Burns is back to win for the 3rd time this go around.
With Par 5 scoring being so important, rest assured that Sam Burns is 8th on Tour. This is primarily due to his overall strong game. You’ll have a hard time locating a weak link in Burns’ game. His putting is unbelievable, as he has yet to lose strokes in 2024 or the 5 times he’s played the Valspar. His ball-striking is also incredibly strong, gaining strokes in both Off the Tee and Approaching the Green in 5 consecutive events.
With the stats, course history, and current form in mind, I personally believe Sam Burns should be the favorite this week. Getting him at 12-1 compared to Xander at 7-1 seems like a steal. He is elite at every level of the game, and is headed to a course he’s won twice at in the last 3 years. Sign me up!
Lucas Glover (+6000)
It’s very clear what you get when you bet on Lucas Glover. He will be one of the best in the field at getting the ball to the green. After that, what will most likely follow is heartbreak and an empty wallet. But I’m here for it!
In all seriousness, I do like Glover’s chances to compete at Copperhead. He comes in with good form, gaining strokes from Tee to Green in 5 straight events (4 of those being Signature and Elevated Events). The putter, as usual, has kept him out of contention in 2024. Luckily for Glover, he has had mixed results on the green at the Valspar. He’s gained strokes putting 6 times at Copperhead, something he can’t say for probably 90% of the courses he’s played.
At 60-1, you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for; an elite ball striker who simply can’t buy a putt, but every now and then strikes gold. Just like it happened at the end of the 2023 season, Glover is bound to get hot with the putter at some point. For how strong the rest of Glover’s game is, I think he is worth a look and just hope this is one of those weeks!
Chan Kim (+20000, +1600 Top 10)
Welcome to the Big Show Chan Kim! For those of you unfamiliar to Chan’s game, he’s got quite a bit of it. He got Tour status through the Korn Ferry Tour, mostly because of his back-to-back wins in August. While he’s never made it to full Tour status, he’s played on and off through the years of destroying it over in Asia, including 12 major appearances over the last 7 years.
His time through almost 3 months on Tour has been very telling. His putter can run very hot or very cold. He is accurate off the tee, and his approach play is very consistent. So far, Kim seems to be very consistent at getting to the green, and more often than not, the putter is hot to finish things off.
As he showed in August, Chan Kim can win a professional event against some of the world’s best. While the PGA is another step further, his T8 in Mexico shows he’s more than capable of competing at this level. I like a small bet on Kim to win, but really favor the Top 10 value. The good finish in Mexico is the first of many for Chan Kim!