Golf
Valspar Championship preview: Mav can have his way in Florida
After an eventful month on the East Coast, the Florida Swing comes to a close with the Valspar Championship, at one of the PGA Tour’s most coveted courses.
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort plays host to the action, boasting 7,340 yards and 18 testing holes, around which low scores will be hard to come by and slip-ups tough to avoid.
Taking advantage of the extra par 5 and staying clear of errors on the shorter holes will be key this week and we have two selections whom we think fit the bill to a tee.
Find our selections for the Valspar Championship below.
Doug Ghim 50/1
Doug Ghim is certainly not a household name just yet on the PGA Tour, but this season he is certainly turning a few heads with his performances and could be one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
The 27-year-old American played 31 PGA Tour events last season, making the cut in only 16 of those and never troubling the dizzying heights of the top 10 places. In 2024, however, after starting the season with two missed cuts, Ghim has really turned it on.
His T16 at The Players last weekend was his joint worst – yes, worst – finish since his third outing of the season. In his last five appearances Ghim has two T16s to his name, along with a T13, T12 and season’s best T8 at the Mexico Open.
Not only is he generally playing some great golf, but he is also doing it in all the right areas to suggest that he will go well at a course which requires accurate long hitting and approach play. Ghim boasts the best par 5 scoring average on the Tour this season, as well as ranking 18th for approaches from 175-200 yards, a position players find themselves in frequently at the Copperhead Course.
He is no stranger to the course having played in the past two renewals of this tournament, finishing a respectable 27th last year. Ghim has been in and around the top of the leaderboard in his past five appearances and, at 50/1, could provide great value to finish in the 8 places available with William Hill.
Maverick McNealy 66/1
Maverick McNealy is another rising star, making a name for himself last season when he managed four T10 finishes in his first eight outings last season; although he went on to finish the year in less than impressive fashion.
He has started 2024 as he will mean to go on, recording a T13, T9 and T6 finish in his last four appearances. He has performed well enough on the recent Florida Swing to suggest that the Valspar will be a tournament that suits his style, with his short game more in focus than the aforementioned Ghim.
Scrambling could be key to avoiding blowup holes, which in such a tightly contested event will be crucial to staying in touch. McNealy is one of the best when it comes to scrambling, ranking second on the Tour for his 72.57% par or better rate. That ties in nicely with his ranking of second for strokes gained around the green, with his total strokes gained an impressive 10th on the Tour.
His long hitting is by no means a weakness and nor can it afford to be if he is to make good value of his 66/1 odds this week. When combining the key stats which indicate success at this tournament (Par-5 Scoring, Proximity to the hole from 175+ yards, and Strokes Gained Putting), McNeally is one of just nine players that rank above average in all of these areas.
The young American, who recently earned his pilot’s license, will be hoping to fly nicely into the 8 places available with William Hill, and he has every chance of landing himself in top spot come Sunday evening.
