Golf
The Valspar Championship Preview: Spieth to take the prize at the Copperhead Course?
The Valspar Championship tees off in the rolling hills of Florida, with most of golfing royalty set to attend. Can Sam Burns win it for the third time in a row?
We preview our picks below.
Known for the beautiful weather, still conditions and elite golf, the Valspar Championship doesn’t just bring sporting entertainment. It displays the Floridian culture of sunshine, and the seaside and offers a golfing day out a cut above the rest.
At this year’s tournament, there is a number of favourites, all of which look to have a great chance of sealing victory, and while a number of big names are missing, it will still be a mightily competitive occasion as Major winners compete for the $8,100,000 prize fund.
Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas is the favourite with odds at this year’s Valspar Championship, and it is easy to see why when we consider the calibre of performances he has produced over the last six months.
Up until the Players Championship earlier this month, Thomas hadn’t finished outside of the top 40 this season, taking fifth at the Hero World Challenge, T25 at the Farmers Insurance Open and fourth at the WM Phoenix Open.
Though his Players Championship performance saw him drop to T60, his worst of the season, Thomas has been one of the most consistent this term and has looked on the brink of victory a number of times, most recently at the Phoenix Open when he lost momentum after a fantastic start.
He is 10/1 to triumph here, and if he can maintain his top level for the course of the tournament, there is no reason why he couldn’t win this one comfortably.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth is our pick for victory here in Florida after an up-and-down start to the season that has seen him do everything but win a title.
Playing in eight PGA events so far, Spieth has achieved four top 25 finishes, claiming fourth at the Arnold Palmer invitational and T6 at the WM Phoenix Open, both times looking capable of doing better.
These two results were more than promising for the world number 14, but not making the cut at the Sony Open Hawaii and the Genesis Invitational shows his current ability to miss form completely and struggle to get any rhythm going.
We don’t see it happening here, though, as Spieth’s quality is undeniable, and he is well known for producing in good weather conditions. He has been close to putting it all together in his last outings, and with a weaker field and his biggest threat Justin Thomas on a streak of silly mistakes, we see the second favourite for the victory at 12/1, with a great chance of lifting a long overdue trophy.
Keep an eye out for…
Of course, the other players are going to have something to say about our predictions, and there is a number that could pull out something special and cause an upset. One of the biggest threats to the front runners is the reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick who comes in as the third favourite at 16/1. Also, a threat that can’t be ignored is the reigning champion here in Florida. Sam Burns has won the tournament on the last two occasions, and after a solid start to the season and with odds of 18/1, he will undoubtedly be gunning for his third consecutive win at the Copperhead Course.
