James Mason
Following Rory McIlroy’s dramatic playoff victory at The Players Championship on Monday, the PGA Tour’s ‘Florida Swing’ continues with this week’s Valspar Championship and there are a couple of European Ryder Cup hopefuls that could make a big splash in Palm Harbor.
Established in 2000, the Valspar Championship is staged at the Copperhead Course, an undulating, tree-lined track that demands accuracy on approach and a hot putter. With the last 3 holes nicknamed the ‘Snake Pit’, there is sure to be plenty of thrills and spills as the prospect of winning the tournament comes into clear view. With that in mind, let’s get into my expert predictions for the Valspar Championship, while you can also find out our golf picks for EVERY PGA Tour event this year.
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Valspar Championship golf picks and predictions
Valspar Championship best bet: Nicolai Hojgaard (+10000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
There are 7 previous winners in this week’s Valspar Championship field, including current holder Peter Malnati and 2-time champion Sam Burns, but course form may not count for everything here and tournament debutant Nicolai Hojgaard looks capable of landing a big win that would catch the attention of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Danish ace Hojgaard, who was part of the European team that defeated the USA in Italy 2 years ago, is unrivaled in greens in regulation and 2nd in strokes-gained approach on the PGA Tour this season, evidence of how sharp his approach play has been.
Ranking 22nd in strokes-gained putting and 39th in putting average, the 24-year-old is no slouch on the greens and he has put in some solid performances in recent weeks, notably finishing 8th at the Mexico Open and then tied-18th at Cognizant Classic. At huge 100/1 odds, Hojgaard could be ready to ascend to the top of the mountain and looks worth siding with this week.
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Valspar Championship prediction: Shane Lowry (+2700)
Odds available at Bet365 at time of publishing.
Another Ryder Cup hopeful that could go well this week is Irishman Shane Lowry, who has been showing positive signs of late with his last 5 starts producing results of 2nd, T39th, T11th, 7th and T20th. The 37-year-old ranks in the top 15 for strokes-gained tee-to-green, approach and total, and armed with his masterful short game, it would be no surprise to see him triumph on his 3rd trip to Copperhead, having finished 49th in 2018 and 12th in 2022.
Valspar Championship pick: Corey Conners (+2500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook at time of of publishing.
One final player to keep on side is Canadian Corey Conners, who will also be having his 3rd attempt at winning the Valspar following his top-20 finish in 2018 and his 21st 3 years later. The 33-year-old’s last 2 starts have seen him finish 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied-6th at the Players Championship, with his iron play and putting looking sharp in both events. He clearly has a liking for playing in the Sunshine State and another strong effort is expected.
