On the heels of a thrilling Players Championship, the PGA Tour's Florida Swing concludes this week with the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler — fresh off victories at TPC Sawgrass and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill — will not be present. However, a handful of major contenders will be on hand in Palm Harbor — for many, the last competitive tune-up before the Masters begins on April 11.

The Valspar is the first of three non-Signature Events before Augusta, followed by the Texas Children's Houston Open then the Valero Texas Open. The 155-man field will split a $8.4 million total purse, with $1.5 million (and 500 FedExCup points) going to the winner.

Taylor Moore is your defending champion after his final-round 67 held off Adam Schenk in 2023. Moore has made the cut in all seven of his tournaments in 2024.

You can watch or stream the Valspar on PGA Tour Live (via ESPN+), Peacock, and NBC/Golf Channel.

Here's what else you need to know ahead of the Valspar Championship — the 12th event of the 2024 PGA Tour season.

Course notes

Like all the Florida Swing stops, Innisbrook plays among the more difficult venues on the PGA Tour. The Par-71, 7,340-yard Copperhead course includes five par-3s, and the par-5s are barely reachable in two.

Hitting the narrow fairways off the tee will be paramount, as the tree-lined, windy hole layouts present obstructed, angled second shots — from deep rough — if you're out of position (the pine trees and elevation are anomalous to Florida.)

Scrambling will be vital, should those second shots lead you slightly astray. You'll see golfers emphasize accuracy over distance and forego the driver. Top-notch iron wielders like Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth, Adam Hadwin, and Paul Casey have recently triumphed at the Valspar (the former three are in the 2024 field).

The signature characteristic of the course is the Snake Pit — an imposing final stretch that includes two par 4s on No. 16 and No. 18, and a difficult 200-yard par 3 in between.

The favorite: Xander Schauffele (+650, per FanDuel)

Schauffele was a bit too timid down the stretch at the Players, but a T2 is nonetheless impressive. A few more dubs would be fitting, but Schauffele is one of golf's most consistent contenders. His game, predicated on iron play and nifty up-and-downs, projects well for Copperhead, so it's somewhat surprising that he hasn't made an appearance since 2022.

Schauffele, the World No. 5 — the highest ranked played in the Valpsar field — has five top-10 finishes in seven starts in 2024.

Picks!

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
tiger woods rory mcilroy pga tour

Michael Corvo ·

scottie scheffler PGA Tour

Michael Corvo ·

pga tour billy horschel

Michael Corvo ·

Justin Thomas outright (+1400): Thomas is coming off a disappointing missed cut at the Players, though shaky putting was the primary culprit. Thomas' ball-striking and approach game has been perfectly adequate this season, and he remains elite with irons and around the green. JT has finished T13 or better in his last three starts in Palm Harbor. An opportunity to find a groove heading into the majors.

Keegan Bradley top five (+800): Bradley also had a down week with the putter at TPC Sawgrass, but he's generally one of the more stable players in golf. The veteran can easily bounce back with a workmanlike march through Copperhead.

Doug Ghim top 20 (+160): When the Ghim Reaper has been relevant, he's sniffed the top portion of leaderboards. Ghim has finished top 20 in five straight events, including everyone in Florida.

Sam Burns top 40 (-220): Burns — one of the best iron players and scrambled in the world — has feasted at Innisbrook. He won in 2021 and 2022 and finished sixth in 2023. As his fellow Texas Longhorn, Scheffler, has cemented his dominance, Bruns has quietly made 12 straight cuts, including four top-fives this year.

One and Done — Brian Harman (+2200): Harman grinded under pressure to register a T2 at TPC Sawgrass. Harman is a laser-focused competitor — one of the sport's true bulldogs. He's also among its best approach players. Look for the 2023 Open champion to shake off his surprisingly subpar course history at Innisbrook — and last week's disappointment.

Other plausible contenders: Cameron Young, Tony Finau, Lucas Glover, Nick Taylor, Aaron Rai, Brendon Todd, Sam Ryder