The PGA Tour remains in Florida this week for the Valspar Championship, as players make the short trip across the state to tackle one of the most demanding layouts on the regular schedule.
Hosted at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, the tournament has built a reputation as one of the trickier non-major tests on the PGA Tour calendar.
Despite the absence of the biggest names following last week’s flagship event at The Players Championship, the Valspar often produces dramatic leaderboards and unpredictable finishes.
The course rewards patience, precision and strong iron play, while the brutal closing stretch – known as the Snake Pit – regularly determines the champion late on Sunday.
Recent winners highlight just how varied the skillsets of champions here can be. Players such as Viktor Hovland, Peter Malnati, Ryan Moore, Sam Burns and Paul Casey have all triumphed here in recent years.
Typically, it has been a mix of elite ball-strikers and streaky putters, which shows just how chaotic this event can be.
Valspar Championship 2026 key information, prize money and how to watch
The Valspar Championship has been a regular stop on the PGA Tour schedule since 2000.
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort measures 7,352 yards and plays to a par 71. Despite the modest yardage, the layout often plays significantly longer than the scorecard suggests, thanks to doglegs, narrow tree-lined fairways and a collection of long par-3s.
The course features 74 bunkers and water hazards on nine holes, while the greens are small and difficult to hit in regulation. With driving distance typically well below the PGA Tour average here, precision and positioning off the tee are far more valuable than brute power.
The closing stretch of 16, 17 and 18 forms the infamous ‘Snake Pit', one of the most challenging three-hole sequences on the PGA Tour. Historically, no winner of this event has played the Snake Pit better than even par for the week.
- Venue: Copperhead Course, Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Florida, US
- Dates: Thursday 19th March to Sunday 22nd March
- Total Prize Purse: Approximately £6.5 million
- Winner’s Prize Money: Approximately £900,000
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event
- Broadcast Times:
Thursday to Sunday from 11:30am - Tee Times: Can be found here
If you're new to golf betting, check out our guide on how to pick a winner when betting on golf using statistics, form and course history
What does it take to win at Copperhead? Key statistics and angles
On paper, the Valspar Championship can seem pretty unpredictable, as recent winners range from elite ball-strikers to players known more for their putting prowess.
However, when digging into the profiles of champions at Copperhead, a consistent theme emerges: players typically arrive showing spike approach play and spike putting form.
The course places a heavy emphasis on controlling iron distances and scrambling around small greens. At the same time, players who find form with the putter on Poa surfaces tend to rise quickly up the leaderboard.
Despite measuring just over 7,300 yards, Copperhead plays significantly tougher than most venues due to its five par-3 holes, four of which measure more than 200 yards. These long par-3s rank among the most difficult holes on the course each year and place extra emphasis on long-iron play.
The closing Snake Pit stretch adds another layer of volatility. Holes 16 through 18 consistently rank among the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour, meaning tournaments here are rarely over until the final putt drops on Sunday.
Another interesting trend is the crossover form seen at several specific venues. Nearly every Valspar winner over the past decade has posted strong results at a similar group of courses known for rewarding elite ball-striking and precision.
Key Statistics to win at Copperhead:
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Par-3 Scoring
- Par-4 Scoring (400–450 yards)
- Proximity: 175–200 yards, 200+ yards
- Good Drives / Lean on Accuracy
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green
- Putting on Poa surfaces
Ultimately, the profile points toward players who can control their irons, avoid big numbers and take advantage of limited scoring opportunities, while hoping the putter cooperates across the week.
Correlated Courses to consider:
Several venues consistently show crossover success with the Valspar Championship.
- Pebble Beach – Pebble Beach Pro-Am
- Harbour Town – RBC Heritage
- Riviera CC – Genesis Invitational
- Sedgefield CC – Wyndham Championship
- CC of Jackson – Sanderson Farms
- Colonial – Charles Schwab Challenge
The correlation is remarkably consistent. Every winner since Jordan Spieth claimed the title in 2015 has recorded a strong finish at several of these venues.
These links suggest that elite iron players who have already shown form at these strategic venues often translate that success to Copperhead.
Here Are Six Tips To Win Big in Golf Betting
Valspar Championship 2026 Betting Tips and Predictions
The betting market for the Valspar Championship is headed by Xander Schauffele, who is currently installed as the 12/1 favourite after another consistent start to the PGA Tour season.
Next in the market is defending champion Viktor Hovland at around 16/1, with the Norwegian returning to the Copperhead Course looking to successfully defend the title he captured here 12 months ago.
Former US Open champion and last week's runner-up Matt Fitzpatrick sits close behind at roughly 20/1, rounding out a competitive betting market for the final event of the Florida Swing.
Selections for this week will focus on players whose recent form and statistical profiles align closely with the winning trends at Copperhead, particularly those showing strong ball-striking.
Brooks Koepka – 25/1 each-way (8 places)
Brooks Koepka is yet to truly challenge since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, but his irons are dialled in right now, and this could well be the place he breaks back through.
Indeed, the five-time major champion currently ranks third on Tour for SG: Approach and fifth for SG: T2G, and is arriving this week on the back of successive top-15 finishes – a T13 at The Players Championship and a T9 at the Cognizant Classic. He was also 12th here in 2022 on his last appearance here.
I’ve held off backing Koepka for a few tournaments now, but he will no doubt want to head into The Masters in the best possible shape, and a win before Augusta would provide a huge confidence boost.
He’s also not receiving sponsor invites as part of his return to the PGA Tour, so opportunities like this feel particularly important if he wants to re-establish himself near the top of the game.
Three elite ball-striking performances in four starts suggest the pieces are coming together, so eventually, the putter should stabilise, and that feels like the biggest thing currently holding him back.
Back Koepka to win the Valspar Championship at 25/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Betfair
Ryo Hisatsune – 40/1 each-way (6 places)
After putting Ryo Hisatsune up at 160/1 for the The Players Championship last week, this number admittedly doesn’t feel quite as generous, but there is still plenty to like.
Firstly, his form. The 23-year-old is quietly one of the hotter players on Tour right now. His T13 at TPC Sawgrass was his fourth top-15 of the season, following a runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier in the year. He also ranked first in the field for Greens in Regulation last week, underlining just how sharp his irons currently are. A T8 at Pebble Beach also ticks one of the strong correlated course boxes.
His past curse form is another positive. Hisatsune finished fourth here last year, suggesting the demands of Copperhead clearly suit his game, and he arguably arrives in even better nick.
There’s also the added motivation of chasing a debut appearance at The Masters. Currently sitting just outside the world’s top 50, the Japan native will likely need a strong finish here or at the Houston Open next week to secure that invite.
It would be frustrating to jump off now, given how close he appears to a breakthrough.
Back Hisatsune to win the Valspar Championship at 40/1 each-way with six places on offer at Sporting Index
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Max Homa – 55/1 each-way (8 places)
Max Homa is backed here somewhat through gritted teeth.
Life on the PGA Tour has been difficult for the six-time winner over the past year or two, but there have at least been glimpses that the game is starting to trend back in the right direction.
He has made five of six cuts in 2026, with his best result a T13 at the Cognizant Classic.
Course correlations also offer encouragement. Homa is a winner at Riviera Country Club, one of the strongest crossover venues with Copperhead, while he finished sixth here in 2021.
Crucially, it’s his long-iron play that looks particularly sharp at the moment. He currently ranks fourth on Tour for proximity from 200-225 yards, a stat that should prove valuable given the number of long approaches and lengthy par-3s at Copperhead.
If the putter warms up even slightly, he could easily outperform these odds.
Back Homa to win the Valspar Championship at 55/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Betfair
Austin Smotherman – 60/1 each-way (7 places)
After following up a withdrawal through injury at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with an impressive T13 at The Players Championship last week, Austin Smotherman makes plenty of appeal at these odds.
He also ranked first in the field for Greens in Regulation at Sawgrass, highlighting just how strong his ball-striking was throughout the week.
A two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner last season, Smotherman has already shown he is capable of making the step up to the PGA Tour level. Earlier results this year include a T8 at the American Express and a runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic.
Statistically, his profile looks almost tailor-made for Copperhead.
He currently ranks: 1st on the entire Tour for SG: Approach, 6th for Par-3 scoring, 8th for Greens in Regulation, and 17th for approaches from 200+ yards.
Those numbers suggest he has exactly the sort of long-iron and tee-to-green game required to contend at Copperhead this week.
Back Smotherman to win the Valspar Championship at 60/1 each-way with seven places on offer at Fitzdares
Bud Cauley – 90/1 each-way (6 places)
At a bigger price, Bud Cauley makes plenty of appeal at around 90/1 in a field lacking the very top tier of PGA Tour talent.
Cauley finished fourth here last year, showing that the strategic demands of Copperhead suit his eye, and he also boasts encouraging correlated form.
That includes a T14 at the CC of Jackson, one of the stronger crossover venues with the Valspar, as well as a third-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he finished ahead of the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Hisatsune.
Admittedly, his strong run last year was sparked by a T6 at the Players Championship, which kick-started a stretch of excellent form, but perhaps a return to Copperhead can have a similar effect this season.
It’s also easy to forget that only last year did Cauley properly return to playing full-time on the PGA Tour after a serious injury ruled him out for several seasons. Before that setback, he was widely viewed as one of the top young talents in American golf.
With his game gradually trending in the right direction again, Cauley is a name worth keeping on the radar for a breakthrough win this season, and this feels like one of the venues where he could seriously contend.
Back Cauley to win the Valspar Championship at 90/1 each-way with six places on offer at BetMGM
Lewis joined as News and Features Editor in July 2025, having previously held senior roles at Snack Media and GRV Media. He has also written extensively as a football and golf tipster for WeLoveBetting. He is also a proud Aldershot Town supporter.
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