Rafael Guillén
We are still in Florida, but now we are going to Palm Harbor for the Valspar Championship, which promises to have a very crowded field. However, it will not count with the present of Scottie Scheffler, the new world number one,who won the Players Championship with an impressive play style, with a 5-stroke lead, leaving Spain’s Jon Rahm in second place.
Neither will be at the Valspar Championship, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be great golfers at all. The level will be high, as many of the participants in The Players seek to continue improving their performance to better compete in the Masters, which is just around the corner.
It is the last tournament to be played in Florida in this PGA Tour. It will be played at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, which has four courses. However, this tournament will be held at the Copperhead Course, which is not as complicated as the TPC Sawgrass. This field is friendlier, but still has its complexity.
The fairways are wider, and the greens are not as slippery as the TPC ones. This improves the game quality, which is why many players decided to go to the Valspar Championship to continue fine-tuning and finding their best golf.
Without further introduction, JefeBet presents you the favorites of this tournament, which seems to be quite interesting due to the quality of golfers in the field. Not having Scheffler and Rahm in the field relieves some pressure, which means that the golfers will play looser than expected.
Predictions, Odds, and Betting Previews for the Valspar Championship PGA Tour Event to be Held on March 13–19 2023
- Where: Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club – Palm Harbor, Florida
- When: Monday, March 13 – Sunday, March 19
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Favorites
Justin Thomas (Odds +1100 at DraftKings)
He had a great Phoenix Open where he finished fourth, but he was inconsistent at both the Genesis and the Arnold Palmer, which has been his problem all season. In fact, when the pressure is on, he has failed to connect.
Without Rory, Sheffler, and Rahm in the field, golfers can let loose. He hasn’t played that much on the PGA Tour this season, so he hasn’t quite found his rhythm. The Players was a good test, since in Bay Hill he played very conservatively. You know what people say: first you gain confidence, and then you take risks.
Jordan Spieth (Odds +1200 at DraftKings)
He has lurched this season. However, when performs well, he tends to show signs of that play style that made him win the Masters in 2015. In that season, his level was spectacular. In fact, that same year he won the Velspar Championship, so he knows this course very well.
At the Arnold Palmer, at one point, he threatened to take the tournament. However, he faltered during the third round. This is a regular pattern for him, and sometimes he doesn’t recover for such a bad performance, like in the 2016 Masters. He made up some ground at Bay Hill, but finished fourth. If he comes out connected, he could join that group of 4 golfers who have won this tournament twice.
Sam Burns (Odds +1600 at DraftKings)
He had a great Phoenix Open where he finished sixth, but he could not keep up the level neither at the Genesis nor at the Arnold Palmer. In both tournaments, he missed the cut, since the pressure of the competition took its toll.
But he looked much better at The Players, since he started with a great 68 in the first round, but then faded little by little. He is the current two-time defending champion of the Valspar Championship, winning it in 2021 and 2022. Without the big names in the field, and with his knowledge of every corner of the greens, he could think about a three-time championship if he manages to connect.
Sleeper Picks
Justin Rose (Odds +2500 at DraftKings)
He seems to have found another speed in his game. This year he has been quite consistent, and tournament by tournament, he is taking his game to the next level. In the Players, he finished in the top 10, for everyone’s surprise. He could have been higher, but he still needs to refine his game a little bit, because his second and fourth rounds were rather weak.
His performance at Pebble Beach, on the contrary, was wonderful. He won the tournament shooting an -18. That day, his short game was almost perfect, since the 65 in the third round has been his best moment this season. If he can replicate it, he may take the Velspar Championship.
Dark Horse
Tommy Fleetwood (Odds +2500 at DraftKings)
Since his participation in the CJ Cup, where he finished fourth, he has not been able to finish in the Top 10, and has only shot in the negative at the Genesis Invitational. The Englishman’s talent is not in doubt, but it has not been his best year. It would be a big surprise if he connects and wins the Velspar Championship.
JefeBet Prediction
Jordan Spieth is making a bit of a comeback, and we believe that he will lift the trophy in Florida for the 14th title of his career, due to his knowledge of the course and his more controlled handling of emotions. This will be a perfect moment to win and recover sensations a few weeks before the Masters.
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