– Last Updated on November 20, 2022 10:10 pm
2017 PGA Valspar Championship Prediction and Picks
Ready to bet this weeks on the 2017 PGA Valspar Championship Odds? The PGA pros head back to American soil this week to play the 2017 Valspar Championship at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Florida – a par 71, 7,340 yard track that tests every aspects of a players’ game.
2017 Valspar Championship
When: March 9-12, 2017
Where: Innisbrook Resort – Copperhead Course, Palm Harbor, Florida
Format: 72 holes – Stroke Play
Purse: $6,300,000
Defending Champion: Charl Schwartzel
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For Today
Copperhead is known as a tough but fair track – the winner this week will have to make hay on the three par 5’s that can best be described as some of the easiest holes on the course. Water will be in play on most holes – the 16th, 17th and 18, known as the “snake-pit”, was the fourth toughest concluding stretch on TOUR last year.
All-in-all Copperhead has been one of the most difficult all-around non-major stops the pros see annually. Long iron play will be essential as all but one of the par 4s on the track are 410+ yards. Scrambling stats and an ability to hit greens are also crucial this week.
So, with that in mind who should we keep an extra eye on this week – I have hit on three winners the past four weeks!
Let’s take a look.
2017 PGA Valspar Championship Favorites:
Justin Thomas +800
Thomas has become a weekly threat – period. He enters off a T5 in Mexico – a tournament that saw him flounder just a tad on the weekend. He has two wins on TOUR already this year.
Last time out he led the field in putts per green in regulation and tied for fifth in strokes gained: putting. Right now he is tops on TOUR in par-4 scoring and birdie-or-better percentage and he also sits third in adjusted scoring – superb all-around stats as we head into this week!
He has played this track twice and has finished inside the top 20 both times – T10 in 2015 and T18 last year. Simply put – if this guy is in the field he HAS to be on the radar.
Henrik Stenson +1000
Withdrew half way through last week’s event because of a stomach bug but should be good to go this week – rested and ready to avenge that WD. He has been good on this track recently – a solo fourth in 2015 was followed by a T11 in last year’s edition.
Outside of last week’s disappointment Stenson has been consistently good – top 10s in his six previous starts including three runner-ups – one coming in Dubai a few weeks ago.
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Stenson is one of the best pure ball strikers on the planet and should be able to make some noise on a track that rewards his set of skills.
2017 PGA Valspar Championship Contenders:
Matt Kuchar +2500
Kuchar has been relatively quiet and enters off a T20 last week in Mexico. Now he gets a crack at a track that he’s made the cut in all six trips with three top 15s in his last five appearances.
Overall Kuch has finished inside the top 25 three times this season.
He’s a solid tee-to-green guy and last week ranked third in strokes gained: putting and tied for sixth in driving accuracy – perfect for this track.
Something good is going to happen for Kuchar sooner than later – Innisbrook could be the venue.
Bill Haas +2800
Played well here last year only to lose in a playoff – he also finished T14 in this event in 2014. He has been pretty good on TOUR this year – he had six straight top 20s(five straight top 15s) before a T32 last week in Mexico.
He is the TOUR leader in scrambling which certainly helps and is fourth in adjusted scoring which should also come in handy on this track. On a familiar course and against a slightly watered-down field you have to like Haas this week.
Daniel Berger +2800
2015 Rookie of the Year has joined the next tier of golfers. He finished T11 in this event last year and enters off a T16 against a pretty good field in Mexico. He has been a tad inconsistent so far this year but has top 20s in two of his last three starts overall.
He has zero weaknesses in his overall game – something tells me he contends here this week.
Charles Howell III +3500
Howell is usually on my radar at the beginning of each season but one could make a serious case for him here – he has four top 10s in this event including a T5 last year.
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He had been very good on TOUR before a T52 at the Honda Classic – he connected on seven straight top 15s before that result. He currently sits inside the top 25on TOUR in par-3, par-4 and par-5 scoring; 12th in adjusted scoring and 11th in scoring average.
He hasn’t won in quite some time but against an average at-best field he should contend.
Graham DeLaet +4000
Somehow still hasn’t posted a TOUR win but enters this week in decent form – a T9 at the WMPO, a T17 at the Genesis and a solo 10th at the Honda have DeLaet riding a wave of confidence – he ranked inside the top 10 in the field in strokes gained: putting at both TPC Scottsdale and PGA National.
He is a premier ball striker that has posted a T17-T8-T5 run here in the last four years – with his putter catching fire I’m expecting DeLaet to be a factor this week.
Jason Dufner +4500
Has been playing his best golf in some time – he has finished inside the top 25 in his last three starts overall including a T23 in Mexico last week.
He ranks 14th on TOUR in both driving accuracy and sand saves and he has finished inside the top 25 in his last eight appearances here. Course history and current form have Dufner’s arrow pointing up this week for sure.
2017 PGA Valspar Championship Sleepers (+5000 or higher):
Byeong Hun An +5000
An has been on the radar for a while – it is only a matter of time before he breaks through.
He has spent more of his share of time in Florida – familiarity and a terrific all-around game makes him an intriguing +5000 this week.
Someone from the back of the pack could emerge in this less-than-spectacular field and An is near the top of that list.
Charley Hoffman +6600
Has been playing very well and we all know what can happen when Hoffman gets hot! He enters off a T4 at Riviera – an event he led the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, co-led in par-5 scoring, fourth in proximity, second in scrambling – perfect for this track.
He has four top 25s in this event in the last seven years and is a good bet to improve on that this week.
Stewart Cink +10000
Digging deeper – how about Stewart Cink? He has finished inside the top 30 in three of his last four events played and he has two top 15s here the last six years. At +10000 he may be worth a sprinkle.
2017 PGA Valspar Championship Picks:
I took a hard look at Graham DeLaet this week but settled on Henrik Stenson at +1000. I have ridden some favorites lately with terrific results – why stop now?
My sleeper is Byeong Hun An at +5000. He has been playing too well to not have a victory on TOUR yet. This week’s course should suit his eye making him an intriguing +5000 indeed.
Golf handicapper DAVE B weighs in each week with his top selections. Including top picks and sleepers!
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