2025 Valspar Championship Preview and Free Picks

After an exciting and thrilling O Campeonato dos JOGADORES, where Rory McIlroy claimed the title by defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff, several of the world’s top golfers have stayed in Florida to compete in this week’s Valspar Championship.

The tournament will take place from March 20 to 23 at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida. This course features a par 71 layout and measures 7,340 yards.

Last year’s champion was Peter Malnati, who won by two strokes over Cameron Young. Meanwhile, Sam Burns, Paul Casey, Retief Goosen, and K.J. Choi are the only players to have won this event twice, with Casey and Burns achieving back-to-back victories.

Valspar Championship 2025 Betting Odds and Info

Valspar Championship 2025 Top Contenders

With 24 of the world’s top 50 golfers competing in Palm Harbor, Xander Schauffele is one of the favorites to claim the title, which would be his first of 2025. The American ranked No. 3 in the OWGR, has had a disappointing year so far, finishing 30th at The Sentry, 40th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and 72nd at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Schauffele’s last victory dates back to July 2024, when he won none other than The Open. After that, he secured four top-10 finishes in the five tournaments he played, a stark contrast to his current form. Last year, he finished fifth in this tournament and placed 12th in 2022.

Another key name to watch is Sepp Straka, one of the top-ranked golfers in the world who is having an impressive 2025. He won O Expresso Americano in late January and has secured two additional top-10 finishes this year and a 14th-place result at THE PLAYERS Championship.

However, Straka has struggled at the Valspar Championship, failing to make the cut last year and finishing 46th in 2019. This year presents an opportunity for redemption.

Also in the mix is Tommy Fleetwood. The 34-year-old Englishman has yet to win a PGA Tour title but is inching closer. In 2024, he recorded four top-10 finishes and earned a silver medal at the Olympics. So far in 2025, he has been competitive, with his best performance coming at The Genesis Invitational, where he finished fifth.

Last weekend, Fleetwood placed 14th at O Campeonato dos JOGADORES. He also finished third at last year’s Campeonato Valspar, proving that he knows the course well and is poised to take the next step.

Valspar Championship 2025 Outside picks

Justin Thomas is one of the most experienced golfers on the field this weekend. With 15 career titles, he is in solid form in 2025, with three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up spot at O Expresso Americano. However, his last victory came at the 2022 PGA Championship. He has played in this tournament seven times, with his best finish being third place in 2022.

Another golfer having a strong 2025 is Shane Lowry. Lowry ended a five-year title drought last season by winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.This year, he came close again, finishing second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, just two strokes behind McIlroy. Additionally, he placed seventh at the Arnold Palmer por convite and 11th at the Cognizant Classic.

Lastly, we can’t overlook Sam Burns, a two-time Campeonato Valspar winner in 2021 and 2022, with three other career titles—the most recent in 2023. He started this season well, finishing eighth at The Sentry, the first event of 2025. However, his form has dipped since then, and he failed to hit the mark last week at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Valspar Championship 2025 Podium Betting Picks

Bolsa de prêmios

Esse Tour PGA event features a total purse of $8.7 million. The champion will take home a prize of $1,566,000. Additionally, the winner will earn 500 FedEx Cup points.