Valspar Championship preview: TOUR takes on Snake Pit

After an incredible week at TPC Sawgrass for the Players, the PGA TOUR's Florida swing comes to a close with the Valspar Championship.

The good news for the rest of the field is that Scottie Scheffler isn't playing this week, giving the remainder of the TOUR a chance to win a trophy. However, a stern test remains, with the Copperhead Course ranking as one of the toughest layouts of the year. The closing three-hole stretch known as the "Snake Pit" is arguably the most difficult the players will see on the TOUR schedule.

Xander Schauffele, two-time champion Sam Burns, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and Brian Harman headline the field as the race to the Masters heats up with only three weeks before the season's first major.

When: March 21-24
Where: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course, Palm Harbor, Florida

How to watch

Last year's result

Taylor Moore claimed his first career PGA TOUR victory thrillingly at Innisbrook last year, coming from behind to chase down Jordan Spieth and Adam Schenk. After birdieing Nos. 15 and 16 and finishing with two clutch pars, Moore had to wait to see how his 10-under total would hold up. Spieth got bit hard by the "Snake Pit," finding water off the tee on No. 16 to effectively end his chances. However, Schenk pulled off excellent par saves down the stretch to sit tied on the 18th tee.

Unfortunately, Schenk pulled his tee shot into the rough, and his ball rested directly beside a tree. The TOUR veteran's only option was to pitch out left-handed - a shot he executed perfectly - but his third attempt came up 40 feet short to leave a lengthy putt to force a playoff. Schenk gave his chance an excellent run, but the pace was too much as the ball hopped off the back of the cup and stayed out.

Previous winners

2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
2022: Sam Burns (-17)
2021: Sam Burns (-17)
2020: Canceled
2019: Paul Casey (-8)
2018: Paul Casey (-10)
2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

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Reasons to watch

How Spieth, Thomas respond

Spieth is a past winner at this event but comes to Innisbrook this year off a terrible performance at the Players Championship. He failed to break par in either round at TPC Sawgrass and hasn't recorded a score better than even in five of his last seven rounds. Thomas also missed the cut last week. However, he finished 10th at the Valspar Championship in 2023. Is returning to a tournament with past positive results enough to wash away last week's disappointment for the star duo, or will their struggles continue in Florida?

Dealing with Players hangover

While the Players may not be an official major, the pressure that comes with facing TPC Sawgrass under the gun can be absolutely exhausting to even the world's best players. Schauffele and Harman contended for the title last week until the 72nd hole, and both could be due for setbacks after such a draining experience. But that pair is among the world's best for a reason. Seeing if Schauffele and Harman can summon the mental and physical strength necessary to be competitive on another challenging golf course will be interesting to watch.

The Snake Pit

As far as hole groupings on a golf course go, the "Snake Pit" is among the best names on the PGA Tour. While the entire golf course is a brutal test this week, the difficult closing stretch can turn winners into losers in a real hurry. The three holes played to an average of plus-0.59 strokes over par last season, and Moore's brilliance in that area is largely why he won the title. The American played the 12 holes bogey-free for the week, with his birdie Sunday on No. 16 giving him the one-shot edge he eventually won by.

Betting odds

Xander Schauffele +700
Sam Burns +1,100
Jordan Spieth +1,500
Justin Thomas +1,500
Brian Harman +1,800
Cameron Young +2,200
Tony Finau +2,200
Sungjae Im +2,500
Min Woo Lee +3,300
Doug Ghim +3,500
Nick Taylor +3,500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4,500
Eric Cole +4,500
Aaron Rai +5,000
Adam Hadwin +5,000
Keith Mitchell +5,000
Sepp Straka +5,000
Keegan Bradley +5,500
Maverick McNealy +5,500

Odds via theScore Bet