After a dramatic week at The Players Championship, the PGA Tour remains in Florida as the players head to the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort for the Valspar Championship. This is traditionally one of the tougher stops on the Florida Swing and often rewards patience and precision over outright power.
We take a look at the event from a betting perspective below.
The Course
The Copperhead Course, located around 25 miles northwest of Tampa on Florida’s west coast, is widely regarded as one of the most demanding layouts on the PGA Tour.
Unlike many Florida courses, Copperhead has a more tree-lined, parkland feel, placing a premium on accuracy off the tee and controlled iron play. The par 71 measures 7,340 yards (6,710 metres) and features rolling terrain, elevation changes, and doglegs that require players to shape the ball both ways.
The fairways are narrow and well protected by bunkers, while the greens are small, undulating and difficult to hit in regulation. This places added emphasis on scrambling and short game, particularly from tight Bermuda lies.
One of the defining features of Copperhead is the closing stretch known as the “Snake Pit” (holes 16–18), one of the toughest finishing sequences on tour. It regularly decides the tournament, with water, bunkering and long iron approaches demanding absolute precision under pressure.
Historically, the course favours:
- strong tee-to-green players
- accurate iron players
- those comfortable on Bermuda greens
- players who can remain patient on a layout where scoring is not easy
Winning scores typically sit between -8 and -15, underlining the challenge.
Betting (Valspar Championship) – Click here to bet
Xander Schauffele 11.00
Matt Fitzpatrick 15.00
Akshay Bhatia 19.00
Viktor Hovland 19.00
Jacob Bridgeman 21.00
Patrick Cantlay 23.00
Justin Thomas 23.00
Prices correct at time of writing but subject to change
Previous winners
2025 Viktor Hovland (Norway) -11 1 stroke
2024 Peter Malnati (Unites States) -12 2 strokes
2023 Taylor Moore (United States) −10 1 stroke
2022 Sam Burns (United States) −17 Playoff
2021 Sam Burns (United States) −17 3 strokes
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Selections:
Akshay Bhatia at 19.00
Akshay Bhatia continued his impressive run of form last weekend, finishing 13th at the Players Championship, where TPC Sawgrass proved as challenging as ever. That result followed a brilliant victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he triumphed in a playoff. Prior to that, he posted finishes of 16th, 6th, and 3rd, consistently strong performances. Given the level he’s playing at right now, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be firmly in contention again this week.
Suggested bet: Akshay Bhatia each way at 19.00
Jacob Bridgeman at 21.00
Jacob Bridgeman is another player delivering consistent high-level performances. In seven starts this season, he has finished inside the top 20 every time, an impressive level of consistency. This run includes a win at the Genesis Invitational, along with two additional top five finishes. He also impressed at last week’s Players Championship, finishing 5th. Carrying that momentum forward, he’ll be confident of producing another strong showing this week.
Suggested bet: Jacob Bridgeman each way at 21.00
Justin Thomas at 23.00
Justin Thomas arrives this week combining solid recent form with an excellent track record at the Valspar Championship. In his last five appearances at the event, he has recorded two top five finishes, including a runner-up finish last year, and two additional top 15s. He also comes into the tournament off the back of an 8th-place finish at the Players Championship (where we just missed the 151.00 each way spoils). With both form and course history on his side, he looks poised to make a serious impact this weekend.
Suggested bet: Justin Thomas each way at 23.00
Davis Thompson at 61.00
Thompson offers strong value in this range. He is an excellent ball striker who thrives on courses that demand precision rather than pure power, making Copperhead a good fit for his game.
He has shown the ability to contend on tougher setups and if he finds rhythm with his irons this week, he has the profile to outperform his odds and push towards the top of the leaderboard.
He missed the cut at the Players but was 4th the week before and I am prepared to put a line through that one and hope he can take to the course in his 2nd start here having missed the cut in 2024.
Suggested bet: Davis Thompson each way at 61.00
Click here for betting on all the Valspar Championship markets
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
