The PGA TOUR concludes the Florida swing this week with the Valspar Championship at the Copperhead Course (par 71, 7,352 yards, POA Trivialis greens) of the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. This course has hosted every Valspar Championship since the event’s inception in 2000, and this week, there will be 156 golfers competing with a top-65 and ties cut taking place after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured some finishing position bets to consider for the Valspar Championship.
Luke Clanton for a Top-20 finish including ties (+260)
Clanton is coming off a T18 at the Cognizant Classic and with this finish, the top ranked amateur in the world earned his PGA TOUR card and officially became a professional. Clanton gained strokes across the board in his debut at PGA National that week and the blossoming star’s T18 at the Cognizant Classic is his sixth top-20 finish in only 12 starts at the PGA TOUR level. Clanton is incredibly talented, and while he has never competed at the Copperhead Course before, his well-balanced game and experience in Florida should help him produce a high finish this week.
Clanton is a a Florida native who attended Florida State University. Six of his 12 amateur wins have come in the Sunshine State. Clanton ranks second in strokes gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds and he should be highly motivated to contend in his first start as a professional this week, especially with the Valspar Championship taking place in his home state. At this very appealing +260 price, Clanton is a must-bet for a top-20 finish on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Davis Riley for a Top-40 finish (+160)
After a rough stretch to begin the season, Riley’s game is trending up. In his last three starts, he has finished T48th, T6th, and T38th. Riley notably gained strokes on approach and with his putter at all these events, and the first and final finishes of this span both came at Florida venues. Riley will now look to carry this momentum over to the Copperhead Course, which is undoubtedly one of his favorite venues on the PGA TOUR.
In his three starts at the Copperhead Course, Riley has finished runner-up, T19th, and MC. The 28-year-old lost in a playoff to Sam Burns in that first start and during the third round that week, Riley put on a show with a 9-under 62. Not only is this his career-low on the PGA TOUR, but Riley’s 62 was one stroke away from tying the lowest score in the history of the Valspar Championship. The two-time PGA TOUR winner should be very confident teeing it up at the Copperhead Course this week, so finishing inside the top-40 should be an easy task for Riley.
