For the final event of the Florida swing, the PGA TOUR is hosting the Valspar Championship at the Copperhead Course (par 71, 7,352 yards, POA Trivialis greens) of the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. This track has been the home of the Valspar Championship since the tournament’s inception in 2000. At this event last year, Viktor Hovland (-11) won by one shot. There will be 133 players competing this week and a top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
The Copperhead Course is a challenging Florida venue that features narrow fairways, thick rough, small greens, 74 bunkers and water in play on nine holes. Being in the fairway is a big advantage at the Copperhead Course and players will elect to keep their drivers in the bag on many holes to improve their accuracy this week. Strong iron play and putting are the keys to winning at the Copperhead Course, as three of the last four victors at this track have finished the week top-10 in both SG APP and SGP. The Copperhead Course is an untraditional par 71 that is home to nine par fours, five par threes and four par fives. While your play on the par threes is slightly more important than usual here, scoring on the par fours is still the most crucial at the Copperhead Course. For five straight years, the winner of the Valspar Championship has finished the event top-10 in par four efficiency, with two of the last three victors of this tournament leading their fields in the category.
Let’s dive into three of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Valspar Championship, which all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $750K Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Top DraftKings PGA TOUR DFS Bargain Plays for the Valspar Championship
Austin Smotherman ($7,400) – After withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury after making the cut, Smotherman showed no signs of injury at THE PLAYERS Championship last week, finishing T-13 at TPC Sawgrass. Prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Smotherman finished runner-up at the Cognizant Classic to begin the Florida swing, including a 9-under 62 in the first round, which not only tied his career low, but was the lowest score of the event.
Smotherman is also 2-for-2 in made cuts at the Valspar Championship and he finished inside the top-40 both times. If you haven’t caught on yet, Smotherman has a true knack for competing in Florida. The 31-year-old has made 6-of-7 cuts for his career in the Sunshine State and he ranks sixth among this field in strokes gained per round at Florida courses. Smotherman’s irons have been lights out this season, leading the entire PGA TOUR in SG APP and he is one of the best value plays we have seen this season at only $7,400.
John Parry ($7,300) – Parry has never competed at the Copperhead Course before, but the Englishman is thriving right now and tough to overlook at this cheap salary. Parry is the No. 84 ranked player in the world and he has only missed one cut in his last 14 starts worldwide.
Parry has carded nine top-30 finishes over this stretch, most recently with a T-8 at the Puerto Rico Open two weeks ago. The 39-year-old recorded a 7-under 65 in the second round – which was one stroke shy of the tournament-low – and Parry has gained strokes on approach and with his putter in two of his last three starts.
Billy Horschel ($7,200) – Horschel is a Florida native who always gears up for tournaments in his home state and he is an excellent target at this low salary. Horschel has finished T-12 and T-4 at the last two Valspar Championships, and he is on the heels of a T-13 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Horschel posted a 4-under 68 in the final round at Bay Hill and this marked his eighth made cut in his last 10 starts. During this run, Horschel has produced four top-30 finishes.
