The PGA Tour heads slightly southwest, from the Jacksonville area to metro Tampa, for the 23rd edition of the Valspar Championship – the fourth and final stop on the annual Florida Swing.
Because it falls after the high-end Players Championship, the field at the acclaimed Innisbrook Resort is not exactly stout, but does include several marquee names, including U.S. Ryder Cuppers Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Brian Harman and two-time Valspar winner Sam Burns.
Other marquee players include Maverick McNealy, Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau, and Cameron Young.
As we do each week, here’s a roundup of information and historical data to get you prepped for the week ahead at the 2024 Valspar.
2024 Valspar Championship
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The Skinny
Valspar Championship
Dates:Â Mar. 21-24, 2024
Tour Debut: 2000
Edition: 23rd
PGA TOUR Week: 12th (of 34)
Course:Â Innisbrook (Copperhead)
Where: Palm Harbor, Fla.
Distance: Par 71, 7209 yards
Architect: Larry Packard
Field: 144 players
Format: Stroke, 72-holes
Cut: 36 holes
Purse: $8,400,000
Winning Share: $1,512,000
FedExCup Pts: 500
Trophy: Bronze Paint Brush/Golf Ball (Malcolm DeMille)
2023 Champion:Â Taylor Moore
How to Follow the Valspar Championship
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 2-6 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 1-3 p.m. (GOLF), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
PGA TOUR LIVE: Thu-Fri: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+); Sat-Sun: 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+)
PGA TOUR RADIO: Thu-Fri: 12-6 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 1-6 p.m.
(PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)
LINKS: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Valspar Championship History
The name has had a number of changes, but the PGA Tour event contested on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort has been a regular part of the Tour schedule since its inception nearly 25 years ago.
Founded in 2000 as the Tampa Bay Classic, the tournament was an alternate event for its first two editions, and slotted in the fall portion of the schedule.
In its debut, it was contested opposite the Presidents Cup (October 2000), and then the same week as the WGC-American Express Championship in September 2002. (The 2001 event was canceled following the September 11 attacks as it was set to be played Sep. 13-16.)
In 2003, it was given a promotion to full event status, and was scheduled ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship – this was before the launch of the FedExCup playoffs, and wrap-around schedule.
In 2007, the season which launched the FedEx Cup, the Valspar (then PODS Championship) was moved to March and inserted in the Florida Swing, a spot it has held down aside from two editions (2019 and 2021).
Valspar, an international manufacturer of paint and coatings, based out of Minneapolis, has been the title sponsor since 2014.
Past winners have included major winners Vijay Singh, Jordan Spieth, Gary Woodland, Retief Goosen, Mark Calcavecchia, Charl Schwartzel, and Jim Furyk.
Two-time Valspar champions include K.J. Choi (2002, 2006), Goosen (2003, 2009), Paul Casey (2018-19), and Sam Burns, the most recent back-to-back champ (2021, 2022).
History: Tournament Names
- Valspar Championship (2014-24)
- Tampa Bay Championship presented by Everbank (2013)
- Transitions Championship (2009-12)
- PODS Championship (2007-08)
- Chrysler Championship (2003-06)
- Tampa Bay Classic presented by Buick (2002)
- Tampa Bay Classic (2000-01)
History: Tournament Months
The tournament has been played in the month of:
- September (2002) Alternate WGC-Amex
- October (2000) Alternate Presidents Cup
- Late Oct (2003-06) Lead-in to TOUR Championship
- March (2007-19, 2022-24) Florida Swing
- April (2021)
History: Recent Winners
2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
2022: Sam Burns (-17)*
2021: Sam Burns (-17)
2020: COVID (-19)
2019: Paul Casey (-8)
2018: Paul Casey (-10)
2017: Adam Hadwin (-8)
2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)*
2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)*
* Won in a playoff.
History: Tournament Records
Wins:
2 – Sam Burns (2021, 2022)
2 – Paul Casey (2018, 2019)
2 – Retief Goosen (2003, 2009)
2 – K.J. Choi (2002, 2006)
Scoring:
266 (-18) Vijay Singh (2004)
The Course: Innisbrook’s Copperhead
One of four championship tracks at Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead is the host course for the tournament, annually checking in as one of the very toughest on the PGA Tour schedule.
The course features tree-lined plush fairways with elevation changes you normally don’t find in the Sunshine State. In fact, with its tall Pines and rolling terrain, the course has more of a Carolina feel than Florida. Its layout stretches some 7,200 yards for the tour pros.
12-time PGA Tour winner, and former NBC Golf Analyst, Paul Azinger, once said, “Copperhead is the best course we play on tour.”
Holes: 18 | Par: 71 | Yards: 7209 | Slope: 142 | Rating: 75.9
Valspar Championship Field
The field for the Valspar Championship this week includes ten players ranked in the current top 30 in the Official Golf World Rankings, including Xander Schauffele (5), Brian Harman (8), Keegan Bradley (15), Jordan Spieth (16), Sam Burns (19), Cam Young (23), Nick Taylor (24), Sepp Starka (26), Justin Thomas (28), and Tony Finau (29).
Other top-50 ranked names include Min Woo Lee (32), Sungjae Im (35), Eric Cole (39), Lucas Glover (40), Ryan Fox (45), and Adam Hadwin (50).
Former Valspar winners in the field include two-time winner Burns (2021-22), along with Gary Woodland (2011), Luke Donald (2012), Kevin Streelman (2013), Spieth (2015), Hadwin (2017) and Taylor Moore (2023).
Other familiar names include: Adam Scott, Joel Dahmen, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson, among others.
Odds to Win
1. Xander Schauffele (8-1)
2. Sam Burns (11-1)
3. Jordan Spieth (14-1)
3. Justin Thomas (14-1)
5. Brian Harman (20-1)
Full Field: 2024 Valspar Championship
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead) | Palm Harbor, FL | Mar 16-19, 2023
Carey Hoffman and Joel Cook contributed to this report.
Credits: PGA Tour Media, Getty Images, Golf Advisor
