We won’t see a gifted field like we had at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, but there are plenty of talented golfers ready to tee it up at the Valspar Championship this week. The PGA Tour puts its Florida swing to rest when the field convenes at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor starting on Thursday. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson highlights the field as the betting favorite and he’s also matched up with a number of strong players on the tournament matchup odds board, which was revealed at BookMaker.eu this week.
Valspar Championship Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Nick Watney -110 vs. Chris Kirk -120
Kevin Na -180 vs. Charl Schwartzel +140
Steve Stricker -118 vs. Brian Harman -112
Bud Cauley -110 vs. Chez Reavie -120
Russell Henley -127 vs. JT Poston -103
Ryan Moore -148 vs. Branden Grace +118
Zach Johnson -115 vs. Michael Thompson -115
Joel Dahmen -127 vs. Joaquin Niemann -103
Sungjae Im -175 vs. Ollie Schniederjans +138
Jason Kokrak -132 vs. Kevin Kisner +102
Webb Simpson -128 vs. Gary Woodland -102
Tyrrell Hatton -136 vs. Adam Hadwin +106
Sergio Garcia -102 vs. Webb Simpson -128
Rafael Cabrera Bello +101 vs. Bubba Watson -131
Brandt Snedeker -108 vs. Russell Knox -122
Keegan Bradley -140 vs. Lucas Glover +110
Patrick Reed -113 vs. Jim Furyk -117
Paul Casey -115 vs. Patrick Reed -115
Sergio Garcia -116 vs. Gary Woodland -114
Jason Day -115 vs. Jon Rahm -115
Dustin Johnson -142 vs. Jason Day +112
Chesson Hadley +100 vs. Beau Hossler -130
Henrik Stenson -123 vs. Louis Oosthuizen -107
Dustin Johnson -140 vs. Jon Rahm +110
Paul Casey -112 vs. Jim Furyk -118
Need To Know
I hit on two of three matchup picks last week at THE PLAYERS with Tiger getting past the X-man to deal me the only loss. Undeterred, I’ll move on to this week’s event, which is hosted by the 7,340-yard, par-71 Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort. It’s not your typical par 71 layout with four par-5s and five par-3s, and it’s often referred to as one of the most difficult on Tour. Now, there are just a few holes that cause the problems, those being the 13th and 16th. The closing stretch starting at No. 16 is known as the Snake Pit and will pose a challenge to the field. Course management is imperative and par is your friend on this course, so don’t look for a lot of drivers on the tee box. Keep the ball in the fairway and make this an iron and second-shot game. We’ve seen -7 win this event twice in the last five years and Sean O’Hair claimed victory at -4 in 2008, so don’t expect a lot of low scores. At least the weather is expected to cooperate.
Valspar Championship Matchup Picks
Sergio Garcia -116 vs. Gary Woodland
It’s time to take a long, hard look at Sergio for this matchup now that the sand has settled on his little tirade in Saudi Arabia that put him in timeout and sent home early. There have been no incidents – that we know of – since, and Garcia’s game has been strong. He finished T22 last week with a R3 74 killing his placement. Prior to that he had a pair of top-10s and his focus has been on his game. Solid ball striking and nice course form make Sergio the pick in this matchup.
Brandt Snedeker -108 vs. Russell Knox
Snedeker has been inconsistent over his last several starts, but he did show signs that his game is improving by flashing a T5 at last week’s PLAYERS. This game is all about confidence and Sneds is a confident player at Copperhead, where he grabbed a solo fourth in 2011 and two other top-10s. Iron play and putting are his strengths and success in those areas is critical for a low score.
Jim Furyk -117 vs. Patrick Reed
A sentimental pick in this matchup, but it isn’t without merit. Furyk came within a swing of Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS, putting some pressure on the eventual champion by carding a final round 67 with a birdie on 18. He scored three rounds below 70 in his previous start to earn a share of ninth at the Honda Classic, so it might be worth riding the veteran for at least one more week. Furyk hits fairways and wields a strong putter, which has served him well at Copperhead in the past. He won here in 2010 and has three other top-10s, including a solo seventh last year.
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The Valspar Championship is scheduled for March 21-24 and can be seen on Golf Channel and NBC.
