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THE SUNTHE thrill-a-minute Players Championship gave the golf season a real injection of oomph, and this week’s Valspar Championship can maintain the pre-Masters momentum.
The really big names are missing, including Sawgrass winner Rory McIlroy. But world No 3 Xander Schauffele heads a field that includes 22 more of the world’s top fifty.
Schauffele needed a 36th hole birdie to scrape into the weekend at Sawgrass, and the rib injury that has limited him to just three starts this year still seems to be troubling him.
The next highest ranked player in the field is world No 9 Tommy Fleetwood, and this could be the perfect opportunity for the popular Englishman to finally claim an overdue first PGA Tour victory.
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Valspar Championship betting tips
Fleetwood has played some terrific golf in his last three starts in the States, but has only been able to put himself on the fringe of contending.
He followed his fifth place at the Genesis by sharing 11th at the Arnold Palmer, and a tie for 14th at the Players was not a fair reflection of how well he struck the ball.
Putting has always been Fleetwood’s Achilles heel. But if he has a half decent week with the flat stick he should really make his presence felt at Copperhead, a long, tough, tree-lined course that favours the best ball-strikers.
Fleetwood showed a liking for the course when he finished third here on his last visit two years ago, after a highly respectable tie for 16th on his debut a year earlier. It could be third time lucky.
The Southport star shares favouritism at a best-priced 14-1 with Justin Thomas. But he is still too erratic to back at short odds, as he proved by sandwiching a course record-equalling 62 at Sawgrass with three rounds over par
It was tempting to make Sam Burns the top tip, as he bids for a third victory in this event.
But he has not really built on his top ten finish at the Sentry in his first outing this year, and his trademark deadly putting lacked the killer touch as he missed the cut at Sawgrass. He still warrants respect at 28-1 though.
But Corey Conners – like Fleetwood, a player who would win regularly if he putted like Burns – is the other player who really catches the eye near the top of the market.
Conners was third at Bay Hill a couple of weeks ago, and his sixth place finish at Sawgrass was another impressive effort – especially his 66 in the worst of the weather on Saturday.
The Canadian is 25-1 for this, and that looks good each way value. And Will Zalatoris showed enough at Sawgrass – especially with his second round 66 – to suggest that 28-1 is a decent price for him.
Jake Knapp rewarded each way interest at the Cognizant Classic when finishing sixth, and his 12th place at Sawgrass was another good effort.
This is easier, so he would not have to improve much to yield a profit again, especially with some bookmakers offering ten places.
And the most appealing longshot is Mackenzie Hughes, who was joint third here a year ago. He has not been in great form this year, but 125-1 still looks pretty generous.
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Robert MacIntyre – who just about justified support at Sawgrass with a top ten finish at 66-1 – is the star attraction as the DP World Tour returns to action with the Singapore Classic.
The Scot is a class above these, and is a hot favourite at 15-2. But you suspect he is in the Far East for the appearance money rather than a love of the event – he missed the cut by five shots when he played here two years ago.
Preference is for Alejandro de Rey, already a winner this year and third and seventh in Singapore in the last two years. He is 45-1 with some bookies.
England’s Richard Mansell also showed decent form here in 2023 and 2024. He finished tied eleventh two years ago, and improved into a share of sixth last year.
That form makes his 60-1 quote quite attractive, and the enigmatic Pablo Larrazabal is also worth a small interest at 150-1.
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