On March 10, the world’s best golfers will assemble at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida for the 2016 staging of the Valspar Championship. All eyes will be on reigning champion Jordan Spieth as he attempts to defend the title he won in dramatic fashion last season.
Spieth might be the odds-on favorite to win this tournament but a host of other golfers are ready to spoil the world no. 1’s party this coming weekend. Read on below as we list down three high-value sleepers who we think can take home the championship this weekend. While you’re at it, you can check out our complete preview of the Valspar Championship.
Looking for a worthwhile sleeper this weekend? How about the hard-hitting Jason Kokrak (+5,000)? The American made quite a splash at Riviera last month, ending up tied for second in the Northern Trust Open. Kokrak lost to eventual champion Bubba Watson by just a single shot as he matched his best career finish in the PGA Tour. He has finished in the top-30 in three of his last five starts.
Key to Kokrak’s success this season has been his booming drive. He’s tied for seventh in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 309.9 yards per drive this season. That powerful swing will come in handy when tackling the long 7,340-yard, par-71 Copperhead course.
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Kevin Na
Kevin Na (+2,500) may have missed back-to-back cuts at Pebble Beach and Riviera but he’s definitely one golfer you shouldn’t sleep on heading into the Valspar Championship this week. He has had some success in this tournament in the past, posting top-10 finishes the last two years. He notched a solo second in 2014 and tied for 10th last year here at Innisbrook.
Na also has had plenty of close calls this campaign, finishing second or third in four of his first 10 events this season. Key to Na’s resurgence has been his stellar play from tee to green. He is 18th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained in that particular department with a solid .990 average. That will be useful when tackling the treacherous fairways of the Copperhead course. If he can regularly find the fairways at Innisbrook this week, chances are Na will further lower his 70.30 scoring average which is ranked 27th in the PGA Tour this season.
Harris English
If there’s one golfer primed for a breakthrough win at the Valspar Championship this week, it’s got to be Harris English (+2,200). He has two top-10s here at Innisbrook in the last three years. English has been playing some solid golf of late, notching a solo third at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a 10th-place finish at the recently-concluded WGC-Cadillac Championship.
One advantage that English has against the rest of the field is his excellent touch on the putting greens. He is 29th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained via putting with a solid .534 average. That will be a major weapon for English when navigating the delicate greens of the Copperhead course.
