Golf fans are in for a treat this week as the PGA tour treks to Palm Harbor, Florida for the 2016 edition of the Valspar Championship. It’s bound to be one thrilling competition with seven of the world’s top 20 golfers competing in this week’s event.
In such a tight and exciting race, who will emerge victorious? Read on below as a bunch of experts sound off on their picks for this world-class tournament. While you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks and preview for the Valspar Championship.
2016 Valspar Championship Experts Picks and Predictions
ProGolfNow
Sam Belden has made his selection and it is Jordan Spieth who he thinks will win the Valspar Championship this week. What makes Spieth such a good pick in his eyes is his outstanding record here at Innisbrook. The two-time major champion has never missed out on the top 20 in three appearances here in this Copperhead course. Apart from capturing the championship last year, Spieth also tied for seventh in 2013 and notched a 20th-place finish in 2014.
Spieth will have his work cut out for him, however, as he’ll face one of the hottest golfers on the PGA Tour today in Harris English. He notched a solo third at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last month before grabbing a 10th-place finish in the recently-concluded WGC-Cadillac Championship. English has had some success in the Valspar Championship as well, grabbing two top-10s in the last three years.
U.S. Golf TV
Troy Klongerbo of U.S. Golf TV is steadfast in his belief that Henrik Stenson will win the Valspar Championship this year. He has been playing some solid golf of late, grabbing top-6 finishes in three of his last four starts. Stenson knows his way around this Copperhead course as evidenced by his fourth-place finish in this event last year.
That being said, it won’t be smooth sailing for Stenson this coming weekend. The one man who Klongerbo thinks will pose a major threat to Stenson this week is Webb Simpson. He’s off to a solid start this year, going 3-for-3 with top-20 finishes at the Sony Open, CareerBuilder Challenge and the Phoenix Open. Simpson will fancy his chances of continuing that excellent form this week as he has fared extremely well in the Valspar Championship in the past. He was a runner-up finisher in this tournament in 2011.
