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2022 Valspar Championship: Outright Betting Picks

Published

4 years ago

Mar 16, 2022

The PGA Tour will stay in Florida this week for the 2022 Valspar Championship. Last week, rain and thunderstorms prevented the Players Championship from being completed on time, so it will be important to monitor how that will impact the Valspar in the coming days.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermuda-grass greens. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 15, 16 and 17 — also known as the “snake pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. Some notable players in the mix are Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

2021: Sam Burns (-17)
2019: Paul Casey (-8)
2018: Paul Casey (-10)
2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

2022 Valspar Championship Best Bets

Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500)

Prior to the Players Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick was playing some of the best golf he has in a while on the PGA Tour. With lead-in-form of 6th, 10th, 9th in his three starts prior to the event, the Englishman looked poised to contend at TPC Sawgrass.

Unfortunately, Fitz got the tough end of the weather draw last week, which severely impacted his chances at making the cut. The fact that he had to play during the more difficult wave and just missed the cut does nothing to change my mind about the way he’s playing. In fact, it could potentially work in his favor that he got to take the rest of the week off and avoid the long cold days on the course in difficult conditions. Additionally, there was nothing statistically from the Players that would lead me to believe there were any real issues with his current form. He gained 1.2 strokes from tee to green and had an uncharacteristically bad putting week, losing 2.9 strokes.

Also, historically, Fitzpatrick has been excellent in the state of Florida. Prior to last week, he had four consecutive top 11 finishes in the sunshine state. Despite missing the cut in his only appearance (2018), Copperhead should be an ideal fit for the Englishman. He gains an average of 0.7 strokes on the field when putting on Bermuda grass and can get the ball in the fairway on a difficult track. In his past 10 events, he’s gained an average of 3.1 strokes on the field in ‘Fairways Gained.’

With four par 5s on the course, golfers who have feasted on the scoring opportunities have given themselves a great chance to win. Sam Burns was excellent on them last year and rode them to victory. That’s good news for Fitzpatrick, who ranks first in par-5 scoring in both of his past 24 and 36 rounds. He also ranks eighth in the field in ball striking and 11th in bogeys avoided, which are two of the most important factors at Copperhead.

A maiden PGA Tour victory has been elusive thus far for the talented 27-year-old, but the Valspar Championship is among the events most suitable for Fitz’s inevitable first victory.

Gary Woodland +7000

Woodland had excellent lead-in- form to the Players Championship, where he missed the cut. After back to back top fives in Florida (Honda and Arnold Palmer Invitational), I’m willing to give him a pass on his lackluster performance at TPC Sawgrass. With the long delays and bad weather, it would be foolish to place too much emphasis on the results at this year’s Players. With Gary, I’ll focus on the positive, and there is a lot to like about him at Copperhead.

Despite missing his last three cuts at Valspar, Woodland does have an 8th place finish to his name back in 2014. While that isn’t incredibly encouraging, it does show that he has the type of game that should work around here. Course form isn’t entirely necessary at Copperhead considering Paul Casey and Adam Hadwin won the event off of a missed cut in their last start here, and Charl Schwartzel won on debut.

Woodland sniffed contention at Bay Hill prior to his poor bunker shot on the 17th, and it seems like he may round into consistent form once again. The odds are long enough this week to back the former U.S. Open champion at a course that should fit his skill set.

Aaron Wise (+8000)

Aaron Wise has had some putting woes of late, but his ball striking has been immaculate. At a course where a lot of players will have a hard time putting, his biggest weakness is somewhat mitigated. In his past two starts at API and The Players, Wise has gained an average of 4.4 strokes on approach and 8.5 strokes from tee to green. That type of elite ball striking is exactly what is required to be successful at Copperhead.

The 25-year-old has an incredibly high ceiling as a golfer, and reminds me a lot of Sam Burns coming into this event last year in terms of skill set and career trajectory. Both golfers were highly regarded prior to turning pro with plenty of college accolades. Additionally, both golfers had one PGA Tour victory at a lesser event (Wise 2018 Byron Nelson and Burns 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship). Interestingly enough, Sam Burns was also +8000 to win the Valspar Championship last year when he hoisted the trophy.

Wise is a talented young golfer with a high ceiling who’s worth a shot at a high price this week.

Kevin Streelman +13000

Streelman is a former Valspar champion who seemed to come to life last week at the Players. Although I’m not putting much emphasis on last week’s statistics, it was encouraging to see him gain 3.7 strokes on approach en route to a 22nd place finish in a difficult test.

His two PGA Tour wins came at Copperhead (2013) and TPC River Highlands (2014). The two courses seem to have a lot of correlation and leaderboard crossover, making it plausible that this is a course he could potentially contend at once again.

Last year, Streelman played very well on tough courses. He had a stretch where he finished 8th at the PGA Championship, 13th at Memorial, and 15th at the U.S Open in a span of four weeks. After playing well at an extremely difficult Players Championship, there’s reason to believe he may play well at another tough test in Copperhead.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

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News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase