The Valspar Championship provides the entertainment on the PGA Tour this week with another star-studded field vying for the spoils on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club.
American Peter Malnati took home the title last year and he is aiming to become the fifth player since the tournament's inception in 2000 to successfully defend his crown.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and US ace Justin Thomas are the market leaders heading into the event, ahead of the likes of Sepp Straka, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry.
- NICOLAI HOJGAARD TO WIN THE VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP (EACH-WAY)
- COREY CONNERS TO WIN THE VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP (EACH-WAY)
- SHANE LOWRY FIRST-ROUND LEADER (EACH-WAY)
Hojgaard To Make His Mark In The US
While disappointed to miss the Players Championship cut last week, Nicolai Hojgaard's form has generally been strong over the last few weeks with an eighth-place finish at Mexico and a tied-18th at the Cognizant Classic evidence of this.
The Dane's approach play has been razor-sharp this season, as he is unrivalled in greens in regulation and second in strokes gained approach, and those statistics bode well heading to a course that demands precision.
A hot putter is also required on the Copperhead Course and the 24-year-old, who will be making his Valspar debut this week, is 22nd in strokes gained putting and 39th in putting average.
With Hojgaard holding aspirations of representing Europe for a second time in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in September, a victory in Florida would put him firmly into the thinking of captain Luke Donald, who will also be teeing it up on the Copperhead Course.
NICOLAI HOJGAARD TO WIN THE VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP (EACH-WAY)
Conners To Continue Fine Florida Form
The 'Florida Swing' is not to everybody's liking on the US circuit but one player that is thriving in the Sunshine State is Corey Conners, who followed up a third-placed effort at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a tie for sixth at the Players Championship.
Canada's highest-ranked player in the world at number 27, the 33-year-old has looked extremely sharp with the irons and putter over the past couple of weeks and he could be worth keeping on side here.
Conners has had two cracks at the Valspar, recording a top-20 finish in 2018 before returning four years later to end up 12th and he looks capable of getting in the title mix this week.
COREY CONNERS TO WIN THE VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP (EACH-WAY)
Lowry To Pick Up From Where He Left Off
Irishman Shane Lowry finished last week's Players Championship off in fine fashion, carding a five-under-par 67 to catapult himself 31 places up the leaderboard into a tie for 20th.
The 37-year-old's final-round score was bettered by just one player - Tom Hoge (66) - and the way the 2019 Open champion ended that tournament should have given him plenty of confidence.
Lowry's game has been in strong shape this year, with his last five results reading second-T39-T11-seventh-T20, and he can get off to a red-hot start in Florida.
SHANE LOWRY FIRST-ROUND LEADER (EACH-WAY)
