Following golf’s so-called 5th major, the Players Championship, the PGA Tour stays in Florida for its next event – the Valspar Championship. Serving as the 18th event on the Tour’s impressive 40-plus event schedule for 2023, the tournament is bound to keep the fans on edge right up until the end with its ever-competitive field. Furthermore, with the stakes now higher than ever, the event almost certainly promises the viewers an intense and exciting battle. Undoubtedly, the tournament can be anyone’s game!

2023 Valspar Championship power rankings

Being played over 4 days just like all regular Tour events, the Valspar Championship begins on Thursday this week. Stretching till Sunday, i.e., the 19th of March, the event will be played over 72 holes at the Copperhead Course in Peal Harbour, FL. The field is filled with numerous stars, but as per the PGA Tour’s power rankings, the top 5 contenders are as follows:

The English golf great, Justin Rose, ranks fifth. Having finished sixth at the Players just last week, the 11-time PGA Tour winner is coming in hot this week. Moreover, he has a splendid record at Copperhead, having made the cut 9 out of 11 times and placing three times in the top 10.

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In fourth, we have the reigning PGA Championship winner, Justin Thomas. Despite his inconsistent performances of late, JT has made it to the top five strongest contestants at the event because of his comfort with the course. He’s missed only one cut in the five appearances he’s had at the event and placed in the top 20 in the remaining four. Last year, he finished 3rd and will undoubtedly now be hoping to grab nothing less than a win.

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Adam Hadwin, the Canadian superstar, is third on the list. After tying for 13th at the Players Championship, the one-time PGA Tour winner will certainly be looking to take home the title this week. He has a lot working in his favor considering this was the site of his only PGA Tour victory to date, which came back in 2017. Last year too, he placed 7th, and he will unquestionably hope that this year he can reclaim his trophy.

Coming in 2nd is the American Sam Burns as he looks to grab a 3-in-a-row victory Valspar Championship. But in order to create that history, the 4-time PGA Tour winner will have to outperform his current self. He’s been quite quiet of late, with only two top-10 finishes this season out of the nine events he’s played in. Nevertheless, he will be looking for that hat trick!

2021’s runner-up, Keegan Bradly, is the event’s top contender this week. Having lost to Burns the year before last, he’s certainly looking for redemption. He is also in excellent form, having finished the season with three top-ten finishes, including one win, one second-place finish, and one fifth-place finish. But will missing the cut last week at the Players take its toll on his game this week? Only time will tell.

The field at the Valspar Championship and the prize purse

The highly competitive field at the Valspar Championship this week includes five of the world’s top 25 golfers. Among them, JT ranks the highest at 9th and is also one of the favorites to grab the win. But the likes of Burns and Bradly are not just going to let it be a cakewalk. And neither are the remaining pros on the 144-player field. It certainly is anybody’s game!

The total purse saw a huge $300,000 increase from last year. It currently stands at $8.1 million, making the stakes quite high. The winner, along with the title, will also take home a whopping $1.458 million. Additionally, all the players who make the cut will get a piece of the purse.

Defending champion at the 2023 Valspar Championship

Sam Burns successfully defended the championship at the Copperhead Course last year, and he returns to perhaps make history with a three-peat following Steve Stricker’s 2009–2011 run at the John Deere Classic. The two-time reigning victor beat Davis Riley in a playoff last year, but does he have what it takes to win and grab a three-peat this year? Tune in to find out!

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