Power Rankings: Who Will Win the 2021 Valspar Championship?

Published 04/28/2021, 7:30 AM EDT

The PGA Tour has stopped at the Innisbrook Resort for its final event in Florida. The 2021 Valspar Championship begins Thursday, but there’s already a lot of excitement about the event. The featured groups for the first 36-holes are set, but who is the favorite to win the tournament?

The Valspar Championship used to take place in early March on the tour calendar. However, the schedule changed when the pandemic canceled the event last year and has since been shifted to late April. While this will affect the course, it won’t tone down the excitement any bit.

A star-studded field of golfers will compete for the title at the 2021 Valspar Championship. However, only one will emerge as the winner. The par-71 Copperhead course is a daunting one, and a player needs prior experience to stand a chance at winning the event.

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Top five picks to win 2021 Valspar Championship

As the other golfers would be preparing to make a run at the 2021 Valspar Championship, Paul Casey would be lacing up to defend his crown. The two-time champion is looking to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-2011) to win an event three consecutive times.

Here are the top five picks to win at Innisbrook Resort this year:

5. Justin Rose: Justin Rose is an experienced campaigner when it comes to the Valspar Championship. He’s had ten years of experience playing at the venue which will certainly prove to be effective in 2021. Has a career-best fifth-place finish at the Valspar Championship.

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4. Dustin Johnson: The World No. 1 is a part of the field at Innisbrook Resort and will attempt to make a run for the title. While he’s been struggling lately, Johnson is still one of the best strikers on the tour and knows his way around the Copperhead course.

3. Corey Conners: Conners has been the most consistent performer on the tour recently. The Canadian has just one previous appearance at the Valspar Championship, but he has plenty to prove at the Copperhead course this year.

2. Paul Casey: The defending champion certainly has to be deemed a favorite. No player has retained the Valspar Championship title in history except Paul Casey. Hence, there is some confidence that Casey can do it for a third time as well.

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1. Justin Thomas: Thomas will be making his first start since the 21st place tie at the 2021 Masters. He’s recorded three starts at the Valspar Championship in the past, and Thomas is certainly a top pick this year owing to his recent run of form.

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.

Power Rankings: Who Will Win the 2021 Valspar Championship?

Top five picks to win 2021 Valspar Championship

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