PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Players Championship (Scottie Scheffler)
THIS WEEK: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Fla., March 21-24
Course: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (Par 71, 7,340 yards)
Purse: $8.4M (Winner: $1.512M)
Defending Champion: Taylor Moore
FedEx Cup Leader: Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @ValsparChamp
NOTES: World No. 7 Patrick Cantlay withdrew on Sunday, leaving No. 5 Xander Schauffele and No. 8 Brian Harman as the lone top-10 players in the field. No. 20 Tom Kim also withdrew over the weekend. … The closing three holes on the Copperhead Course are known as the “Snake Pit,” featuring a pair of difficult par-4 sandwiching the 200-yard par-3. … University of Florida teammates Fred Biondi and Ricky Castillo are in the field. Biondi is coming off a T32 in Puerto Rico, while Castillo will be making his non-major PGA Tour debut. … European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is among the sponsors invites, along with Ryan Palmer. … Vijay Singh holds the tournament scoring record of 266 set in 2004, while Matt NeSmith (Round 2, 2022) and Padraig Harrington (Round 1, 2012) share the 18-hole record of 10-under 61.
BEST BETS: Xander Schauffele (+800 at BetMGM) wasn’t able to close the deal on Sunday — again — at The Players. Can he rebound mentally to claim a win against a more modest field? He does have five top-10s in seven events this season. … Sam Burns (+1100) followed four consecutive top-10s with a T30 and a T45 the past two weeks. But the 2021 and 2022 Valspar champion also finished sixth at Innisbrook last year. … Jordan Spieth (+1400) opened the year with a third at The Sentry and added a T6 in Phoenix, but has a missed cut and a DQ among his past three starts. He won the Valspar in 2015 and tied for third last year. … Justin Thomas (+1400) is coming off his second missed cut in three starts following a string of seven consecutive T12s or better. … Brian Harman (+2000) missed out on a playoff at The Players by a single shot following a T12 at Bay Hill. He has missed the cut in five of his past six appearances at the event.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Texas Children’s Houston Open, March 28-31
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Blue Bay LPGA (Bailey Tardy)
THIS WEEK: Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Palos Verses Estates, Calif., March 21-24
Course: Palos Verdes Golf Club (Par 71, 6,258 yards)
Purse: $2 million (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Ruoning Yin (Palos Verdes)
Race to the CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Thursday-Friday, 6-9 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/Peacock); Saturday, 6-7 (Peacock), 7-9 p.m. (GC/Peacock); Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (GC/Peacock)
X: @seripakchamp
NOTES: A new event on the LPGA Tour schedule, the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship will take on all records and past champions associated with the Palos Verdes Golf Club, while the JM Eagle LA Championship will take on all past champions associated with Wilshire Country Club. … The 144-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Ford Championship presented by KCC, Gilbert, Ariz., March 28-31
PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: Cologuard Classic (Joe Durant)
THIS WEEK: Hoag Classic, Newport Beach, Calif., March 22-24
Course: Newport Beach Country Club (Par 71, 6,821 yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,00)
Defending Champion: Ernie Els
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday, 10 p.m.-midnight (Golf Channel — Tape Delay); Saturday, 4-6 p.m. (GC); Sunday, 5-8 p.m. (GC)
X: @HoagClassic
NOTES: Els is one of seven World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field along with Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, Mark O’Meara, Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh. Els also won the event in 2020. … Duffy Waldorf holds the tournament scoring record of 193 set in 2015.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Galleri Classic, Rancho Mirage, Calif., March 29-31
LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: Hong Kong (Individual: Abraham Ancer; Team: Crushers GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Miami, April 5-7
