As the sun begins to set on the final leg of the Florida Swing, the PGA Tour descends upon the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., for the 2026 Valspar Championship. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this year’s tournament features an excellent field, set to take on the infamous Snake Pit at the Copperhead Course.
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It’s a truly unique venue in Florida, featuring substantial undulations and tree-lined doglegs that differentiate it from the other stops in the state. Known as a strategic shotmaker’s course, the opportunity is wide open for a hungry pack of competitors to navigate the narrow corridors and lift the distinctive reptilian trophy.
We’re here to break down those competitors and possess the skill and mental fortitude required to succeed at the Valspar. From past champions to rising studs, the field is stacked and storylines are plenty.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 contenders to win the 2026 Valspar Championship.
10. Ryo Hisatsune
Arriving this week having already notched three top-10 finishes this year, Ryo Hisatsune has all the attributes we look for in an off-the-radar contender. He routinely hits fairways at a high rate, pairing that with exceptional long-iron play—a key marker for success at Innisbrook.
Hisatsune has already shown a natural affinity for the Copperhead Course as well. In just his second career appearance at this event in 2025, Hisatsune shot 8-under par, good enough to secure a T-4 result. His form continued to trend upward last week at The Players, and Hisatsune looks primed to potentially peak at the Valspar.
Read The Line’s Joe Idone and John Haslbauer make the case for a Brooks Koepka win at the Valspar:
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9. Austin Smotherman 
David Cannon
The Copperhead Course has been consistently labeled a “second-shot golf course,” and no player on the PGA Tour has been hotter with their approach play than Austin Smotherman. He ranks first in the field in strokes gained/approach over the past 20 rounds played, gaining on the field in each of the first three legs of the Florida Swing.
A T-2 finish at the Cognizant Classic helped bolster his confidence by putting him in the mix to win late on a Sunday afternoon. Beware the potential for a WD, as his wife is due to give birth any day now; however, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen the “new-dad narrative” free up a player mentally to break through and win. Everything is coming up Smotherman!
8. Justin Thomas
A T-8 finish at The Players Championship was just what the rehab doctors and Team Thomas ordered. Now, he arrives back at Innisbrook full of renewed swagger and confidence at a tournament he nearly won in 2023 and 2025.
He’ll need to pack the iron play that returned last week for his trip to the west coast of Florida, especially after gaining nearly six strokes on approach at TPC Sawgrass. Thomas thrives when he gets the competitive juices flowing, and it was great to see his name back on a leader board. It would surprise nobody if his form is here to stay on a golf course that perfectly suits his ball-striking prowess. Watch out for JT.
7. Jacob Bridgeman 
Jared C. Tilton
If you put Jacob Bridgeman within 30 feet of the hole, he’s more likely than anyone to drain putts consistently. It’s a crucial element to success on the tricky, undulating greens of the Copperhead Course, and the No. 1-ranked putter in the field is primed to dominate.
After yet another impressive performance at The Players, Bridgeman is currently ranked No. 1 in the season-long FedEx Cup standings. He’s proven to be a top contender week to week on the PGA Tour, and with a solo third at this tournament last year, we shouldn’t be jumping off the Bridgeman train anytime soon.
6. Corey Conners
Narrow doglegs that require elite levels of shot-shaping make the Copperhead Course an excellent place to back Corey Conners. He started the season slowly, but he has provided enough evidence over the past two weeks that I am comfortable labeling him a top contender.
He’s the poster child for “fairways and greens,” making him a perfect statistical match for this hyper-demanding layout. Conners also led the field in SG/approach through three rounds at TPC Sawgrass, indicating his irons are back to performing at the level we expect. He finished T-8 here last year and is likely to be in contention this coming Sunday in Palm Harbor.
5. Akshay Bhatia
A 2026 Signature Event winner and consistent performer all season, Akshay Bhatia arrives at Innisbrook brimming with confidence. We always believed in Bhatia’s high ceiling, but his consistency is a welcome sight for backers, as he has posted five consecutive finishes inside the top 20.
His approach play has been nothing short of elite, and his ability to spike with the putter makes him an attractive option in the outright betting markets. He’ll need to do a better job of finding fairways this week if he wants to win, but I’m not putting anything past one of the brightest stars on the PGA Tour.
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4. Brooks Koepka 
David Cannon
Ladies and gentlemen, Brooks is back. If not for two brief stretches of lost concentration at The Players, he would have been right there down the stretch with a chance to win. His return to form in ball-striking highlights why the demanding nature of the Copperhead Course, combined with difficult scoring conditions, is the perfect environment for Koepka to remind us of his greatness.
Koepka ranks firmly inside the top five in the field in both SG/off the tee and approach since returning to the PGA Tour. I’m waiting for him to align those assets with a good putting week—we already know his ability to close the deal when in contention. He finished T-12 here in 2022, where he recorded his third-best putting performance of that season.
3. Viktor Hovland
After missing three consecutive cuts, Viktor Hovland shocked the golf world by winning the 2025 Valspar Championship out of nowhere. He had spoken prior to that week about how lost he felt with his swing, then proceeded to gain +13.6 strokes on the field, winning by one stroke after firing a clutch Sunday 67.
It was the best putting week of his professional career. While a repeat of that performance is a tall task, back-to-back T-13 finishes at the API and The Players highlight his much-improved form heading into the 2026 edition. The defending champion is back with a purpose.
2. Matt Fitzpatrick 
Ben Jared
Fresh off a six-foot putt that skirted right—and would have landed him in a playoff at The Players—Matt Fitzpatrick is right back in the saddle this week in Palm Harbor. While he didn’t show it, there was clearly some disappointment for Fitzpatrick after leading the tournament through 70 holes.
Last week’s performance was no flash in the pan. He’s been on an epic ball-striking run since last summer, notching 10 top-10 finishes in his past 18 worldwide starts. He fits the statistical profile we look for at Innisbrook, provided he can maintain his focus for another week.
1. Xander Schauffele 
Kevin C. Cox
Hand up: I’ve been in the camp claiming there was something wrong with Xander Schauffele’s game for nearly a year now. I’m officially ready to find the off-ramp for that hot take.
I spoke with Schauffele and his coach last week at The Players, and there is plenty of reason for optimism. His team has whittled down the data they present to him, which has freed him to be more natural and avoid overloading his thought process.
A T-3 at The Players and a T-7 at the Genesis show that the new strategy is paying off. Schauffele even accomplished the remarkable feat of hitting 14 of 14 fairways in regulation on Friday at Sawgrass for the first time in his career. He’s trending, he’s a “horse for the course,” and he’s my top contender to win the 2026 Valspar Championship.
Joe Idone is a Read The Line contributor and host of the Preferred Lines podcast.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
