After a week in Mexico, the Florida swing resumes at Innisbrook Resort. Here’s what You Oughta Know heading into the Valspar Championship. (Stats provided by the Golf Channel editorial research unit)
• Charl Schwartzel is the defending champion; no player has successfully defended at Copperhead
• Henrik Stenson is expected to make his first start in the U.S. since the Deutsche Bank Championship in September (he withdrew last week due to illness)
• Stenson has finished fourth and T-11 in this event in the last two years
• Justin Thomas has three wins in nine starts this season
• He held the 54-hole lead last week at the WGC-Mexico Championship but finished T-5
• Last player to win four times in PGA Tour season before Masters – David Duval in 1999
• Patrick Reed is 12 under in this event over last two years, second best in that span (Ryan Moore, 13 under)
• Reed is off to a slow start as he ranks 176th in scrambling this season (was eighth last season)
• Gary Woodland won this tournament in 2011, and he has four top-10s this season
• The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort allowed the second-lowest birdie average of any course on Tour last season
• It has also been among the 10 toughest courses on the PGA Tour each of the last four seasons