Valspar Championship Golf Power Rankings: Xander Schauffele leads field at Innisbrook

The PGA TOUR Florida swing wraps up this week at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead course, home to all 25 editions of the Valspar Championship and one of the most unforgiving layouts on the PGA TOUR schedule.

At 7,352 yards with thick rough, punishing elevation changes, and four genuinely difficult par 5s, Copperhead has played as the hardest of the four Florida swing venues over the past three years and the narrowest fairways on the stretch mean players are reaching for less than driver frequently.

Get a three-day free trial of Dimers Pro in the Dimers App today!

No stretch better defines this course than the closing trio of 16-18, infamously known as "The Snake Pit."

Last year's field averaged nearly a half-stroke over par across those three holes, fully in display last year when Justin Thomas bogeyed 16 and 18 to slip from the lead into second place.

This week's 135-man field will see the top 65 plus ties advancing to the weekend, which forecasts with sunshine all the way through, presenting a welcome change from the stormy Florida stretch we've had

For model-backed picks to win, including high-probability plays, ladders, and longshot sleepers, check out our Valspar Championship Best Bets coming soon.

The Valspar Championship: Power Rankings

These golf Power Rankings are built using three key data points, each weighted differently, and the result is a composite score that surfaces golfers who are not only playing the best golf right now, but are also statistically likely to be in the mix on Sunday at Copperhead.

BANG ✅️✅️

Cash the Dimers boost on Cameron Young to win THE PLAYERS at @bet365_us!

What a final round. pic.twitter.com/9mnXUYuBLk

— Dimers (@DimersCom) March 15, 2026

Last week's model proved its worth in a big way: 7 of the golfers featured in our debut power rankings finished T13 or better, validating this three-source approach that combines Dimers golf predictions, our in-house Golf Rankings, and the official FedExCup standings to identify the players best positioned to contend.

#1 Xander Schauffele - Schauffele is the clear favorite this week with a 9.7% win probability over the rest of the field, and he backs it up with strong placement in all three rankings. Finished 3rd last week and has three T12 or better finishes in three tries at Innisbrook.

#2 Matt Fitzpatrick - Fitzpatrick is one of the most well-rounded players in the field behind the favorite. The Last week's runner up came inches away from forcing a playoff vs. eventual winner Cameron Young. Personal best T5 in 2022 at this event.

#3 Akshay Bhatia - Bhatia is a fascinating profile and his FedExCup #3 ranking signals he's been one of the most consistent points accumulators on TOUR. Five straight Top 20 finishes this year.

#4 Jacob Bridgeman - The FedExCup points leader checks in fourth, powered by the best season-long ranking in the field and a 5.3% win probability that reflects contender status in a big field. 

Dimers' exclusive boost on Jacob Bridgeman at bet365 sportsbook - odds subject to change.

#5 Viktor Hovland - Hovland's 5.5% win probability is the fifth-highest in the field as the reigning champ as well as a T3 here in 2021, with back-to-back T13 finishes in March.

#6 Patrick Cantlay - Cantlay's win probability is the primary driver of his top-10 ranking here as he's finished inside the top 20 just twice this year. Missed cut (2-13) and solo 2nd (2017) in two appearances here.

#7 Nicolai Hojgaard - He has been quietly building toward a breakout with two Top 10s and no worse than T27in three other events this year, coming off lowest finish of 2026.

#8 Ben Griffin - Griffin's 4.1% win probability is the sixth-highest in the field and likely a genuine surprise to most; his FedExCup ranking of #67 clashes with our model's Top 10 win probability, expecting a return to last year's dominant form sooner than later.

#9 Jordan Spieth - Spieth is a consistent mid-tier presence this year and at +2500 he remains one of the most compelling names on the board with best finishes of a win, T3 and T7 here, even though his win probability shows no value.

#10 Sahith Theegala - Theegala sneaks into the top 10 largely on the strength of his strong resulst this year, despite landing outside this week's top 10 win probabilities. Same number of finishes outside the Top 30 as inside the Top 10 with three apiece this year.

📲 Unlock a 3-day free trial exclusively in the Dimers App!

#11 Patrick Rodgers - Rodgers lands just outside this week's Top 10 Power Rankings with a solid FedExCup standing of #29 and a Dimers world ranking of 47tth as a reliable presence in the points column this season. and at +7200 represents a long-shot value play despite his lower win probability. Improved in five straight starts to a T11 last week.

#12 Corey Conners - Conners turned in his best performance of the year with a T13 last week, and that's after shooting over par in his final two rounds. The Canadian brings a strong approach game into a course that demands it.

#13 Nick Taylor - Taylor is another player whose win probability outpaces his season-long rankings, suggesting the market sees something this week in particular with a less competitive field. Looking for his best finish since season-opening T13.

#14 Ryo Hisatsune - The 23-year old makes the top 15 thanks to his impressive results this year with three top 10s and a playoff runner-up. Outside Dimers' top 20 probabilities to win this week.

#15 Justin Thomas - A missed cut and a T8 since returning from offseason surgery, Thomas has six Top 20s in 8 appearances here, including a 2nd place last year and T3 in 2022.

Our most likely golfers for a Top 20 finish at the Valspar Championship.

Dimers' golf resources for 2026 PGA TOUR

As well as being your best source for PGA golf predictions, Dimers Pros also have access to the latest golf news, golf predictions for every game, weekly golf rankings, and golf matchup H2H tool.

• PGA Predictions: Our data-backed predictions for every tournament, including every major.
• Head-to-Head Predictor: Simulate any H2H tournament matchup between golfers
• Dimers' PGA Rankings: Our in-house approach to ranking the World's best golfers
• PGA Betting News: The latest promos, storylines and more around the PGA TOUR

The Dimers Pro golf predictions ended last season on an elite run, headlined by Tommy Fleetwood's first win at the TOUR Championship.

This season, we've accurately identified the live value on Justin Rose to win the Farmers Insurance Open at +500 and big edges on Tommy Fleetwood at Pebble Beach and our boosted pick of Cameron Young to win THE PLAYERS.

Dimers and responsible gambling

Please remember to enjoy gambling responsibly. Responsible gambling means setting limits, staying in control, and understanding that luck is just part of the game. Make informed choices, set a budget, and know when to take a break. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.