Another thrilling day at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course has left us with more questions than answers heading into the weekend at the Valspar Championship. What do we make of a leaderboard featuring TOUR newcomers like Jacob Bridgeman, Jeremy Paul and Kevin Velo, alongside seasoned stars like Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and the resurgent Xander Schauffele?

One of the toughest tests on TOUR is living up to its reputation, with a scoring average well over par through 36 holes. Could Bridgeman’s lack of scars from the Snake Pit work in his favor as he chases his first PGA TOUR victory? He could be raising the bronze serpent on Sunday, much like Taylor Moore did two years ago when he outlasted Jordan Spieth for his maiden win.

For bettors, the chaos on the leaderboard translates to value at the sportsbooks, with proven winners still available at a discount and some steady hands emerging from the pack. Let’s take one more plunge into the Snake Pit and see if we can walk away unscathed.

Draws

Byeong Hun An (+850)

One of the steadiest contenders through 36 holes, An is riding a strong statistical profile into the weekend, sitting just one shot back. He ranks inside the top 30 in Strokes Gained across every metric except Putting, highlighted by a +1.33 mark on Approach and a +1.12 Off the Tee.

A TOUR winner, An has the game to close on Sunday, boasting the best Tee-to-Green numbers of anyone in the field not named Xander Schauffele. His putting remains a slight concern, but on a difficult course where ball striking reigns supreme, that’s a minor worry. Even with the flatstick, he sits 48th in the field—good enough to be in the mix to roll in the winning putt on Sunday.

Shane Lowry (+900)

Two shots back and trending in the right direction all season, Lowry is knocking on the door for his first individual PGA TOUR win since 2019. He did pick up a team victory with Rory McIlroy at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but this week could mark a solo breakthrough.

Lowry’s game is built for a grind-it-out test like Copperhead. He led at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard through 36 holes before a brutal weekend knocked him out of contention. Now, he’s back in a similar position just two hours west of Bay Hill. He ranks top five in both Off the Tee and Tee-to-Green, proving he can keep the ball in play on one of the narrowest setups on TOUR. After his fade in Orlando, Lowry will be eager to reward bettors who stick with the Irishman.

Others to consider

• Sepp Straka (+2500): A proven winner who knows how to close.
• Corey Conners (+2500): Ball-striking machine who thrives on tough courses.
• Will Zalatoris (+2800): If the putter cooperates, he has the elite iron play to contend.

Fade

Viktor Hovland

It’s too much, too soon for the tinkering Norwegian, who finds himself back in contention after a rocky start to his 2025 campaign. For the first time in his career, Hovland missed three straight cuts leading into this event. The 2023 FedExCup champion sought out a new coach — recently reuniting with instructor Grant Waite, a former TOUR pro with whom he previously worked but split in 2024 — and is experiencing a bounce-back similar to what we saw at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.

That week, Hovland reunited with former coach Joe Mayo and nearly claimed his first major title. But the magic faded, and Hovland was back searching for answers. Now, he’s just one shot off the lead after a strong Friday round — buoyed by an unsustainable putting performance. He gained a staggering +3.88 strokes with the putter, second-best in the field. Expecting that kind of heat to continue on the greens might be wishful thinking.