PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Innisbrook and Bay Hill are 160 miles apart by road, two weeks on the PGA Tour calendar and $11.6 million in prize money. Another big difference might be the size of the field.
of valspar championship It begins Thursday with 154 players. This is an all-time high for Innisbrook's Copperhead course, and there is little doubt that, rain or shine, there will not be enough sunshine to complete a weekday round in one day.
This is a big difference from the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago. It was a marquee event with a $20 million prize pool, only 69 competitors, and early practices that made Bay Hill feel like a ghost town.
“Practice here is incredibly inefficient compared to Bay Hill, and that's probably the biggest thing that I feel is It's different,” he said with a laugh.
“Part of the reason for that was that I was out of the country and I had a photo shoot the next morning,” he said. “And some of that is in the narrow range of 155 players.”
Spieth was one of six player directors on the PGA Tour Enterprise Board of Directors who met in the Bahamas on Monday with Yasir al-Rumayan, president of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf.
He called the meeting “good” without going into details, only saying, “It was a really good meeting to ask questions and get understanding and see where we can take the first steps.” did.
The threat of LIV Golf, which pulled off big names like Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, led the PGA Tour to develop a $20 million event featuring the best players on the PGA Tour.
According to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis, Woods and other player directors will meet for the first time with PIF President Yasir Al-Rumayan.
The limited field prompted other players to enter tournaments in between in hopes of winning a portion of the 15 spots available at the signature event. And even though it's early in the season, that's putting pressure on PGA Tour newcomers, mostly Korn Ferry Tour alumni, who are trying to play more tournaments.
In response, the number of participants in the Valspar Championship field was increased beyond the usual 144 players to allow everyone on the Korn Ferry Tour to play. This brings that number to 155, with Garrick Higgo's withdrawal taking his number down by one, creating another strange element this week.
There is an alternate list, but no one will be on it unless the field drops below 144 players. Usually someone will take Higo's place. But this is all about creating spots.
“The situation is not perfect, but people need to remember why it happened,” Spieth said.
Justin Thomas doesn't know what the solution is to holding important events for top performers without crowding out players lower on the priority list who don't get enough opportunities.
“That has to be the answer at this point,” he said. “But I don't think it's possible in the long term.”
The Valspar Championship is attracting a pretty good field considering it follows the 69-player $20 million prize pool at Bay Hill and the $25 million prize money at The Players Championship.
The only players in the world top 10 at Innisbrook are Xander Schauffele and British Open champion Brian Herman, who tied for second at TPC Sawgrass last week. But there are 10 more players in the top 30, a list that includes Spieth and Thomas, two-time champion Sam Burns, Tony Finau and Cameron Young.
For Schauffele, it's now time to get back on the horse.
“After a close call last week, sometimes it's good to get back to work, put your head down and figure out a new golf course,” he said. “I'm very happy to be here.”
There are three tournaments left until the Masters, and if Innisbrook's 130 players win, they will receive an invitation on Augusta National letterhead. There are many opportunities.
To most, the Copperhead Course is considered one of the best courses in the South on the Florida swing, with its tree-lined fairways and elevation changes.
Spieth said he wouldn't say the game is underrated because “the players all rate it pretty highly.”
He has special memories from the Valspar Championship. Yes, before he went on a major tear, winning the Masters and the U.S. Open, there was a playoff victory in 2015. Even more impressively, in 2013, he chipped in on the 17th hole and finished tied for seventh, helping him earn his PGA Tour card at age 20.
