2023 Valspar Championship: Top 10 Power Rankings at Innisbrook

Justin Thomas is another surprise name in the field, but it’s hard to blame him for wanting to get back to the Copperhead course.

JT owns four top-20s in five starts at Innisbrook, including a career-best T-3rd (66-66-66-70) last year. He was in the penultimate pairing on Sunday and was within three, but Thomas couldn’t summon one more sub-70 round to seal the deal.

The University of Alabama product’s only misstep at the Valspar Championship was a missed cut in 2017. He’s otherwise finished T-10th (67-72-73-68) in 2015, T-18th (72-67-72-73) in 2016, and T-13th (69-71-67-70) in 2021.

"“There’s just a lot of holes you have to just be so cautious out here I feel like,” Thomas was transcribed by ASAP Sports in 2016. “The par-3s are tough. You’re trying to find the green and two-putt, get out with a 3. There’s some longer holes you’re trying to hit the green in two and two-putt for a 4.”"

Thomas hopes his course history overrides recent form.

A T-60th last week at the Players Championship was a bit of a surprise. At the same time, a lot of big names stumbled at TPC Sawgrass, so the fact that he at least pieced together his seventh- straight made-cut dating back to July is a positive.

The 29-year-old is looking at his best chance to pick up his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship against a weak field.

I like Thomas’ chances as he’s got a good short game to get past the Snake Pit. He’s third on the PGA Tour in strokes gained per round around-the-green (.576).

Thomas is 11th in SG tee-to-green (1.205) but his iron play hasn’t quite been as crisp as we’re accustomed to seeing. I expect that part of his game to return soon and he’ll start picking off more wins instead of top-10s and 20s.