Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The Players Championship (Rory McIlroy)
THIS WEEK: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Fla., March 20-23
Course: Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (Par 71, 7,352 Yards)
Purse: $8.7M (Winner: $1.566M)
Defending Champion: Peter Malnati
FedExCup leader: McIlroy
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App), 3-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @ValsparChamp
NOTES: The field includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including eight of the top 25. … The ninth hole will play from the No. 11 tee this year to add length to the hole and to bring bunkers into play. … Malnati seeks to join Paul Casey (2018-19) and Sam Burns (2021-22) as the third player to successfully defend a Valspar title in the past seven editions of the event. … Neal Shipley, the low amateur at last year’s Masters, is in the field on a sponsors exemption. He is joined by Luke Clanton, who earned an exemption by winning the 2024 Valspar Collegiate Invitational before earning his PGA Tour membership through University Accelerated. He is eligible to accept membership upon turning professional at the conclusion of his junior season at Florida State. Blades Brown, 17, will make his fourth start of the season. He tied for 34th at the Mexico Open in his lone made cut this year. … Vijay Singh set the tournament scoring record of 266 in 2004, while Padraig Harrington set the 18-hole record of 61 in the first round in 2012.
BEST BETS: Tommy Fleetwood (+1100 DraftKings) has finished T22 or better in 14 consecutive worldwide starts as he still seeks his first stroke-play victory in the United States. … Xander Schauffele (+1200) called the state of his game “gross” as he has scuffled to a T40 and a 70th in his first two starts back from a rib injury, but did shoot a final-round 65 here in 2024 and is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3. … Sepp Straka (+1600) has been as consistently competitive as anyone to begin 2025, with last week’s T14 adding to a win at the AmEx and a T5 at Bay Hill. … Justin Thomas (+2000) has three top-10s in his past six event starts, and he has said Copperhead is among his favorite courses on tour. He hasn’t won since the 2022 PGA Championship. … Sam Burns (+2200) has one top-20 result in seven starts this year and missed the cut at The Players, but he has won this event twice. … Michael Kim (+3000) is already making his 10th start of the season. Fatigue is a concern, with a missed cut last week following five consecutive top-13s. … Corey Conners (+3500) is a two-time winner on tour who has quietly finished solo third and T6 in marquee events the past two weeks. … Lucas Glover (+6000) is coming off a T3 at The Players as he makes his 20th start in this event.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Texas Children’s Houston Open, March 27-30

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LAST TOURNAMENT: Cologuard Classic (Steven Alker)
THIS WEEK: Hoag Classic, Newport Beach, Calif., March 21-23
Course: Newport Beach Country Club (Par 71, 6,725 Yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Padraig Harrington
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els
HOW TO WATCH:
TV: Friday: 6-8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 5-8 p.m.; Sunday: 4-7 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
X: @HoagClassic
NOTES: The 78-player field will compete in a 54-hole event. … Harrington is one of seven World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field including: Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh. Els won the event in 2020 and ’23, Goosen in 2022, Singh in 2018, Couples in 2010 and ’14 and Langer in 2008. … Duffy Waldorf set the tournament scoring record of 193 in 2015, when he also tied the 18-hole scoring record of 60 that had been accomplished two previous times.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Galleri Classic, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

LPGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Blue Bay LPGA (Rio Takeda)
THIS WEEK: OFF
Race to the CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Ford Championship, Chandler, Ariz., March 27-30

LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LAST TOURNAMENT: Singapore (Individual: Juaquin Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF
Season Leaders: Individual: Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Miami, April 4-6

–Field Level Media