Viktor Hovland returned to success on the PGA Tour, winning the 2025 Valspar Championship with a stunning performance that ended a drought of almost two years of victories. On the difficult Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, the Norwegian closed the tournament at -11 (273 total shots: 70-67-69-67), beating his American rival Justin Thomas by just one shot and demonstrating that he has rediscovered the form that had led him to win the FedEx Cup in 2023.
Viktor Hovland, results
The competition, held from March 20 to 23, saw a thrilling finale, with Hovland and Thomas protagonists of a tight duel. After 54 holes, Hovland was leading at -7, tied with American Jacob Bridgeman. But it was in the final round that the Norwegian made the difference, especially thanks to a flawless finish in the feared “Snake Pit”. Starting three shots behind Thomas, Hovland birdied the final five holes from the 14th, including a 10-foot putt on the 17th. Thomas, however, lost ground with a bogey on the 16th and couldn’t recover, closing 10 points behind with another bogey on the 18th.
“It’s incredible to come back and win,” Hovland said after his victory. “I wasn’t sure about my game this week, but the Copperhead Course suits my game. I found my composure and precision when it mattered most.” The victory, his seventh on the PGA Tour, restores Hovland to No. 8 in the world rankings and marks a comeback in style after a difficult period, marked by three consecutive missed cuts prior to this event.
Behind the top two, Jacob Bridgeman rounded out the podium with a solid performance, confirming his potential despite his young age. Among the other big names in the competition, Xander Schauffele (-4) finished in 5th place together with Shane Lowry and Kevin Velo, showing signs of recovery after the rib injury that had slowed him down. On the other hand, the reigning champion Peter Malnati was disappointing, having failed to defend his title.
The prize pool of 8.7 million dollars, of which 1.566 million to the winner, underlines the importance of this PGA Tour event, which saw 18 of the best 50 players in the world on the course. The Valspar Championship, born in 2000 as the Tampa Bay Classic, confirms itself as a prestigious tournament, capable of providing excitement until the last hole.
Unfortunately, the only Italian in the competition, Matteo Manassero, failed to make the cut. The Veronese closed at +3 after the second round, just one stroke above the cut line set at +2.
The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing comes to a close with the Valspar Championship, once again hosted by the famed Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida. This beloved course is set to welcome a top-notch field, with 23 of the top 50 golfers in the world ready to battle it out. For 2025, the course features a small change: Hole 9 will be played from the 11th tee, increasing the length and bringing bunkers into play, for a total of 6,722 meters, making it the longest par 71 played so far this season.
Among the standouts is Xander Schauffele, who continues his comeback from injury. After a last-place finish among the cut at THE PLAYERS Championship, Schauffele returns to the Copperhead, where he boasts a T12 in 2022 and a T5 in 2024. Eyes are also on Peter Malnati, the defending champion, who triumphed in 2024 with a breathtaking finish. Malnati is looking for a repeat, a feat already achieved by two players in the last six editions, but he will have to reverse a difficult season thus far (5 missed cuts in 8 events).
Jordan Spieth returns to Valspar with a mixed history on the Copperhead: winner in 2015, third in 2023, but out of the cut in 2024. After surgery last summer, Spieth already has two top-10s in five starts in 2025. Justin Thomas, who considers the course one of his favorites, arrives with a record-breaking 62 at TPC Sawgrass and three top-10s of the season, including a runner-up at the American Express.
The field is enriched by other champions such as Sam Burns, two-time winner of the Valspar, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood, Will Zalatoris and the recent winner of the Puerto Rico Open, Karl Vilips. There is also room for the youngsters: Luke Clanton, fresh from the PGA Tour card through the University Accelerated program, boasts two top-20 finishes of the season, while the 17-year-old Blades Brown is looking for his first cut of the season. Neal Shipley, star of Netflix, will debut on the PGA Tour in 2025 after a good start on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Among the protagonists of the Valspar Championship is also Matteo Manassero, who returned to the PGA Tour with the aim of making his mark. In the 2025 season, Manassero has played five tournaments so far, showing signs of growth.
Tennis World USA