Spieth To Defend Title Against Top Field In 2016 Valspar Championship Presented By BB&T
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2016
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2016
The commitment deadline has passed and a top field is ready to challenge defending champion Jordan Spieth, the number one ranked player in the world, in the Valspar Championship presented by BB&T.
The field features 16 of the top 30 players in the current FedExCup standings, 15 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, 19 players who have won Major Championships and 66 of the top 100 players on the 2014-15 FedExCup point standings. Collectively, the field of 143 professionals and one amateur (Lee McCoy of the U. of Georgia) has a total of more than 300 PGA TOUR victories.
Including Spieth, 10 past winners of the Valspar Championship are in the field including Vijay Singh and Luke Donald, who also have been the top-ranked players in the world. Henrik Stenson (#6) and Patrick Reed (#10) are two other players in the OWGR top 10 in the world in the field as are #11 Branden Grace, #15 Danny Willett and #16 Brandt Snedeker.
While the first round will be held on Thursday, March 10 with a champion scheduled to be crowned on Sunday the 13th, there are a number of events prior to the start of the tournament beginning with this Sunday’s Par4Miler, a run/walk across the Copperhead Course. On Monday, more than 25 celebrities including Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, Bucs legends Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn, baseball Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Goose Gossage and AL MVP Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays, are schedule to join PGA TOUR pros in the Pro-Celeb-Am presented by BB&T in support of the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics.
For the second year, Valspar LIVE! will feature one of the top acts in country music free of charge to that day’s patrons. On Thursday, March 10, Rascal Flatts, the best-selling country vocal group of the past decade with 15 No.1 singles, will perform on the Osprey Driving Range after the conclusion of play.
The Valspar Championship will continue to be an extremely family-friendly event. Kids 15 and under are admitted free each day if accompanied by a ticketed adult.
Valspar is thrilled to be a part of tournament week with several Valspar activities to benefit Habitat for Humanity, including the Valspar Putting Challenge in the Valspar COLOR EXPERIENCE Expo.
Color + Performance is a key driver in all Valspar initiatives. Some areas of enhancement that exhibit this brand ethos at the tournament this year include:
An expanded Jabil Family Fun Zone presented by Publix will be near the 8th green with a 16-foot climbing wall and oversized putting green among other activities.
The Valspar Championship also has a special policy for military admission, thanks to Pinch A Penny and other sponsors. Active and retired military are admitted free of charge each day and are welcome to partake of special hospitality at the Pinch A Penny Birdies for the Brave Patriot’s Outpost on the 16th hole. US Military Veterans are eligible for special discounted admission.
The 2016 Valspar Championship presented by BB&T, Tampa Bay’s PGA TOUR event, will be held March 7-13 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, in Palm Harbor, Florida. Jordan Spieth is the defending champion of the tournament which is part of the annual FedExCup competition. The tournament will be nationally televised by NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Tickets for the tournament and Valspar LIVE! concert featuring Rascal Flatts may be purchased at www.valsparchampionship.com.
Copperhead Charities history of supporting charities through professional golf dates back to 1977, with funds generated exceeding $34 million. The 2016 Valspar Championship is the 16th full-field PGA TOUR event sponsored by the Copperheads.