PGA picks: McIlroy tames 'The Snake Pit' to shine at Valspar Championship

After a stunning finish in Mexico resulted in Phil Mickelson's first victory since 2013, the PGA Tour heads back to Florida for the Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is among the toughest on the schedule each year, highlighted by "The Snake Pit" closing stretch on the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes.

The event pulls in a very strong field this week including Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, and Tiger Woods.

Here are some of the golfers to target this week:

Favorite to watch (odds 25-1 or less)

Rory McIlroy

After a torrid start to the European Tour season, McIlroy has failed to the same on the American schedule. The 28-year-old posted second- and third-place showings in the Middle East, but has failed to crack the top 20 in three events in the United States. McIlroy decided to not go to Mexico last week and will make his return to action at the Valspar Championship. It seems the talented Northern Irishman needs to remind the golfing world he shouldn't be forgotten with young players such as Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm stealing the headlines. This is the week he does so with a win.

Odds to win: 14-1
Top-5 odds: 11-4

Second tier (odds 25-1 or greater)

Paul Casey

After opening with a 73 at the WGC-Mexico, Casey finished with two 68s and a 66 to finish in 12th place. While he hasn't played at Copperhead in three years, he's among the most consistent players on Tour with 16 top-15 finishes in his last 21 starts. Casey currently ranks third on Tour in par-3 scoring and is 17th in strokes gained on approach - two very important stats around this challenging layout.

Odds to win: 25-1
Top-5 odds: 5-1

Long shot (odds 50-1 or greater)

Ollie Schniederjans

Schniederjans made the cut at The Honda Classic but struggled to a 64th-place finish. After a week off to work on his game, expect a turnaround from the young American at the Valspar Championship. The 24-year-old is 12th on Tour in strokes gained on approach and is among the best players in the world at keeping the ball down out of the wind. With blustery conditions expected all week, he's a strong play at 66-1.

Odds to win: 66-1
Top-5 odds: 12-1

Super long shot (odds 80-1 or greater)

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau has only missed one cut all season and already has two top-10 showings through eight events. He finished 27th at the Valspar Championship last season, so the tricky setup shouldn't take him by surprise in this year's event. The 24-year-old routinely ranks high in ballstriking stats on Tour, and that should play well around the challenging layout.

Odds to win: 90-1
Top-5 odds: 12-1

Hit this bet, buy a car (odds 125-1 or greater)

Dominic Bozzelli

The long shot bet of the week relies on previous success at this track, as Bozzelli placed third in last year's Valspar Championship. While he didn't have much success the rest of the year, he comes back to Copperhead off a season-best 13th-place showing at the Honda Classic. At 125-1, he's worth hitting for a small wager.

Odds to win: 125-1
Top-5 odds: 18-1

Last week's results

Jordan Spieth: T-14
Paul Casey: T-12
Gary Woodland: T-50
Haotong Li: 63rd
Kyle Stanley: T-25

Season Record (9 events)

Wins: 3 (Bubba Watson 50-1, Dustin Johnson 15-2, Jon Rahm 8-1)
Top five: 6

(Odds courtesy: Bodog)
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)