Snake Pit awaits: Golfers must navigate tough closing stretch at Valspar Championship

The Masters has Amen Corner.

The Cognizant Classic has the Bear Trap.

At the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, golfers will need to navigate the Snake Pit, the final three holes on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.

“You are entering the Snake Pit,” the plaque on the giant copper snake statue on the 16th hole says. “The Moccasin, the Rattler and the Copperhead are among the most difficult finishing holes on the PGA Tour.”

Here’s a breakdown of the closing stretch:

• The par-4, 475-yard 16th hole was the ninth most difficult hole in 2023 with an average score of 4.373, +.373 strokes over par
• The 215-yard, par-3 17th was the 332nd most difficult hole in 2023, with an average score of 3.074 (+.074)
• The par-4, 445-yard 18th hole was the 187th most difficult hole in 2023, 4.146 (+.146)

Last year’s champion Taylor Moore went bogey-free over that stretch, recording nine straight pars on those holes before making birdie on No. 16 during Sunday’s final round. He then parred Nos. 17 and 18 to secure a one-shot victory.

The golf course as a whole was the seventh most difficult venue on the PGA Tour last season, with an average score of .935 strokes over par. The par-71 layout will measure 7,340 yards once again in 2024.