Valero Texas Open Preview
It’s the final event before the first major of the season.
The PGA Tour continues in Texas, but this time in San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open.
With nearly all of the stars taking the week off to prepare for their journeys down Magnolia Lane, the door is wide open for those actually in the field.
The only two major champions in the field this year are Hideki Matsuyama and Padraig Harrington.
In the past this event has faced the short end of the stick when it comes to consistency; over the years there have been several venue changes and different schedule placements.
As a non-designated event, the Valero Texas Open does not require the “top dogs” of the PGA Tour to make playing commitments.
But there is a lot on the line for some of the players who will be teeing it up this week — and for some, it might mean a ticket punch to the Masters.
A win for either Rickie Fowler, Harry Higgs, Padraig Harrington or Matt Kuchar would send them to Augusta National next week.
Last year, Kuchar finished runner up at -11 which was just two shots off the winning mark.
Fowler, who sits atop the list of favorites for the week, looks to be trending upwards.
In last week’s WGC Dell Technologies Match Play, he went 2-1-0 (including a win against world No. 3 Jon Rahm) but was unable to make it out of the group stage.
The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio is pretty wide off the tee so players like Fowler (that say they need to drive it more consistently) could find some relief out in the thick of it.
If anyone does have problems off the tee, it shouldn’t cause too many long-term problems to the round, but rather a slight game-plan adjustment.
Overall, the greens on the course are large which will force players to be accurate with their approach shots.
Depending on where the pins are located and if they happen to be tucked away in tighter areas, those shots into greens could be tricky.
J.J. Spaun won the event last season finishing at -13 and he is back in the field again this year.
Tyrell Hatton, who is the highest ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings that is playing this week, is another favorite to walk away victorious.
This week serves as a chance to win valuable FedEx Cup points and gain some ground on Jon Rahm, Max Homa or Scottie Scheffler who round out the top three on that list.
There have already been several first-time winners so far this season and there could be another this week at TPC San Antonio.
Amanda Vogt is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email her at aev5215@psu.edu.
