Mar 29, 2022

Horses for Courses: Valero Texas Open

Horses for Courses: Valero Texas Open
Written by Mike Glasscott
All-time shots from the Valero Texas Open
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      All-time shots from the Valero Texas Open


      San Antonio is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to hosting PGATOUR events. Hill Country takes center stage this week to host the 100th anniversary of the Texas Open, the third oldest event on TOUR.

      The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio hosts for the 12th time in 13 years since assuming the duties in 2010. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia collaboration stretches 7,438 yards and plays to Par-72. Routing meanders thru the oaks and native grasses of Texas' Hill Country. With a couple of ball-strikers fingerprint on the blueprints it's hardly a surprise which clubs in the bag will feature this week.

      As Rob Bolton wrote in his Power Rankings fairways are the exception, not the rule. Accurate second shots into the agonizingly narrow green complexes will reward those who are the most accurate. Over the last decade plus only Riviera annually provides tougher targets on approach. With forced carries on only two holes shot makers can excel in recovering if they are off the beaten path. Those errant will be forced to grind greenside for pars.

      Once on the over-seeded (Poa trivialis) Bermuda, holing putts won't be the issue on these perfect surfaces. The last six winners are all T10 or better in converting their birdie chances while four of six registered inside the top 10 in SG: Putting.

      Par-5 scoring also has our attention this week as five of the last six winners have hit the top 10 with three leading the way. Only Andrew Landry didn't follow the recipe but he made his bones winning the Par-3 scoring title. Of the four Par-5 holes, three annually rank in the top 50 most difficult on TOUR. With a bit of wind, water and sand, the range of numbers to write on the scorecard after playing these holes can be broad!

      The field of 144 is playing for a prize pool of $8.6 million with the winner taking home $1.548 plus 500 FedExCup points. The top 65 and ties will play the final two rounds. The last man standing with the boots and the trophy will also take the final entry to the 2022 Masters if not already qualified.

      Let's find some horses for courses!

      Horses for Courses

      Recent Winners entered this week
      (cuts made/events entered)
      Top 10sTop 25s2022 BET MGM ODDS
      Win, Top 10, Top 20
      2021: Jordan Spieth (5/6)33+1400; +160; -140
      2019: Corey Conners (3/3)12+1800; +200; -110
      2018: Andrew Landry (2/4)11+30000; +2500; +1100
      2017: Kevin Chappell (6/9)34+15000; +1400; +600
      2016:Charley Hoffman (11/11)59+6600; +600; +275
      Veteran Presence entered this week
      (cuts made/events entered)
      Top 10sTop 25s2022 BET MGM ODDS
      Win, Top 10, Top 20
      Lucas Glover (2/3)12+8000; +900; +400
      Chris Kirk (5/7)34+3000; +300; +140
      Brandt Snedeker (4/4)24+15000; +1400; +600
      Si Woo Kim (4/5)13+3300; +300; +150
      Brian Stuard (4/7)11+8000; +900; +400
      Matt Kuchar (9/9)37+6600; +600; +275
      Danny Lee (3/7)11+15000; +1200; +500
      Kevin Streelman (6/6)24+5000; +400; +250
      Graeme McDowell (4/5)11+20000; +1600; +650
      Jimmy Walker (8/11)35+20000; +1600; +700
      Zach Johnson (4/7)23+12500; +1200; +550
      Andrew Putnam (3/4)11+15000; +1200; +550
      Kevin Tway (2/4)11+25000; +1600; +650
      Tony Finau (3/4)11+4000; +350; +170
      Ryan Palmer (8/11)46+6600; +600; +275
      Sung Kang (4/7)11+20000; +1600; +650
      Camilo Villegas (3/5)12+20000; +1800; +800
      Branden Grace (5/5)23+12500; +1000; +400
      Martin Laird (7/8)24+8000; +700 ; +300
      Brendan Steele (9/10)34+6600; +550; +250
      Gaining Traction entered this week
      (cuts made/events entered)
      Top 10sTop 25s2022 BET MGM ODDS
      Win, Top 10, Top 20
      Matt Wallace (1/1)11+15000; +1600; +700
      Anirban Lahiri (3/3)11+10000; +1000; +400
      Gary Woodland (4/5)11+3000; +300; +140
      Patton Kizzire (1/1)11+6600; +500; +240
      Adam Schenk (2/3)11+10000; +1000; +450
      Trey Mullinax (1/3)11+25000; +1800; +700
      Rory McIlroy (1/1)11+800; +110; -175

      Odds sourced on Tuesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.

      Recent Event Winner Stats

      Season2021202020192018
      WinnerJordan SpiethNo EventCorey ConnersAndrew Landry
      Score18-underCovid-1920-under17-under
      MOV222
      Cut 2-over1-under1-over
      Age272730
      Pretournament Odds+1200 Favorite+900 Field +550 Field
      All DrivesT15T1726
      AccuracyT49T7T29
      GIRT5711
      Ball-StrikingT431T20
      Proximity2827
      Putting: Birdie or Better %1110
      SG: Off-the-Tee3849
      SG: Approach-the-Green411
      SG: Around-the-Green35833
      SG: Putting6268
      SG: Tee-to-Green321
      Scrambling4702
      Bogey AvoidanceT3T361
      Par-3 ScoringT23T21
      Par-4 Scoring1T24
      Par-5 ScoringT1T839

      Extra Credit (players entered this week only)

      2021

      Winner Jordan Spieth made it three consecutive 30 or younger players to pick up the title and three consecutive winning scores of 17-under or better! ... All time money leader at the event Charley Hoffman (2nd) played the final 54 holes 19-UNDER PAR and still lost by two. ... Englishman Matt Wallace (3rd) led the field in SG: Approach the Green, SG: Tee to Green, Bogey Avoidance and Scrambling on his debut. ... Lucas Glover (4th) led the field in Proximity and GIR and was T14 in his previous visit 2015. ... Anirban Lahiri (5th) finished fourth SG: Putting. ... Chris Kirk (T6) T3 GIR and picks up his fourth T13 or better in six tries. ... Brandt Snedeker (T6) was third in Putting as he needed only 103 for the week. ... Gary Woodland (T6) had a very balanced week as he was sixth SG: Tee to Green, second SG: Around the Green and was second Par-4 scoring. ... Patton Kizzire (T9) posted the low round of Sunday with a bogey free 65 and was second SG: Approach the Green. ... Defending champ Corey Conners (T14) posted three more rounds under par. ... First Round leader Camilo Villegas (T17) posted 64, lowest round of the week. ... Spieth and Wallace played from the final group. ... Only the top five were 10-under or better. ... Spieth's 18-under was the second best winning total. ... 13 bogey free rounds. ... 72.475 scoring average ranked 15th most difficult of 51 courses used in 2021.

      2020

      No event

      2019

      Winner and Monday Qualifier Corey Conners set the tournament scoring record, circled TWENTY NINE BIRDIES and became the first international winner since 2014 (fourth overall). ... Charley Hoffman (2nd) posted 17-UNDER over the last 54 holes. ... Si Woo Kim (T4) led by one after 18, FOUR after 36 and played from the final group Sunday with a one shot lead. ... Brian Stuard (T4) picked up his only top 10 by squaring just four bogeys and posting second in Proximity. ... Kevin Streelman (6th) stormed home with 64, matching the lowest round of the day and the week. ... Graeme McDowell (T7) backed up his win at Corales with another top 10. ... Matt Kuchar (T7) T4 Fairways and T3 GIR and never has MC in NINE tries. ... Dallas resident Danny Lee (T7) picked up his only top 10 here. ... Adam Schenk (T7) led the field SG: Putting. ... Defending champ Andrew Landry (MC) hasn't found the weekend since his victory in 2018. ... 20 bogey free rounds. ... 71.242 played the easiest since 2012. ... Sunny and breezy turned into cloudy, wet and rainy as the weekend progressed leading to lower scores.

      Notes:

      • The Oaks Course debuted in 2010 and any course history before that is irrelevant***.
      • More overseed and Bermuda for those coming off Match Play and Valspar.
      • There have been no repeat champions or multiple winners.
      • Only four winners from 12 are internationals (Scott, Bowditch, Laird and Conners).
      • Last three winners are 30 or under.
      • Last three winners have posted the three lowest totals in Oaks history.
      • Last three winners have been THE FIELD or THE FAVORITE.
      • Ben Curtis (2012) is the last to win in their first attempt.
      • Landry and Conners won in their second attempts while Spieth, Kevin Chappell, Hoffman and Jimmy Walker all won in their sixth or seventh.
      • Course record is 62 by Trey Mullinax (Round 3, 2018).
      • There has never been a playoff.
      ***Charley Hoffman since 2006 has FIVE top five paydays, SEVEN top 10s, 12 top 25s and 15 made cuts to lead all players. Exception, not rule.
      • San Antonio resident Abraham Ancer has never missed in four attempts.
      • JT Poston, Kramer Hickok, Kyle Stanley, Troy Merritt and Beau Hossler are on streaks of three straight.
      • Rickie Fowler T17-T17 in his only two visits.

      Key stat leaders

      Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week; Select players with top 10 finishes since 2017.

      Par-5 Scoring
      RankPlayer
      5Hideki Matsuyama
      18Jordan Spieth
      23Si Woo Kim
      31Matt Jones
      31Luke List
      36Danny Lee
      36Sahith Theegala
      36Gary Woodland
      40Sam Ryder
      40Jhonattan Vegas
      Stroke-Gained: Approach the Green
      RankPlayer
      10Hideki Matsuyama
      11Mito Pereira
      12Austin Smotherman
      13Luke List
      16Russell Knox
      21Martin Laird
      24Matthew NeSmith
      25Adam Hadwin
      26Tony Finau
      31Lucas Glover
      32Keegan Bradley
      38Doug Ghim
      40Patton Kizzire
      Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage
      RankPlayer
      11Danny Lee
      21Tony Finau
      24Vince Whaley
      26Jason Day
      28Hideki Matsuyama
      34Sam Ryder
      37Hudson Swafford
      41Davis Riley
      42Si Woo Kim
      43Maverick McNealy
      46Max McGreevey
      48Chad Ramey

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