Monday qualifiers: Valero Texas Open

Aaron Baddeley led the way at open qualifying for this week's Valero Texas Open, carding 6-under 66 at the Club at Comanche Trace to earn a tee time this week at TPC San Antonio's Oaks Course, as the historic event celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Baddeley made five birdies and an eagle on Monday, against a single bogey. The four-time PGA TOUR winner has made four TOUR starts this season as he aims to play his way back to fully exempt status; he has also spent time on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022. He is well known for making a 336-yard birdie at the 2015 Valero Texas Open, having hit his tee shot out-of-bounds at the par-4 17th hole before re-teeing and holing his third shot.

Shawn Stefani carded 5-under 67 to earn the second of four available spots. The veteran has spent the majority of this season on the Korn Ferry Tour, making two cuts in six starts. He has won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour and has made 194 career PGA TOUR starts, recording two runner-up finishes.

Jake Kevorkian IV and Samuel Saunders each carded 4-under 68 to also secure spots in the Valero Texas Open field. No other player carded 4-under or better, so no playoff was needed.

In all, 50 players competed for four spots in this week's field.

For all scores from the Club at Comanche Trace, click here.

A capsule look at all four Valero Texas Open qualifiers:

QUALIFIERS

Aaron Baddeley (6-under 66)

Age: 41
Turned pro: 2000
PGA TOUR starts: 466
Cuts made: 277

Notes: Will make his fifth start of the PGA TOUR season … Made cuts at the Fortinet Championship and Puerto Rico Open … Four-time PGA TOUR winner … Last win came at the 2016 Barbasol Championship … Made the FedExCup Playoffs in 2019 for the first time since 2015-16 … Finished fourth at the 2018 Fortinet Championship after Monday qualifying into the event … In 2018, also finished T2 at the Puerto Rico Open and T17 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in 2018 … Made the cut in 15 of 27 starts on the PGA TOUR in 2018, with best finish coming at the Shriners Children’s Open (T10) … Collected four top-25s in 20 starts during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season … Finished T5 at the 2017 Valero Texas Open … Recorded four top-10 showings in 28 starts on the 2015-16 PGA TOUR … Earned three top-10s on the PGA TOUR in 2012, including T8 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational … Was a captain’s pick for the International team at the 2011 Presidents Cup … Won the Genesis Invitational in 2011 … Won the 2007 WM Phoenix Open … Held 54-hole lead over Tiger Woods at the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont but ended up finishing T13 … Won the 2005 RBC Heritage … Lost in two-hole playoff to Ernie Els at the 2003 Sony Open in Hawaii … Won the 1999 Holden Australian Open, becoming the youngest player to win the event and first amateur since Bruce Devlin in 1959 … Made nine TOUR appearances as an amateur … First amateur to receive a special invitation to the Masters (2000) since 1976 … Became the youngest Australian to represent his country in any world team event.

Shawn Stefani (5-under 67)

Age: 40
College: Lamar University
Turned pro: 2005
PGA TOUR starts: 195
Cuts made: 109

Notes: Will make his third start of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season … Missed nine cuts in 12 events on the PGA TOUR in 2020-21 … Last full season on TOUR was in 2018-19, where he made 15 cuts in 25 starts … Best finish that year was T6 at the Puerto Rico Open … Finished No. 147 on the 2017-18 FedEx Cup standings but retained his card for the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season by finishing 13th on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals money list … Had one top-10 in 26 starts on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17 and retained his card for 2017-18 by finishing second in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship … Played 29 events on the PGA TOUR in 2015-16, with best finish coming at the FedEx St. Jude Classic … Finished 54th on the 2014-15 FedEx Cup standings ... Best finish that year was second at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba … Started the 2013-14 PGA TOUR season on a minor medical exemption due to a neck injury and needed to make $84,084 in two events to retain his PGA TOUR card … Two events later, he finished T5 at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, earning $256,000 and his PGA TOUR card … Finished second at the 2014 Quicken Loans National in a playoff against Justin Rose … Played two FedExCup Playoffs events in 2014 … Made 11 cuts in 13 starts on the PGA TOUR in 2013 … Made a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole at Merion … Won twice on the 2012 Korn Ferry Tour to earn his PGA TOUR card for the first time in his career (AdventHealth Championship and Miccosukee Championship) … Was first-team all-conference at Lamar in 2004 and second-team all-conference in 2003 and 2005 … Named to all-district team (1997-00) at Barbers Hill High School.

Jake Kevorkian IV (4-under 68)

Age: 27
Turned pro: 2017
PGA TOUR starts: 0

Notes: Will make his first career PGA TOUR start … Rejoined PGA TOUR Canada in February after finishing T23 at PGA TOUR Canada Q-School USA East 1 to earn conditional status … Played on PGA TOUR Canada from 2017-19 … Best finish came at the 2018 Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by Aecon (T33) … Has earned $6,694 in 66 events on the West Florida Golf Tour … Finished T3 at the 2022 East Orlando Shootout on the Florida Elite Golf Tour … Recorded another top-10 on the Florida Elite Golf Tour with an eighth-place finish at the Florida Elite Open at Panther Lake in February.

Samuel Saunders (4-under 68)

Age: 30
College: University of New Mexico
Turned pro: 2015
PGA TOUR starts: 0

Notes: Will make his first career start on the PGA TOUR … Won the 2021 L&J Championship at Jennings Mill Country Club on PGA TOUR Canada … Other than the win, he missed seven cuts in eight starts on PGA TOUR Canada in 2021 … Won the 2021 New Mexico Open … Won the 2019 Colorado Open … Won the 2019 Utah Open … Finished in the top-25 twice in nine starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2018 … Won the 2018 New Mexico Open … Earned a T5 finish at the 2017 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament in Colombia … Missed six cuts in eight starts that year … Finished T18 at the 2016 Open Castello di Tolcinasco on the Alps Golf Tour … Recorded a T26 finish at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open on PGA TOUR Canada in 2018 … University of New Mexico team won the 2014 Mountain West Conference Championship … Was the 5A 2009 New Mexico individual state high school champion, playing for La Cueva High School in Albuquerque ... Was a member of two state championship teams at La Cueva ... Was also a three-time district champion in New Mexico (2008-10).