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Valero Texas Open: 2021 tournament preview and picks

By Josh Chandler

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 06: A general view of the 16th hole as Rickie Fowler of the United States putts during the third round of the 2019 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course on April 06, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 06: A general view of the 16th hole as Rickie Fowler of the United States putts during the third round of the 2019 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course on April 06, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The PGA Tour remains in Texas for the Valero Texas Open with The Masters on the horizon

The Valero Texas Open makes its return to the PGA schedule this week after the cancellation of the event in 2020. Players will be in search of a last gasp victory this upcoming weekend that would guarantee them a spot in the Masters in just over a week’s time.

With Augusta National looming many of the World’s elite have decided to pass on the event at TPC San Antonio this week, what remains is a 144 man field that includes just one of the World’s current top twenty after Dustin Johnson who had committed to playing this week at the last moment, decided to withdraw from the event earlier Monday.

The World number one was among a handful of elite golfers that succumbed to the chaos of Match Play golf this past weekend during the WGC Dell Technologies, when all was said and done only Jon Rahm managed to advance past the group stage before being knocked out in the last eight. The Spaniard made a good run considering he was the only seeded player inside of the top ten to make it out of his group.

The entertaining tournament did not fail to surprise and in the end, it was the former FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel who was the last man standing as he claimed his first World Golf Championship title at Austin Country Club.

Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)

This week the Valero Texas Open returns to the PGA schedule after being among a handful of tournaments that were canceled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is one of the longest-running PGA tour mainstays with the tournament first taking place back in 1922, since that time it has uniquely remained near the San Antonio area as well, making it one of the only tournaments on tour that can lay claim to remaining near one location throughout its entirety. The Oaks course at TPC San Antonio is a PAR 72 that plays at right around 7,400 yards after its design by Greg Norman with the assistance of Sergio Garcia.

The course has hosted the event since 2010 and it features a mixture of both narrow fairways that shoot through corridors of Oak trees as well as wider fairways that provide strategic options and give the course a nice mixture of options off the tee before approaches are played to the relatively large Bermuda grass greens.

After Dustin Johnson’s withdrawal, the 144 man field this week is highlighted by Tony Finau, Texas natives Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, defending champion from 2019 Corey Connors, Zach Johnson (a two-time winner of the Texas Open), and Rickie Fowler (who needs to win this week to ensure his place at the Masters).

Past Valero Texas Open winners

2019: Corey Conners  (-20)

2018: Andrew Landry (-17)

2017: Kevin Chappell (-12)

2016: Charley Hoffman (-12)

2015: Jimmy Walker (-11)

DJ’s withdrawal tightened things up near the top of the board this week with several names now leading the way, as players make one final tune-up before Augusta National once again welcomes the golfing World.

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