Tournament Preview: The 2013 Valero Texas Open (April 4 –April 7, 2013)

For the 4^th consecutive year, the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio will play host to the Valero Texas Open.  This tournament is the last stop before golf’s greatest stage takes place with The Masters next week at Augusta National.  With one spot left for qualification which would go to the winner of this event (if they haven’t qualified already), certain players will be in a dog fight to make it to Georgia’s most coveted golf course.

The track measures 7,522 yards and plays as a par-72. Fairways are tight and challenging at best with fairways on holes 1 and 4 recently widened in response to player feedback. The rough is also down to no more than two inches this year which is an inch shorter than previous years and should help provide players with a greater chance of holding the greens – averaging 6,400 square feet.

AT&T Oaks Course 16th Hole. Photo by TPC.com

TPC San Antonio can be brutal, and if you don’t believe us just ask Kevin Na who carded a 16 on a par 4 last year when he struggled with the track’s difficult vegetation.  Although the track design is more flat than its neighboring courses, the sand traps and OB vegetation could eat up golf balls.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is back in contention this week after almost missing the cut at Redstone last week.  McIlroy looks to regain some confidence before heading into Augusta in search of his third career major title.    Rory earned only $227,790.36 in his 4 tournaments played on U.S soil so far this year. By this point last year, Rory earned $2.39 million in 3 events (WGC Match Play, Honda Classic, and WGF Cadillac) where he finished 2^nd, 1^st, and 3^rd respectively.  He also went on to win 3 more tournaments in 2012 and the Ryder Cup later on that Summer/Fall.

Temperatures in San Antonio are expected to be in the mid-80s with little to no chance of rain.  Wind may play a small factor but overall the weather will be extremely pleasant for the 4 day festivities.

Want to hear more about our predictions for the 2013 Valero Texas Open? Check out our Fantasy Golf Predictions page for all the odds, insights, and potential results for this week’s Texas showdown.

Golficity’s Pick: Charl Schwartzel