Who Wins The Valero Texas Open?

The marathon PGA Tour event of the year is over and now we look forward to another great event in the state of Texas, The Valero Texas Open.

TPC San Antonio will be a first-time tuneup for The Masters, overtaking the Shell Houston Open from years past. Birdies will be plentiful as the fairways are now wider and the rough is cut down, so if you’re looking for low scores before the struggles of Augusta, you’ll want to be watching this event from start to finish.

The field is decently strong thanks to the condensed schedule with the likes of Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar, Tony Finau and others. While I don’t expect a big name to win this week as this event will be used to presumably prepare for The Masters, don’t expect missed cuts to come easily from the top ranked players in the field.

On the other hand, don’t expect an outsider hoping to play their way into The Masters to excel. Ian Poulter was able to secure his spot in Houston last year, but he was riding a decently hot hand going into that event.

Andrew Landry (Texas native) tees off on Thursday hoping to defend his crown, and though he’s been so-so this season his comfort and familiarity with the course will be beneficial to him. I come into this week thinking that (another) Texan will want to stamp his name into this event. Besides, what better way to be a hero in Texas than to represent with an in-state win? There are 19 Texas natives in the field this week from my count, including Jordan Spieth who will of course be looking to break his slump in his home state.

Andrew Landry of the United States plays his second shot on the par…

Andrew Landry of the United States plays his second shot on the par 4, first hole during the second round of the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club on March… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

No, Jordan Spieth is not my pick this week and he won’t be a favorite of mine until he can prove he can get off the tee. Yes I know the putting has been suspect, but have you been watching his drives? It’s kind of hard to make birdies or kick-in pars when you can’t hit fairways.

My guy for this week is…drum-roll please…Ryan Palmer. That’s right folks, a guy you forget about after Torrey Pines will be in contention and win this week. Now he did have a MC at this event last season, but he shot a 76 in the 2nd round, not going to be the same case this year. His double bogey avoidance will have to be much better this time around, and I have no doubt that it will be.

Ryan Palmer reacts on the 17th green during the final round of the…

Ryan Palmer reacts on the 17th green during the final round of the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on March 03, 2019 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

This course should fit Palmer’s game quite a bit, because as mentioned earlier, wider fairways and shorter rough to deal with. If he can manage to have a proximity to the hole of about 28-32’ for the week he’ll be solid. The iron game has to be solid…I can’t stress that enough. Hit some decent irons this week, Ryan. Don’t make a fool out of me!

Driving accuracy and proximity to the hole will be crucial for 72 holes at this course. While the fairways and rough may be easier, the greens haven’t changed which means you’ve got to be aware of the undulations and false fronts of the greens. This is something most of us amateurs struggle with, so maybe we can all learn a thing or two this weekend.

So there you have it, folks. It’s going to be a birdie barrage in San Antonio this week before the 3-putts of Augusta next week. I hope you enjoy your golf this week whether that be watching on the TV or trying to break 100 on the course!

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