2-pointer by Jermaine Samuels2-pointer by Jermaine Samuels
Jermaine Samuels (Villanova Wildcats) makes the And One in the 2nd Half against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Day: April 3, 2022
3-pointer by Ochai Agbaji3-pointer by Ochai Agbaji
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas Jayhawks) makes the 3-pointer in the 2nd Half against the Villanova Wildcats.
Brandt Snedeker to rely on experience amid packed leaderboard at Valero Texas OpenBrandt Snedeker to rely on experience amid packed leaderboard at Valero Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — The leaderboard late Saturday at the Valero Texas Open reflected youth and experience, from those without a PGA TOUR title to those with many. What they had in common: Most have yet to qualify for the Masters. And they can do that by winning here. Charles Howell III, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker, all of them in their 40s and all of them not currently in the Masters field, will play late in the fourth round at TPC San Antonio. Snedeker birdied two of the last three holes Saturday to finish with a share of the lead at 10 under par. “Hopefully I can pull on a lot of experience,” said Snedeker, 41. That he has. Snedeker has won nine times in his career, most recently at the Wyndham Championship in 2018. He’s played in the Masters on 12 occasions, including in 2021, when he finished 59th. Kuchar, 43, and Howell, 42, also played at Augusta National last year. Howell tied for 46th. Kuchar missed the cut. Kuchar, also a nine-time winner on the TOUR, begins the final round in Texas two shots behind Snedeker. He shot even-par 72 on a hot, breezy Saturday in Texas to finish in sixth alone. He knows sixth won’t get him to Augusta. “I think quality play trumps anything,” Kuchar said. “I’d take execution over course knowledge any day of the week. I think it’s going to take just quality golf tomorrow to win this thing.” Six players were tied at one time early in the third round of the Valero Texas Open, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary. Kuchar birdied three of the first four holes, but a double-bogey on the par-4 ninth stalled his rally. Snedeker made no bogeys in his round of 67, while Howell shot 2-over 38 on the back nine to stall his own. He’ll begin the final round at minus 7, three shots behind Snedeker, Beau Hossler, Dylan Frittelli and J.J. Spaun. None of those players either has qualified yet for the first major championship of 2022. Howell, who’s made 10 starts in the Masters, understands the stakes. “This is the last qualifier for it (the Masters),” Howell said of the 100-year-old tournament in San Antonio. “It’s a big deal. It’ll take a good one (round to win). The golf course is hard enough that it’ll keep you in the present.” And that’s exactly where Snedeker found himself Saturday afternoon as he finished a back-nine 32. He can summon plenty of good memories of the Valero Texas Open. In just four starts, Snedeker averages 70.25 strokes in the final round — a number that just might be good enough on a fast and firming course in The Oaks. Snedeker has never finished worse than 25th at the VTO. He tied for sixth last year and finished in fourth alone in 2011. “So I’ll pull on those years of experience out here,” he said. “Tomorrow’s not going to be easy. It never is to win a golf tournament. Knowing that going into it hopefully gives me a little leg up.”
Four players tied for lead at Valero Texas OpenFour players tied for lead at Valero Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — Brandt Snedeker and Beau Hossler each shot rounds of 5-under 67 to join J.J. Spaun and Dylan Frittelli atop the leaderboard after the third round of the Valero Texas Open on Saturday. RELATED: Leaderboard | Top 10 Valero Texas Opens | Martin sees bigger picture at Valero Texas Open Both Spaun, who shot 69, and Frittelli (70) bogeyed the last hole to finish with a share of the lead at 10-under 206. Another final-hole bogey kept Scott Stallings out of the lead. He also shot 65 and was a shot back at 9-under. Matt Kuchar’s bogey at 18 dropped him to 8-under after an even-par round. Spaun birdied four of his five holes heading to the 18th to take a one-shot lead. At the 17th he drove the green at the 303-yard par-4 and almost made the 19-foot eagle. However, he pushed his tee shot on 18 into the trees, punched out, then laid up short of the stream that guards the final green. He ended up with a 22-foot putt for par that he missed. Second-round leader Ryan Palmer didn’t have a bogey Friday. On Saturday he didn’t have a birdie and dropped to 21st place with a 5-over 77. With a bogey-free round, Snedeker was 4-under on the backside. He is looking for his first win since 2018. It would be his 10th TOUR victory. Spaun and Hossler are each looking for their first TOUR win and Frittelli won in 2019 at the John Deere Classic. Maverick McNealy matched the best round of the day with 65, and he was three shots back with Charles Howell III (72), Si Woo Kim (68), Denny McCarthy (68), Troy Merritt (69), Aaron Rai (68), Brendon Todd (72) and Gary Woodland (72). Hossler had three-straight birdies starting at No. 14 when all of his approach shots finished less than 10 feet from the hole. A pro since 2016 after playing at University of Texas, Hossler has a career-best finish of second in the 2018 Houston Open and was third this year at Pebble Beach. Stallings, a 37-year-old three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, started the day out of the top 20 and got in range of the leaders when a 36-foot birdie dropped at No. 8 to go 7-under. It was his third birdie of the day, and two more at 14 and 15 gave him a share of the lead. A victory would be his first since the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open and would qualify him for the Masters next week. He hasn’t played in Augusta since a missed cut in 2014. Kuchar was two strokes out of the lead entering the day, but he was in a six-way tie for the lead when he walked off the second green after a 4-foot birdie putt. He took the lead with a 16-footer on the next. The lead was two with a birdie from 17 feet on the fourth. But his three-putt inside 40 feet on the fifth soon had him back in a tie. Spaun birdied three of his first six holes and reached 10-under at No. 6. It was the second time this week Spaun reached double digits and was on top of the leaderboard. On Friday, he reached 10-under and bogeyed three of four holes including a lost stroke at No. 9. On Saturday, he double-bogeyed the ninth.
3-pointer by Collin Gillespie3-pointer by Collin Gillespie
Collin Gillespie (Villanova Wildcats) makes the 3-pointer in the 2nd Half against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Assist by Dajuan HarrisAssist by Dajuan Harris
Dajuan Harris (Kansas Jayhawks) makes the Assist in the 2nd Half against the Villanova Wildcats.
3-pointer by Collin Gillespie3-pointer by Collin Gillespie
Collin Gillespie (Villanova Wildcats) makes the 3-pointer in the 1st Half against the Kansas Jayhawks.
3-pointer by Remy Martin3-pointer by Remy Martin
Remy Martin (Kansas Jayhawks) makes the 3-pointer in the 1st Half against the Villanova Wildcats.