The First Look: Valero Texas Open

It’s the 100th anniversary of the Valero Texas Open, and the big-time milestone will feature a big-time field led by former FedExCup champions Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Spieth is also the defending champion at TPC San Antonio. His win at last season’s Valero Texas Open marked his first victory on TOUR since 2017. FIELD NOTES: Rory McIlroy will tee it up the week prior to the Masters for the first time in eight years. McIlroy finished second behind Martin Laird at this event in 2013 … Bryson DeChambeau is set to play the Valero Texas Open for the first time since 2017 (MC). DeChambeau had an early exit from the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and continues to recover from injuries that kept him off the TOUR for more than a month-and-a-half … Hideki Matsuyama returns to action before his Masters title defense. Matsuyama withdrew from THE PLAYERS Championship due to injury … Twenty upcoming Masters participants are playing at TPC San Antonio. Some of the Masters first-timers who are also Valero first-timers include Garrick Higgo, Takumi Kanaya, Min Woo Lee and Robert MacIntyre … University of Oklahoma star Logan McAllister and Texas Tech’s Ludvig Aberg are among the sponsor exemptions. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), 7,438 yards, par 72. The course plays host to the Valero Texas Open for the 13th time. Featuring just 100 feet of elevation, the Oaks Course boasts a traditional design that balances wider fairways with narrower tree-lined fairways for strategic options to the greens. The downhill holes play into the prevailing wind, while uphill holes play downwind. All greens and tees have been treated with Poa trivialis grass in preparation for the Valero Texas Open. STORYLINES: If the winner of the Valero Texas Open is not yet qualified for the Masters, he’ll earn the final spot in the field. The last time this happened was in 2019 when Corey Conners captured his maiden TOUR title and secured the last spot in the first men’s major of the year. Conners Monday qualified into TPC San Antonio that week … Among those not yet eligible to compete at Augusta National is Rickie Fowler, who missed the Masters in 2021 for the first time since 2010 … Plenty of star power will be on hand for the 100th anniversary of the Valero Texas Open including previous champs Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and past TOUR commissioner Deane Beman (who won the event in 1969) … Jordan Spieth is looking to become the first back-to-back Valero Texas Open winner since Zach Johnson in 2008-09 … Can Charley Hoffman continue his very good play at the Valero? Hoffman is the event’s overall money leader and added to his total a year ago with a runner-up result. He also finished runner-up in 2019 and hasn’t missed a cut in 15 starts. 72-HOLE RECORD: 254, Tommy Armour III (2003 at La Cantera). TPC San Antonio record: 268, Corey Conners (2019). 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Bart Bryant (Round 3, 2004 at La Cantera), Zach Johnson (Round 3, 2009 at La Cantera). TPC San Antonio record: 62, Trey Mullinax (Round 3, 2018) LAST TIME: Jordan Spieth returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2017 Open Championship – a drought of 83 PGA TOUR starts. Spieth closed with a 6-under 66 to defeat Charley Hoffman by two shots. He was tied with Matt Wallace through 54 holes but quickly started to separate himself after a birdie on the par-5 second and knocking his tee shot on the par-3 third to just 2 feet. He cruised home with three birdies on the back nine. It was Spieth’s 12th victory on TOUR and the culmination of ascendant form that spring. The win marked his sixth top-15 finish in seven starts (he would add a T3 at the Masters). Despite an opening 75 and a T95 position on Thursday night, Hoffman would bounce back with rounds of 66-65-66 to finish runner-up. Wallace finished third, Lucas Glover finished fourth, and Anirban Lahiri finished fifth: HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m. ET. Saturday, 3 p.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

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