It’s the last PGA Tour event before the Masters, which means three things and three things only regarding storylines from the Valero Texas Open: 1. Tour pros gearing up for Augusta National. 2. Golfers not in the field at Augusta searching for their last chance into the vaunted major with a win at TPC San Antonio. And 3. Media members complaining about flights to Georgia. We’re excited about the first two … not much we can do about the third.
Anyway, this week’s Valero Texas Open features plenty of players make last-ditch efforts to get into the Masters, from frequent competitor Rickie Fowler, to recent T-2 finisher at the Houston Open Gary Woodland, to Ben Griffin, who painfully missed earning his first Masters invitation last weekend by finishing 51st in the World Ranking when the top 50 qualified. Those are just some who are trying to follow in the footsteps of Akshay Bhatia, who won at TPC San Antonio a year ago in a playoff over Denny McCarthy to clinch the last spot available for Augusta.
Bhatia’s victory was particularly dramatic, as he required medical treatment during the extra holes, to pull out the win. This last-second Augusta add-on has happened three of the last five years, from Bhatia in 2024 to J.J. Spaun in 2022 to Corey Conners in 2019. Also, with three top-10 finishes over his last four PGA Tour starts, Bhatia has a real chance to become the first back-to-back winner at the Valero Texas Open since Zach Johnson in 2008-09.
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Along with Bhatia and the Augusta National scroungers, more than 20 golfers will be using the Oaks course as a warm-up to the Masters, from top-10 pros like Ludvig Åberg and Hideki Matsuyama to Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim, Tony Finau and Jordan Spieth. Spieth won Valero back in 2010 and has four top-10s in eight starts at TPC San Antonio.
This week’s winner will receive a $1.71 million cut of the $9.5 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points.
TV Schedule
Golf Channel will carry live coverage on Thursday and Friday from 4-7 p.m. ET. On Saturday, Golf Channel will air coverage from 1-3:30 p.m. with NBC and Peacock taking over from 3:30-6 p.m. On Sunday, Golf Channel will air coverage from 1-2:30 p.m. with NBC and Peacock taking over from 2:30-6 p.m.
RELATED: Sign up for ESPN+ to watch PGA Tour Live and its 4,300+ hours of tournament coverage
Streaming Schedule
PGA Tour Live streaming coverage will occur on ESPN+ from 8:15 a.m.-7 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday.
Dave Sansom false Private TPC San Antonio Oaks Course San Antonio, TX 3 3 Panelists
- Best In State
TPC San Antonio’s Oaks course has hosted the Valero Texas Open since 2010. Playing through the dry outlands north of the city, the Greg Norman design is one of the most strategically compelling courses on tour with aggressive bunkering, some wonderful short par 4s and several uniquely demanding par 5s, including the 18th, one of the most underrated and frustrating closing holes the professionals play. –Derek Duncan, architecture editor View Course Leaderboard
Find all live PGA Tour scoring data here.
Tee Times (all times EDT) FIRST ROUND/THURSDAY
First tee
8:20 a.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
8:31 a.m. — Andrew Putnam, Patrick Rodgers, Beau Hossler
8:42 a.m. — Lanto Griffin, Matti Schmid, Ben Kohles
8:53 a.m. — Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Cameron Young
9:04 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Chris Kirk, Adam Schenk
9:15 a.m. — Chris Gotterup, Adam Svensson, Brandt Snedeker
9:26 a.m. — Patton Kizzire, Camilo Villegas, Alex Smalley
9:37 a.m. — Nate Lashley, Keith Mitchell, David Lipsky
9:48 a.m. — Trevor Cone, John Pak, Preston Summerhays (a)
9:59 a.m. — Ryan Gerard, Anders Albertson, Rikuya Hoshino
10:10 a.m. — Aldrich Potgieter, Antoine Rozner, Norman Xiong
10:21 a.m. — Braden Thornberry, Steven Fisk, Austen Christiansen
1:30 p.m. — Daniel Berger, Ben Martin, Rico Hoey
1:41 p.m. — Sam Ryder, Henrik Norlander, Ryan Fox
1:52 p.m. — C.T. Pan, Charley Hoffman, Ben Griffin
2:03 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth
2:14 p.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Maverick McNealy, Akshay Bhatia
2:25 p.m. — Corey Conners, Max Homa, Gary Woodland
2:36 p.m. — Rafael Campos, Erik van Rooyen, Tom Hoge
2:47 p.m. — Andrew Novak, Justin Lower, Sami Valimaki
2:58 p.m. — Kevin Roy, Danny Walker, Jeremy Paul
3:09 p.m. — Michael Thorbjornsen, Niklas Norgaard, Ben James (a)
3:20 p.m. — Paul Waring ,Cristobal Del Solar, Hunter Logan
3:31 p.m. — William Mouw, Matthew Riedel, Thomas Rosenmuelle
10th tee
8:20 a.m. — Padraig Harrington, Mark Hubbard, Eric Cole
8:31 a.m. — Martin Laird, Bronson Burgoon, Chan Kim
8:42 a.m. — Chad Ramey, Bud Cauley, Ben Silverman
8:53 a.m. — Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood
9:04 a.m. — Tony Finau, Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay
9:15 a.m. — Jake Knapp, Tom Kim, Denny McCarthy
9:26 a.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Seamus Power, Zach Johnson
9:37 a.m. — Harry Higgs, Vince Whaley, David Skinns
9:48 a.m. — Matteo Manassero, Taylor Dickson, Jared Jones
9:59 a.m. — Will Chandler, Noah Goodwin, Kevin Velo
10:10 a.m. — Hayden Buckley, Quade Cummins, Kaito Onishi
10:21 a.m. — Isaiah Salinda, Tim Widing, Blaine Hale, Jr.
1:30 p.m. — Trey Mullinax, Patrick Fishburn, Chandler Phillips
1:41 p.m. — Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker, Mac Meissner
1:52 p.m. — Kevin Kisner, Doug Ghim, Carson Young
2:03 p.m. — Luke List, Lee Hodges, Matt Kuchar
2:14 p.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Nick Hardy, Webb Simpson
2:25 p.m. — Peter Malnati, Matt Wallace, Kurt Kitayama
2:36 p.m. — Harry Hall, Brice Garnett, Francesco Molinari
2:47 p.m. — Joel Dahmen, Greyson Sigg, Victor Perez
2:58 p.m. — Max McGreevy, Frankie Capan III, Mason Andersen
3:09 p.m. — Takumi Kanaya, Paul Peterson, Ricky Castillo
3:20 p.m. — Alejandro Tosti, Kris Ventura, Jackson Suber
3:31 p.m. — Thriston Lawrence, Jesper Svensson, Philip Knowles
3:42 p.m. — Thorbjørn Olesen, Vince Covello, Patrick Pockels
SECOND ROUND/FRIDAY
First tee
8:20 a.m. — Trey Mullinax, Patrick Fishburn, Chandler Phillips
8:31 a.m. — Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker, Mac Meissner
8:42 a.m. — Kevin Kisner, Doug Ghim, Carson Young
8:53 a.m. — Luke List, Lee Hodges, Matt Kuchar
9:04 a.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Nick Hardy, Webb Simpson
9:15 a.m. — Peter Malnati, Matt Wallace, Kurt Kitayama
9:26 a.m. — Harry Hall, Brice Garnett, Francesco Molinari
9:37 a.m. — Joel Dahmen, Greyson Sigg, Victor Perez
9:48 a.m. — Max McGreevy, Frankie Capan III, Mason Andersen
9:59 a.m. — Takumi Kanaya, Paul Peterson, Ricky Castillo
10:10 a.m. — Alejandro Tosti, Kris Ventura, Jackson Suber
10:21 a.m. — Thriston Lawrence, Jesper Svensson, Philip Knowles
10:32 a.m. — Thorbjørn Olesen, Vince Covello, Patrick Pockels
1:40 p.m. — Padraig Harrington, Mark Hubbard, Eric Cole
1:51 p.m. — Martin Laird, Bronson Burgoon, Chan Kim
2:02 p.m. — Chad Ramey, Bud Cauley, Ben Silverman
2:13 p.m. — Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood
2:24 p.m. — Tony Finau, Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay
2:35 p.m. — Jake Knapp, Tom Kim, Denny McCarthy
2:46 p.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Seamus Power, Zach Johnson
2:57 p.m. — Harry Higgs, Vince Whaley, David Skinns
3:08 p.m. — Matteo Manassero, Taylor Dickson, Jared Jones
3:19 p.m. — Will Chandler, Noah Goodwin, Kevin Velo
3:30 p.m. — Hayden Buckley, Quade Cummins ,Kaito Onishi
3:41 p.m. — Isaiah Salinda, Tim Widing, Blaine Hale, Jr.
10th tee
8:20 a.m. — Daniel Berger, Ben Martin, Rico Hoey
8:31 a.m. — Sam Ryder, Henrik Norlander, Ryan Fox
8:42 a.m. — C.T. Pan, Charley Hoffman, Ben Griffin
8:53 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth
9:04 a.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Maverick McNealy, Akshay Bhatia
9:15 a.m. — Corey Conners, Max Homa, Gary Woodland
9:26 a.m. — Rafael Campos, Erik van Rooyen, Tom Hoge
9:37 a.m. — Andrew Novak, Justin Lower, Sami Valimaki
9:48 a.m. — Kevin Roy, Danny Walker, Jeremy Paul
9:59 a.m. — Michael Thorbjornsen, Niklas Norgaard, Ben James (a)
10:10 a.m. — Paul Waring ,Cristobal Del Solar, Hunter Logan
10:21 a.m. — William Mouw, Matthew Riedel, Thomas Rosenmuelle
1:40 p.m. — Aaron Baddeley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune
1:51 p.m. — Andrew Putnam, Patrick Rodgers, Beau Hossler
2:02 p.m. — Lanto Griffin, Matti Schmid, Ben Kohles
2:13 p.m. — Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Cameron Young
2:24 p.m. — J.T. Poston, Chris Kirk, Adam Schenk
2:35 p.m. — Chris Gotterup, Adam Svensson, Brandt Snedeker
2:46 p.m. — Patton Kizzire, Camilo Villegas, Alex Smalley
2:57 p.m. — Nate Lashley, Keith Mitchell, David Lipsky
3:08 p.m. — Trevor Cone, John Pak, Preston Summerhays (a)
3:19 p.m. — Ryan Gerard, Anders Albertson, Rikuya Hoshino
3:30 p.m. — Aldrich Potgieter, Antoine Rozner, Norman Xiong
3:41 p.m. — Braden Thornberry, Steven Fisk, Austen Christiansen
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
