KEVIN STREELMAN 50/1 WH 8PL
GARY WOODLAND 33/1 PP 8PL
CHRIS KIRK 45/1 WH 8PL
COREY CONNERS 18/1 BOYLE 8PL
ADAM HADWIN 33/1 PP 8PL
MATT NESMITH 125/1 PP 8PL
ALL BETS PLACED WILL BE £5EW TOTAL £60
THE TEXAS OPEN HISTORY
The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back 100 years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio, northeast of the city. The Valero Energy Foundation is the host organization for the Valero Texas Open.
The event is managed by Wasserman Media Group as of 2017. In 2003, it was the site of the 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record of 254, shot by Tommy Armour III. Many big-name players have won this tournament, including Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, and Arnold Palmer, who won it three years in a row. It has always been considered a tournament where it is relatively easy to shoot low scores. Since 1934, every tournament winner has finished with a score under-par.
It has always been played in the San Antonio area, and is the sixth oldest professional golf tournament worldwide, the third oldest on the PGA Tour and the longest held in the same city. The tournament has been hosted on eight different golf courses.
Oak Hills Country Club hosted from 1961 to 1966, then it went to Pecan Valley Golf Club (1967–1970). There was no event in 1968, as Pecan Valley was the site of the PGA Championship in July. No event was held in 1971; it was played at Woodlake Golf Club for five editions (1972–1976), then returned to Oak Hills (1977–1994).
It was held at the Resort Course at La Cantera Golf Club (1995–2009), then moved to its present site on The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, in the affluent Cibolo Canyon community, in 2010.
The Texas Open was usually held in September or October; in 2007 and 2008, the event was demoted to the Fall Series. With the demise of the Atlanta Classic, the PGA Tour moved the Texas Open into that slot on the schedule in May 2009 and it became a regular FedEx Cup event. The 2009 event offered an increased purse of $6.1 million (up from $4.5 million) and its winner’s share exceeded $1 million for the first time. In 2011, the event moved to the week following the Masters Tournament; that 2011 edition is best known for Kevin Na’s 16 (+12) on the ninth hole in the opening round.
As a Fall Series event, the Valero Texas Open was the alternate tournament to the Presidents and Ryder Cups. In 2013, the tournament was in early April, the week before The Masters, and aired on NBC for the first time; several European Tour players participated in the Texas Open for the first time since the mid-1980s.
Since Valero became title sponsor in 2002, the tournament has become the annual leader in charitable fundraising among PGA Tour events. In 2015, the Valero Texas Open become only the fourth PGA Tour event to eclipse the $100 million milestone in funds raised for charity. The 2021 Valero Texas Open raised a record breaking $16 million for charity, bringing the grand total to over $187 million in charitable giving.
TPC SAN ANTONIO
TPC San Antonio is a golf resort in the south central United States, located in the Cibolo Canyons area north of San Antonio, Texas.
Opened in February 2010, the resort features two 18-hole golf courses: the AT&T Canyons Course designed by Pete Dye, in consultation with Bruce Lietzke, and the AT&T Oaks Course designed by Greg Norman, in consultation with Sergio García. Both courses are members of the Tournament Players Club network operated by the PGA Tour; the Oaks Course has hosted the tour’s Valero Texas Open since 2010. The Canyons course was the venue for the AT&T Championship on the Champions Tour from 2011 to 2015.
The courses and clubhouse sits alongside the 1,002-room JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, the approximate average elevation is 1,100 feet (340 m) above sea level.
OAKS COURSE
The Oaks course, designed by PGA TOUR legend, Greg Norman, with player consultant, Sergio Garcia, reflects the TOUR’s departure from the modern tournament style course (expansive grass areas and spectator mounding) to a more natural look and feel, without sacrificing the fan experience, making it very tournament friendly. The Oaks course plays host to the PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open.
Key course features:
Traditional design that balances narrower tree-lined fairways with wider fairways offering multiple routes (i.e., strategic options) to the green
Beginning in the month of November each year, the Agronomy Team over seeds The Oaks course, both Fairways and Rough, using Champion Fine: 80% Perennial Ryegrass, 20% Chewing Fescue. All Greens and Tees are treated with Poa Trivialis, in preparation for the Valero Texas Open.
Intimate design with narrow corridors carved through oak trees
Only 100 feet of fall from the high point of the course to the lowest
Bunkering will reflect a natural, rugged “minimalist” with edges emulating the canopy of the native oak trees
Native grasses and plant are prevalent throughout the course
Par-72, 7,435-yard course, with forced carries on only two holes
Downhill holes play into the prevailing wind, uphill holes play downwind
Bermuda grasses were specially selected for this course to provide optimum playing conditions, diversity in colour and texture and environmental sensitivity. Putting Greens are Champions Bermuda. Fairways are Tifsport Bermuda. Roughs are Bandera Bermuda. Collars, Approaches and Tee Tops are Emerald Bermuda. Outer Corridors are Native Texas grasses.
PAST RESULTS SINCE 2011
2021 Jordan Spieth 270 −18 2 strokes
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Corey Connors 268 −20 2 strokes
2018 Andrew Landry 271 −17 2 strokes
2017 Kevin Chappell 276 −12 1 stroke
2016 Charley Hoffman 276 −12 1 stroke
2015 Jimmy Walker 277 −11 4 strokes
2014 Steven Bowditch 280 −8 1 stroke
2013 Martin Laird 274 −14 2 strokes
2012 Ben Curtis 279 −9 2 strokes
2011 Brendan Steele 280 −8 1 stroke
WATCH OUT FOR THE 16TH FOLKS THIS IS HOW NOT TO PLAY IT
OUR PICKS
KEVIN STREELMAN 50/1
Kevin has hit a good bit of form of late and feel he is ready to go in this week. We were in his group at the Honda Classic back in Feb where he showed his talent of playing a tough golf course. This week will also be a tough test and more of a grinders track and he is well suited to that.
He had a great Players Championship with a top twenty five finish that week he then followed that with a top ten at the Valspar shooting four rounds in the sixties.
His last two visits here are also good reading eighth place in 2018 then sixth place in 2019. I feel he could close in on his third PGA Tour title this week and make us all very happy.
The drills he has been working on through practice have been mainly on the putting green so if that does click here then watch this space.
GARY WOODLAND 33/1
Gary for me is the guy to beat here this week. Being a much weaker field I feel he tee’s it up here and goes very close. To let you know he will be in my Masters picks for next week so please feel free to get your bets on now because if he turns up here then his 125/1 odds for the Masters will be smashed into to around half of that I am sure.
He tops the bill for a player who ticks all the boxes around here to score well.
Driving distance will be a factor here this week and not too much on accuracy off the tee. Eagles will make the difference this week on the shorter par fives, he ranks sixth on the PGA Tour.
For a guy who comes across that his putting is not up to much he still sits inside the top fifty for strokes gained putting this season. Another point the team factored in was his approaches from 225-250 yards we set up trackman on hole eight and measured his shots in from 210 yards to 270 yards and we were very impressed in fact he was first in close proximity on the day.
Watch this space and remember the Masters bet.
CHRIS KIRK 45/1
Another great little pick here this was my player to watch at the Phoenix Open a tough track and he did not disappoint. This week I feel he does pretty much the same if not better.
Coming off the back of four straight cuts made on the PGA Tour and seems to be playing some of his best stuff in 2022. Like I said he has been on my radar for a while, the Sunday rounds have let him down otherwise I think he would have won already in 2022 he had two top ten’s back to back at the Honda and Arnold Palmer but closed 73 and 72 on the final day to drop the wrong way.
His stats point to a win and his chances of winning his fifth title will happen soon.
- SG Off the Tee – 32nd PGA Tour
- SG Around the Green – 16th PGA Tour
- SG Tee to Green – 10th PGA Tour
- SG Total – 15th PGA Tour
Not the longest off the tee but should have no real issue with hitting the par fives here this week.
The strokes gained putting is sure to trend upwards and these greens are right up his alley.
