In preparation for the upcoming major tournament, a notable turnout of skilled golfers will flock to TPC San Antonio. This week at the Valero Texas Open, ten prestigious athletes from among the top 22 in world rankings have entered competition – including renowned names like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Amongst their goals is defending champion Corey Conners’ attempt at earning back-to-back victories, which would be unprecedented since Zach Johnson’s double win over a decade ago in 2008-09.
Last season, Conners secured a victory at this event with a tap-in birdie on the final hole, beating out rookie Sam Stevens by only one stroke. This win marked his second triumph at TPC San Antonio; he also set the course’s 72-hole record of 268 in 2019 during his first time as champion. It’s evident that Conners holds an affinity for this venue.
Similar to previous years, the winner of this week’s tournament will secure a spot at Augusta National, provided they are not already qualified for the Masters. Historical data shows that two out of four Valero Texas Opens have resulted in last-minute entries into the prestigious competition. Thus, good luck to all those who tend to delay and hope for a chance till it’s almost too late!
Since 2010, the Valero Texas Open has been held at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks course which is situated in the arid lands to the north of the city. A creation by Greg Norman, this golf course boasts a strategic design that proves challenging even for professional players due to its aggressive bunkering and exceptional short par 4s. Along with these features are some uniquely difficult par 5s (including hole number 18), making it one of most competitive courses on tour despite being commonly overlooked by professionals – as explained by architecture editor Derek Duncan.
The Golf Channel has scheduled live broadcasts on Thursday and Friday from 4-7 p.m. EDT, while Saturday’s coverage commences starting at 1p.m until 3:30 p.m., where NBC will take over with late afternoon programming up until the event concludes at 6 p.m. For Sunday’s coverage, it begins on the Golf Channel airing from 1-2:30p.m then switching to NBC for final moments of the tournament ending by broadcasting till six in the evening.