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Rory McIlroy, the reigning FedExCup champion and 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year, will be returning to the Valero Texas Open for the first time since 2013, tournament officials announced today.
This is a huge “get” for the San Antonio Tour stop, which is contested April 2-5, the week before the Masters. For the past six years, since the 2014 Shell Houston Open, McIlroy has elected not to play the PGA Tour event the week before the Masters. In fact, the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play has been McIlroy’s final start before the Masters, the lone major he needs to win to achieve the career Grand Slam, since 2016. While McIlroy has racked up his share of top-10 finishes at Augusta, he suggested last April after wrapping up his T-21 finish that he might shake up his pre-Masters routine this season.
“I might play the week before,” McIlroy said. “If anything I just wasn’t quite as sharp as I have been in previous weeks. I played quite a bit leading up to this, but obviously took the week off last week. It’s not that I didn’t play or practice, and I was trying to get myself ready, but I think I realized over the past couple of years the best way for me personally to get ready for tournaments is play the week before, usually.”
When asked if he would skip the Match Play to add an event, McIlroy said, “No, I’d probably play Match Play, maybe play Match Play, San Antonio and here (Augusta), yeah, yeah. Three in a row has actually been okay for me at times, as well.”
Credit goes to Valero Texas Open tournament director Larson Segerdahl, who when alerted to McIlroy’s comments that he would consider playing the week before majors, made it his mission to make it a reality in 2020 and worked with McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty.
“I am excited to get back to the Valero Texas Open,” said McIlroy, who is expected to return to World No. 1 on Monday. “I have fond memories of TPC San Antonio and look forward to returning there in April.”
Having McIlroy commit this early should allow the tournament significant time to promote his presence and lead to larger advanced ticket and corporate hospitality sales.
In his only start at the Valero Texas Open, McIlroy finished second seven years ago. After an opening-round 72, he birdied the final three holes during the second round to get into contention and was tied for fourth entering the final round. He shot 66 on Sunday and finished two shots shy of winner Martin Laird, who shot a final round 63.
Beginning in 2019, the Valero Texas Open was repositioned in a coveted slot on the Tour schedule: the week preceding the Masters. Corey Conners, who Monday qualified for last year’s event, is the defending champion.
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