A Monday qualifier, Rickie Fowler’s solid start and big drives from Matt Wallace are among our five things.
SAN ANTONIO — Players who came to the 2023 Valero Texas Open hoping to earn a berth into next week’s Masters were greeted by howling winds, a thick layer of fog, and a whole bunch of downtime on Thursday.
That didn’t seem to bother Matt Kuchar and Padraig Harrington, both of whom posted a 68 to take the lead after the first wave of players finished.
But there were plenty of storylines to keep golf fans chatting at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, including a Monday qualifier, Rickie Fowler’s solid start and big drives from Matt Wallace, who came directly from capturing the Corales Puntacana Championship to Texas.
Those with a few more wrinkles and gray hairs had their way at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course on Thursday.
SAN ANTONIO — Matt Kuchar sauntered up the 18th fairway, his ninth hole of the day since he started on the back during the opening round of the Valero Texas Open, knowing his gameplan was to layup with his second shot on the 591-yard par 5.
For the 44-year-old veteran, the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course offers a few opportunities to get aggressive, but Kuchar knows where and when to take his chances. Meanwhile, his two playing partners — young bucks Matt Wallace and Nico Echavarria — boomed drives and eagerly hustled up to see if they could reach the creek-protected green in two. Wallace waffled, originally waiting while the group on the green putted out, but then switched to an iron and played it safe. Coming off his first Tour victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship, Wallace eventually made par.
Kuchar calmly hit his second shot to 70 yards, stuck a wedge to four feet and tapped in for the group’s only birdie.
Chalk one up to experience.
On Thursday, after a lengthy fog delay and through whipping Texas winds and occasional rain, those with a few more wrinkles and gray hairs had their way at a course designed by Greg Norman with some input from Sergio Garcia.
It’s certainly not surprising that Kuchar would post a solid number — the nine-time PGA Tour winner has finished in the top 25 on seven of 10 starts here, including a runner-up showing last year behind J.J. Spaun in what marked Kuchar’s 500th start.
On Thursday, he started with a bogey but got rolling from there, finishing the front at 33 and posted a 68 at day’s end.
Matt Kuchar plays a shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Others over the age of 40 joined the party as well. Jimmy Walker, a 44-year-old who won this event in 2015, had a hot stretch and was firmly in contention after the opening day.
And at the ripe age of 51, Padraig Harrington made a late push to get atop the leaderboard, sitting even with Kuchar at 4 under after the earliest players got through the day.
For Kuchar, a win in San Antonio would earn him a precious invite to Augusta National, where he’s posted four top-8 finishes in 12 appearances. Kuchar had his string of Masters appearances snapped in 2022 and would love the opportunity to return to the first major.
But he insisted he’s not focusing on that, and even scoffed at a question about a potential appearance at Augusta.
“You’ve gotten way ahead of yourself,” Kuchar said. “That’s too far ahead for me to worry about.”
Still, there’s no denying he’s in a place where he feels comfortable. Kuchar finished fourth at this course in 2014, then seventh in 2019, and tied for second last year.
“It’s a tough golf course, but I do like it. I think there’s a big effort to just find fairways out here. I’ve always thought I could find fairways, even though today I had a couple waywards,” Kuchar said. “For the most part you’ve really got to hit every shot is tested here. If you start playing some indifferent golf, this course can really jump up and bite you. I was lucky to get away with a couple loose ones today, but for the most part games on some pretty good form and I enjoy this golf course a lot.”
Harrington has only played two events on the PGA Tour this season but is fresh off a T-5 at the new Galleri Classic on the Champions circuit. Recently announced as a 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, he played both the front and back in 34 and looked in command throughout.
Thursday marked the first time he’d been inside the top three after the first round since the 2015 Honda Classic, a tournament where he claimed the title.
“Tough conditions, which generally suit me. And I kept my head down, I never saw the leaderboard until I finished. I didn’t know I was leading and
that’s what you’ve got to do on a tough day,” Harrington said. “You’ve got to hit sensible shots and sometimes the sensible shot isn’t trying to hit the middle of the fairway, it’s squeezing it up one side of it. Even if it goes in the rough, it’s fine. Got to really have your thinking hat on and I did a good job mentally today.”
Wallace also looked impressive after winning his first title, playing in a featured group with Kuchar and Nico Echavarria. The Englishman finished the day in a logjam at 3 under with Chez Reavie, Garrick Higgo and Nick Taylor. Two years ago, Wallace finished third at TPC San Antonio in his debut, but he missed the cut last year. He attributes confidence to getting him back into a good position.
“This golf course, it tends to lead to the person who’s playing well,” Wallace said. “You can’t really mask it around here, especially off the tee. I made a couple bogeys out there from just hitting my tee shots offline, so if you can hit your tee shots well, you’ll have a lot of chances and I managed to give myself a bunch of those.”
Hatton is uncertain of what can help reverse his personal fortunes at the Masters.
SAN ANTONIO — Amid a stream of questions about his golf game, his first-ever appearance at the Valero Texas Open, and an impending return to Augusta National, Tyrrell Hatton fielded a question about his beloved Liverpool Football Club on Wednesday, a team that faces a mighty challenge in Manchester City this weekend.
A look of bewilderment came over Hatton’s face. Liverpool this season has at times looked the part of a dominating force, routing long-time rival Manchester City but then falling to clubs that have spent far less.
“If the team that played United show up, then absolutely. If the team that played Bournemouth shows up, then it could be another sad week,” Hatton said, looking perplexed.
Hatton is also uncertain of what can help reverse his personal fortunes at the Masters. Next week will mark his seventh appearance at the storied event, yet he’s never even made a dent, only once finishing inside the top 40.
And to be frank he’s making an appearance here at this last stop before the major season kicks off to shake things up, hoping to put a little Texas two-step into a rhythm that has previously not played well in Georgia.
Tyrrell Hatton of England participates in a press conference prior to the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on March 29, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
“Typically, I’ve not played before the Masters and my Masters record is nothing to get excited about,” he said. “We’ve had a nice start to the season and figured it would be nice to add this event into the schedule. We’ll try our best to have a good week and take some momentum into Augusta.”
If Hatton is to finally make a run at the season’s first major, perhaps it’s this year. The Englishman has top-six finishes in three of his last five starts, and even though he didn’t win a single match at last week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, he felt pretty good about his game. He felt a weird sensation in his hand prior to his first match, but insisted the pain quickly subsided, and overall he hit the ball well, but just missed a few putts that would have put him in the running to get out of pool play.
And this week he’s making his debut at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, hoping to get firing on all cylinders properly. It might work. It might not.
Hatton seemed about as confident as he is in his Liverpool side.
“Next week will be my seventh Masters, so it’s not like I’m short of experience around there. Generally speaking, I’ve not putted particularly well there, which again going back through stats and stuff throughout the years, putting’s normally a strength of mine,” Hatton said of Augusta. “I’ve just not holed the putts. I’ve broken 70, was it, once in my 17 or 18 tournament rounds. You know, it’s not a record to get excited about.
“Having said that, you don’t always have to shoot low around there to have a great week. Typically scores are pretty … the winning score’s higher than normal weeks. It’s not often where the winning score’s gone lower than 10 under. It’s not really the kind of week that you have to shoot low, so I guess in that sense it’s not too concerning. It’s an interesting golf course.”
This week, Hatton is the betting favorite in a weaker field. Next week he will not be.
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He insists it doesn’t matter either way. He’s simply looking for answers.
“Golf’s a pretty silly game. Just on paper you could say about every week there’s favorites, but it doesn’t often turn out that way,” Hatton said. “I mean, it makes no difference to me where — I don’t feel — world ranking-wise I’m one of the high-ranked players playing this week, like that makes no difference, you’ve still got to go out there and play good golf. Like what’s the field size this week, 144?
“There’s 143 other players that are fantastic at playing golf, like, on their week they can go and win this tournament, there’s no doubt about it.”
Take a look at the sights from the 2023 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course.
For the second straight week, the PGA Tour is in the Lone Star state, this time in San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open.
Although the Masters is upon us, golfers like Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Tyrrell Hatton and defending champion J.J. Spaun will tee it up in Texas looking to claim the trophy. Fowler needs a win to earn a spot in the Masters field next week, and numerous others could do the same to make their way down Magnolia Lane for the first major of the year.
The Oaks Course is a par-72 layout and will play 7,438 yards.
Take a look at some of the best photos from the 2023 Valero Texas Open.
While many of the world’s best players are at home preparing for the year’s first major, there are some big names in the field at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course for the Valero Texas Open looking to earn their way into the Masters.
It’s only fitting we start with Rickie Fowler, who hasn’t played at Augusta National Golf Club since the November edition in 2020. His game has returned, finishing inside the top 20 in four of his last five stroke-play event starts. Before missing the cut at last year’s Valero, Fowler posted back-to-back top-20 finishes at TPC San Antonio in 2021 and 2019.
Here are five big-name players with a chance to earn an invitation down Magnolia Lane.
Looking back at the whirlwind experience a year removed, Spaun still gets a wide smile.
SAN ANTONIO — A year ago, J.J. Spaun came to the Valero Texas Open looking to reach the weekend, not the Masters. But the San Diego State alum held off Matt Jones, Beau Hossler and others to take the title, punching his first ticket to Augusta National.
Looking back at the whirlwind experience a year removed, Spaun still gets a wide smile.
“I’ve heard the cliche, like the ‘pinch me’ moments. That’s kind of what I felt for like the first time in my life going from the win here and then literally like flying over the next morning to Augusta and then registering,” Spaun recalled Wednesday. “It just happened so fast that I felt like I was in a dream because I was there signing the registration book at the player office at Augusta National and I’m just like everything’s happened so fast, like I can’t believe not only did I just win my first Tour event yesterday, but now I’m here at the Masters already like preparing to play my first time at Augusta.
“It was definitely a fantasy as far as like the whole experience. I was super happy to be there and to also have a good week, a good showing at Augusta. I know what I’ve got to do this week to get back there.”
Spaun did have a fine showing at the 2022 Masters, using a second-round 70 to finish tied for 23rd. However, despite a number of strong finishes since his dream run, the Southern Californian finds himself in a similar position, needing a victory at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course this week to get another ticket to Georgia.
Spaun appeared on pace to play his way in when he posted five straight top-15 finishes earlier this season, but four missed cuts in five starts reversed his course. The 32-year-old said he got derailed a bit when coach Adam Schriber broke his pelvis in December, and all alone on the road, Spaun admitted he might have gotten “too wrapped up in his golf swing.”
An impressive showing at last week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play has him believing he’s righted the ship, however. Spaun emerged from his pool undefeated before falling to Xander Schauffele in the Round of 16 at Austin Country Club.
Of course, Spaun isn’t the only one hoping to play his way back to the Masters this week. Rickie Fowler, who has surged of late, is also hoping to get back to Augusta National for an 11th time, looking to avoid a string of three straight years without playing in the April staple.
But Spaun said that’s what makes this week in San Antonio special. The field might not be as strong as in other events — No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking Tyrrell Hatton leads the field — but Spaun said the intrigue stems from a hungry field that knows a few hot rounds could mean a berth in the Augusta field.
“There’s perks to every single win but I think this one’s kind of extra special and has extra meaning because it’s your last chance to get into Augusta,” he said. “It’s weird, last year I wasn’t even thinking about that and I know maybe that’s kind of what mentally kept me in the present and not thinking ahead and not putting too much pressure on myself. I’ll try not to think about it too much.
“If I play great and win, we’ll kind of go through that whole cyclone of a mess, I guess, in a good way of going from here straight to Augusta. But that would be awesome.”
StrackaLine offers hole-by-hole maps of TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course for the Valero Texas Open.
TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, site of the 2023 Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, opened in 2010 with a design by Greg Norman, with Sergio Garcia having served as a consultant.
The par-72 layout plays to 7,438 yards for the Valero Texas Open.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week at TPC San Antonio.
Everything you need to know for the first round of the Valero Texas Open.
The first major of the year is right around the corner, but first, it’s time for the 2023 Valero Texas Open.
TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course will host the last tournament before the 2023 Masters, with many golfers looking to play their way into the field at Augusta National. J.J. Spaun is the defending champion. The Oaks Course is a par-72 layout measuring 7,438 yards.
Spaun is back to defend his title, but also in the field are Tyrrell Hatton, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler, who needs a win to get into the field at the Masters.
From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for Thursday’s first round of the 2023 Valero Texas Open. All times Eastern.
1st tee
Tee time
Players
8:30 a.m.
Ryan Palmer, Scott Piercy, Henrik Norlander
8:41 a.m.
Nick Watney, Zac Blair, Joseph Bramlett
8:52 a.m.
Patton Kizzire, Kevin Chappell, Sam Ryder
9:03 a.m.
Stewart Cink, J.B. Holmes, Davis Love III
9:14 a.m.
Garrick Higgo, Brendon Todd, Lanto Griffin
9:25 a.m.
Luke List, Brian Gay, Tyler Duncan
9:36 a.m.
Chez Reavie, Andrew Landry, Davis Riley
9:47 a.m.
Kevin Tway, Byeong Hun An, Matthias Schwab
9:58 a.m.
Nate Lashley, Adam Long, Lee Hodges
10:09 a.m.
MJ Daffue, Augusto Nunez, Peter Kuest
10:20 a.m.
Aaron Rai, Brandon Matthews, Austen Truslow
10:31 a.m.
Harry Higgs, Trevor Cone, Roberto Diaz
1:25 p.m.
Taylor Pendrith, Davis Thompson, Ryan Fox
1:36 p.m.
Ryan Armour, David Lingmerth, Ben Griffin
1:47 p.m.
Troy Merritt, Matthew NeSmith, Robby Shelton
1:58 p.m.
J.J. Spaun, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler
2:09 p.m.
Chris Kirk, Cam Davis, Tyrrell Hatton
2:20 p.m.
Si Woo Kim, Corey Conners, Charley Hoffman
2:31 p.m.
Taylor Montgomery, Eric Cole, Austin Smotherman
2:42 p.m.
Michael Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Greyson Sigg
2:53 p.m.
Ryan Moore, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Max McGreevy
3:04 p.m.
Kevin Roy, Akshay Bhatia, Ryan Gerard
3:15 p.m.
Carson Young, Vincent Norrman, Jesse Mueller
3:26 p.m.
Scott Harrington, Harry Hall, Cole Hammer
10th tee
Tee time
Players
8:30 a.m.
Dylan Frittelli, James Hahn, Alex Smalley
8:41 a.m.
Ricky Barnes, Beau Hossler, Mark Hubbard
8:52 a.m.
Ben Martin, Thomas Detry, S.H. Kim
9:03 a.m.
Matt Wallace, Nico Echavarria, Matt Kuchar
9:14 a.m.
Sepp Straka, Nick Taylor, Andrew Putnam
9:25 a.m.
Lucas Glover, Francesco Molinari, Padraig Harrington
9:36 a.m.
Brice Garnett, Brian Stuard, Kramer Hickok
9:47 a.m.
Jimmy Walker, Kevin Streelman, Adam Schenk
9:58 a.m.
Kyle Stanley, Kelly Kraft, Doc Redman
10:09 a.m.
Michael Gligic, Carl Yuan, Nicolai Hojgaard
10:20 a.m.
Nick Hardy, Sam Stevens, Pierceson Coody
10:31 a.m.
Austin Eckroat, Brent Grant, David Carey
1:25 p.m.
Patrick Rodgers, Brandon Wu, Will Gordon
1:36 p.m.
Jason Dufner, Russell Knox, Ben Taylor
1:47 p.m.
Luke Donald, Alex Noren, Callum Tarren
1:58 p.m.
Cameron Champ, Martin Laird, Richy Werenski
2:09 p.m.
Trey Mullinax, Chad Ramey, Michael Thompson
2:20 p.m.
Erik van Rooyen, Jim Herman, Emiliano Grillo
2:31 p.m.
Chesson Hadley, Hayden Buckley, Justin Lower
2:42 p.m.
Austin Cook, Peter Malnati, Doug Ghim
2:53 p.m.
Paul Haley II, Zecheng Dou, Kazuki Higa
3:04 p.m.
Andrew Novak, Trevor Werbylo, JJ Wood
3:15 p.m.
Matti Schmid, Tano Goya, Peter Landburgh
3:26 p.m.
Harrison Endycott, Kyle Westmoreland, Chandler Phillips
TV, streaming, radio information
You can watch Golf Channel for free on fuboTV. ESPN+ is the exclusive home for PGA Tour Live streaming. All times Eastern.
Thursday, March 30
TV
Golf Channel: 4-7 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 1 p.m.-7 p.m.
STREAM
ESPN+: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Friday, March 31
TV
Golf Channel: 4-7 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 1 p.m.-7 p.m.
STREAM
ESPN+: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Peacock: 4-7 p.m.
Saturday, April 1
TV
Golf Channel: 1-3:30 p.m. NBC: 3:30-6 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 3-6 p.m.
STREAM
ESPN+: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Peacock: 1-6 p.m.
Sunday, April 2
TV
Golf Channel: 1-2:30 p.m. NBC: 2:30-6 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.
STREAM
ESPN+: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Peacock: 1-6 p.m.
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Fowler finished inside the top 20 at the Valero in ’19 and ’21.
One last stop before the year’s first major: the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in Texas.
Many of the world’s best players are taking the week off in preparation for the Masters, however, there’s one superstar in the Lone Star State looking to earn his invitation to Augusta.
Rickie Fowler.
The 34-year-old’s game has come alive in 2023, grabbing three top-20 finishes in his last four stroke-play events. Last week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Fowler needed an appearance in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the Masters. He failed to advance from pool play.
Due to the March 27th Official World Golf Ranking point cutoff, Fowler needs a win at TPC San Antonio to qualify for next week’s field.
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Golf course
TPC San Antonio | Par 72 | 7,438 yards
General view of the 18th hole as Gary Woodland finishes his round during the fourth round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on April 03, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Course history
TPC San Antonio (Oaks) – Course History for the #ValeroTexasOpen
See the full field for the 2023 Valero Texas Open here.
After a long week in Austin, Texas, at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the PGA Tour heads down the road for the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) in San Antonio.
J.J. Spaun returns to the site of his first PGA Tour win and is the defending champion. He’s joined by Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Tyrrell Hatton. Fowler will need a good finish to have any chance of getting into the Masters.
