The PGA Tour stays in the Lonestar State for the 94th edition of the Valero Texas Open – the final tune-up before the season’s first major at Augusta National.
The 2025 Valero Texas Open will once again be contested at TPC San Antonio, a Greg Norman-designed par-72, measuring 7,438 yards.
The field in south Texas, as the lead-in event to the Masters, is surprisingly decent, and features a handful of high-profile superstars, including Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, and Jordan Spieth, among others.
The 2024 Texas Open winner, Akshay Bhatia, will defend his title.
Here are more details about this week’s PGA Tour stop in south Texas.
Valero Texas Open
The Valero Texas Open Primer is powered by Taylormade Golf Store at Amazon.
The Skinny
Valero Texas Open
PGA Tour Debut: 1922
Dates: Apr 3-6, 2025
Event Week: 14th (of 34)
Where:San Antonio, Texas
Course: TPC San Antonio (Oaks)
Distance: Par 72, 7,438 yards
Architect: Greg Norman
Format: Stroke play, 72-holes
Field: 148 players, 36-Hole Cut
Purse: $9,500,000
Winning Share: $1,710,000
FedExCup/OWGR Pts: 500
Defending Champion: Akshay Bhatia
How to Follow
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 4-7 p.m. (GOLF); Sat: 1-3:30 p.m. (GOLF), 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC); Sun: 1-2:30 p.m. (GOLF), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
PGA TOUR LIVE: Thu-Fri: 8:15 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+)
PGA TOUR RADIO: Thu-Fri: 1-7 p.m.; Sat: 3-6 p.m.; Sun: 1-6 p.m.
(PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)
LINKS: Website | Leaderboard | X/Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Valero Texas Open History
Casual fans may not realize it, but the Valero Texas Open has one of the most extensive histories on the PGA Tour. As the third oldest tournament on the Tour’s schedule, the sixth oldest worldwide, and the oldest tournament where every edition has been played in the same city, the Valero Texas Open has a rich tradition of hosting elite-level golf.
This week’s event will be the 94th time touring pros have teed it up in San Antonio since 1922. For much of its history, the tournament had a reputation for surrendering exceptionally low scores, evidenced most by Mike Souchak’s winning total of 27-under par in 1955, and Tommy Armour III’s record-setting 254 (64-63-62-65) in 2003 – a Tour record that stood until Justin Thomas broke it in 2017 in Hawaii.
However, as the tournament has started to award larger purses, it was moved to TPC San Antonio, which early on proved to be a much tougher test. How tough? Ask Kevin Na, who shot a 12-over 16 on ONE HOLE in the 2011 edition. That may be an extreme outlier, but in 2012, one of the runner-ups had a round of 77 on their card. In fact, from 2011-2014, three of the four winners finished in single digits-under par.
The setup in San Antonio has generally become less penal over the past several years, culminating with 2019 winner, Corey Conners, finishing with the first 20 under (or better) since Armour’s aforementioned record setter nearly 20 years ago.
Over the years, the tournament has been contested at eight different venues with a who’s who of legendary names among its winners, including Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Chi-Chi Rodriguez, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Adam Scott, and Jordan Spieth.
Palmer and Justin Leonard have the most Texas Open victories, with three a piece. Seven other golfers have won twice, including Zach Johnson (2008-2009) and Corey Conner (2019, 2023) – the only active players among the group.
History: Tournament Names
- Valero Texas Open (2002-25)
- Texas Open at La Cantera (2001)
- Westin Texas Open at La Cantera (2000)
- Westin Texas Open (1998-99)
- La Cantera Texas Open (1995-97)
- Texas Open (1994)
- H.E.B. Texas Open (1990-93)
- Texas Open (1988-89)
- Vantage Championship (1996)
- San Antonio Texas Open (1972-80)
- San Antonio Open Invitational (1970-71)
- Texas Open Invitational (1956-69)
- Texas Open (1922-55)
History: Recent Winners
2024: Akshay Bhatia (-20)*
2023: Corey Conners (-15)
2022: J.J. Spaun (-13)
2021: Jordan Spieth (-18)
2020: Canceled (COVID)
2019: Corey Conners (-20)
2018: Andrew Landry (-17)
2017: Kevin Chappell (-12)
2016: Charley Hoffman (-12)
2015: Jimmy Walker (-11)
2014: Steven Bowditch (-8)
2013: Martin Laird (-14)
2012: Ben Curtis (-9)
2011: Brendan Steele (-8)
2010: Adam Scott (-14)
2009: Zach Johnson (-15)*
2008: Zach Johnson (-19)
* Playoff
History: Records
Scoring:
Low Score: 254 Tommy Armour III (2003)
Under-Par: -27 Mike Souchak (1955)
Margin of Victory: 8 strokes Corey Pavin (1988)
Wins:
3 – Arnold Palmer (1960-62)
3 – Justin Leonard (2000-01, 2007)
Valero Texas Open Field
The field in San Antonio will be headlined by five high-profile superstars in Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, and Jordan Spieth.
Aberg enters as the world No. 5 and the highest-ranked player in the field. In six starts this season, Aberg owns two top-10 finishes (T5/The Sentry, 1st/The Genesis Invitational) and enters the week No. 6 in the FedExCup standings.
World No. 6 Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, is another marquee star in the field this week who arrives in solid form. The Japanese star has already won this season (The Sentry) while racking up four additional top-25 finishes.
Another top-ranked player coming in on a heater is Fleetwood (No.11), who in five PGA Tour starts this season has finished inside the top 25 each time, headlined by a T5 at the Genesis Invitational.
Cantlay, ranked 15th in the world, owns four top-15 finishes in six 2025 PGA Tour starts, including a pair of top-5s (The Amex and The Genesis).
Of the aforementioned five headliners, only Spieth enters amid a funk. The 2015 Masters winner has made six starts this season and has been really good or really bad with two top-10s alongside three other finishes outside the top 50.
Sam Burns, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Keegan Bradley, and Tom Kim are some of the other marquee names in the field this week.
Finally, two-time Texas Open champion Corey Conners (2023, 2019) enters in peak form, off three consecutive top 10s, highlighted by a solo third at Bay Hill and T6 at TPC Sawgrass. The Canadian headlines a seven-player contingent of former winners teeing it up this week, including defending champ Akshay Bhatia (2024), Spieth (2021), Charley Hoffman (2016), Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013), and Zach Johnson (2009, 2008).
Top-10 Betting Favorites
1. Ludvig Aberg (12-1)
2. Tommy Fleetwood (16-1)
2. Corey Conners (16-1)
4. Patrick Cantlay (18-1)
5. Hideki Matsuyama (20-1)
5. Jordan Spieth (20-1)
7. Akshay Bhatia (22-1)
8. Daniel Berger (28-1)
8. Keegan Bradley (28-1)
10. Denny McCarthy (30-1)
Full Field & Odds
Up Next On Tour
The first major of the season is up next, as all eyes will focus on Augusta National for the 2025 edition of the Masters Tournament.
Carey Hoffman and Paul Daly contributed to this preview.
