Valero Texas Open 2021

[MattyO1984]

The Tour is in the Lone Star State for the second week in a row as the 2021 Valero Texas Open tees off on the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. Tough spot in the schedule the week before you know what but there is a pretty decent field lined up.

 

Defending Champ:-

Corey Conners

 

Notables in the Field:-

Dustin Johnson

Jordan Spieth 

Phil Mickelson

Gary Woodland

Rickie Fowler

Si Woo Kim 

Zach Johnson

Henrik Stenson

Keegan Bradley

Charles Howell III

Russell Knox

Tony Finau

Scottie Schefller

Joel Dahmen

Abe Ancer

Brian Harman

 

Course:-

Oaks Course, TPC San Antonio

Par 72, 7,435 Yards

 

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by MattyO1984

[Duct Tape]

First time I’ve been the first to reply to one of MattyO’s tour posts. Woo hoo!
 

Good luck Ricky, still one more shot!

[freeze16172002]

last shot at the masters

[smashdn]

Interesting looking course.  I can live without the bunker in the green though.

[Medson]

Maybe a little bit go off on the tangent. 

 

I am looking at the schedule between the Masters and first playoff event. It feels the next 4 months is a massive sprint. 4 majors, 1 WGC & Memorial Tournament. I probably will have a hard time to remember the winners of the rest tournaments by August. 

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I really enjoy the tournaments before Masters. It doesn't feel your entire season is dependent on these pre-Masters tournaments. 

 

Anyway, just a thought. 

 

[TiScape]

Got some big names. Will be a nice watch leading up to, THE MASTERS BABY!!! 🙌🏼

[woodriff]

Phil always called this one a tune up to the Masters. Thanks for the post MattyO. 

[Go Cougs]

3 hours ago, smashdn said:

Interesting looking course.  I can live without the bunker in the green though.

One of the few courses on Tour that I've played.  Fun course.  I remember there being some big fall off areas around the greens.

 

As for the bunker in the middle of the green, my strategy was to aim right at it, because I know I won't hit it.  Works like a charm! 👌

[smashdn]

43 minutes ago, woodriff said:

Phil always called this one a tune up to the Masters. Thanks for the post MattyO. 

 

The Houston Open historically was.  The course was presented similar to how Augusta was, bermuda overseeded with rye.  San Antonio seems to be the same.

 

Course is a Greg Norman and Sergio mashup.  The TPC website calls them minimalist bunkers.  I don't think TPC knows what minimalist means if they are calling those minimalist bunkers.  They are cool looking and compliment the course however.  I also saw the movement in the holes and thought that was something different than your normal TPC-Vanilla offering.  Up and down, left and right and fall offs to both scrub and to deep bunkers.  I may have to find a bar to watch this. 

[3whacker]

Houston was a so much better pre Masters venue than TPC San Antonio, but its all about sponsorship or in Houston's case the lack of it

[smashdn]

The whole condensing and finagling with the schedule ruined (I think) a lot of good things that made sense and flowed.  I like the fact that there are/were "swings."  A west coast swing early, the florida swing, the texas swing, the east coast (georgia and carolinas).  All of that had a nice flow to it.

[the bishop]

54 minutes ago, smashdn said:

 

The Houston Open historically was.  The course was presented similar to how Augusta was, bermuda overseeded with rye.  San Antonio seems to be the same.

 

Course is a Greg Norman and Sergio mashup.  The TPC website calls them minimalist bunkers.  I don't think TPC knows what minimalist means if they are calling those minimalist bunkers.  They are cool looking and compliment the course however.  I also saw the movement in the holes and thought that was something different than your normal TPC-Vanilla offering.  Up and down, left and right and fall offs to both scrub and to deep bunkers.  I may have to find a bar to watch this. 

This course can definitely punish you if you get out of position.  Kevin Na famously made a 16 on the ninth hole back in 2011.  I'm not sure it's anyone's favorite Tour course despite it's Norman/Garcia association.  But now that it's the week before Augusta its the only option for those still looking to qualify for The Masters, looking for a couple competitive rounds before heading there, or searching for some form before heading there.

[adeangelis]

DJ is out 

[DLBTide7]

I was a member at TPC San Antonio during the time I lived in the city. The course is tough; especially if the wind blows (which it often does in the Hill Country in April). Definitely not a birdie fest. 

2 years ago, as a member and volunteer, I had the opportunity to talk to a player on the range on Wednesday (the day before the tournament began- the player will remain unnamed). He asked me, “Does the wind blow like this here all the time?”. I told him during this time of year, it often does. His response... “If I had to play in this wind every day I would quit the f#%&ing game.”

 

Enjoy TPC San Antonio and the Valero !!!! 

 

 

 

 

[KRAMER1997]

5 hours ago, smashdn said:

The whole condensing and finagling with the schedule ruined (I think) a lot of good things that made sense and flowed.  I like the fact that there are/were "swings."  A west coast swing early, the florida swing, the texas swing, the east coast (georgia and carolinas).  All of that had a nice flow to it.

Agreed. Not a big fan of the Mexico move, I liked that Late Jan-Feb was the West Coast, Florida, and then going to Augusta. Move the Match play back to the West Coast and the Mexico tournament back to Florida.  

[Ronnie Mundt]

Ah yes, the anniversary of Mrs. Conners roaming around TPC San Antonio getting blasted on cheap Sav Blanc and screaming as her man brought home the bacon. A tradition unlike any other.

[Justsomeguy]

Finau miraculously finally gets it done by overpowering the field and playing solid wedges.

[MattyO1984]

10 hours ago, adeangelis said:

DJ is out 

 

Late entry, early exit.

[WhostherealSlimShady]

I would switch up things and do the Florida swing first with three tournaments, and then the Players, swing over to Texas for a few tuneups (keep Austin on the schedule .. loved the course) then on to the Masters...then off to California.  This would present better weather in my opinion ... just my two cents...

[the bishop]

6 hours ago, Ronnie Mundt said:

Ah yes, the anniversary of Mrs. Conners roaming around TPC San Antonio getting blasted on cheap Sav Blanc and screaming as her man brought home the bacon. A tradition unlike any other.

You talk about getting blasted on cheap sav blanc like its a bad thing...

[smashdn]

3 hours ago, WhostherealSlimShady said:

I would switch up things and do the Florida swing first with three tournaments, and then the Players, swing over to Texas for a few tuneups (keep Austin on the schedule .. loved the course) then on to the Masters...then off to California.  This would present better weather in my opinion ... just my two cents...

 

Roll the Zurich in there about Mardi Gras time.  Make it a real party.  

 

The latter parts of the schedule don't make a whole lot of sense MI, IL, KY (or The Open) then back to Minnesota.  

 

I get the guys aren't driving from tournament to tournament any longer but it might be nice for them and their families if the travel was optimized to an extent to make it less of a grind.  You might accidentally get more pro-am participation or them willing to give a little more time here and there.

[Duct Tape]

4 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

 

Late entry, early exit.

Doesn’t work well at home. 🙂

[MattyO1984]

33 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

Doesn’t work well at home. 🙂

 

Haha, don’t I just know it! 😂

[Ronnie Mundt]

5 hours ago, the bishop said:

You talk about getting blasted on cheap sav blanc like its a bad thing...

Nope, no judgment here. But don’t forget; white is fine, but red is wine.

[Christosterone]

is Niemann playing?

this is the tourney that gave him his first pro start in 2018...

-chris 

[jdl]

8 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

 

Late entry, early exit.

[gvogel]

20 hours ago, smashdn said:

The whole condensing and finagling with the schedule ruined (I think) a lot of good things that made sense and flowed.  I like the fact that there are/were "swings."  A west coast swing early, the florida swing, the texas swing, the east coast (georgia and carolinas).  All of that had a nice flow to it.

Put the PGA Championship back in late August, where it should be.

[smashdn]

And I agree with that too.

[adeangelis]

4 hours ago, Duct Tape said:

Doesn’t work well at home. 🙂

There is nothing at the Johnson household that should be exited early...

[m d g]

29 minutes ago, adeangelis said:

There is nothing at the Johnson household that should be exited early...

Maybe a party before Pablo Escobar shows up?