Valero Texas Open Explained

Valero Texas Open
Location:	San Antonio, Texas
Establishment:	1922
Org:	Valero Foundation
Course:	TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)
Par:	72
Tour:	PGA Tour
Format:	Stroke play
Month Played:	April
Aggregate:	254 Tommy Armour III (2003)
To-Par:	−27 Mike Souchak (1955)
Current Champion:	Akshay Bhatia
Map:	USA#USA Texas
Map Label:	TPC San Antonio
Map Relief:	yes
Map Size:	200
Coordinates:	29.6666°N -98.4007°W

The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio, northeast of the city. The Valero Energy Foundation is the host organization for the Valero Texas Open.

History

The event is managed by Wasserman Media Group as of 2017.^[1] In 2003, it was the site of the 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record of 254, shot by Tommy Armour III.^[2] Many big-name players have won this tournament, including Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, and Arnold Palmer, who won it three years in a row. It has always been considered a tournament where it is relatively easy to shoot low scores. Since 1934, every tournament winner has finished with a score under-par.

It has always been played in the San Antonio area,^[3] and is the sixth oldest professional golf tournament worldwide, the third oldest on the PGA Tour and the longest held in the same city. The tournament has been hosted on eight different golf courses. From its inception until 1940, it was held at Brackenridge Park Golf Course, with the exception of 1927–1928, when it was played at Willow Springs Golf Course. After the event left Brackenridge Park, it returned to Willow Springs . In 1950 and 1951, it was played at both Brackenridge Park and Ft. Sam Houston Golf Course; afterwards it stayed at Brackenridge Park, with the exception of 1956 and 1960, when it returned to Ft. Sam Houston.

Oak Hills Country Club hosted from 1961 to 1966, then it went to Pecan Valley Golf Club There was no event in 1968, as Pecan Valley was the site of the PGA Championship in July. No event was held in 1971; it was played at Woodlake Golf Club for five editions then returned to Oak Hills (No event was held in 1987, as Oak Hills hosted the first Tour Championship in late October.)

It was held at the Resort Course at La Cantera Golf Club then moved to its present site on The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, in the affluent Cibolo Canyon community,

The Texas Open was usually held in September or October; in 2007 and 2008, the event was demoted to the Fall Series. With the demise of the Atlanta Classic, the PGA Tour moved the Texas Open into that slot on the schedule in May 2009 and it became a regular FedEx Cup event.^[4] The 2009 event offered an increased purse of $6.1 million (up from $4.5 million) and its winner's share exceeded for the first time. In 2011, the event moved to the week following the Masters Tournament; that 2011 edition is best known for Kevin Na's 16 (+12) on the ninth hole in the opening round.

As a Fall Series event, the Valero Texas Open was the alternate tournament to the Presidents and Ryder Cups. In 2013, the tournament was in early April, the week before The Masters, and aired on NBC for the first time; several European Tour players participated in the Texas Open for the first time since the mid-1980s.

Since Valero became title sponsor in 2002, the tournament has become the annual leader in charitable fundraising among PGA Tour events. In 2015, the Valero Texas Open become only the fourth PGA Tour event to eclipse the $100 million milestone in funds raised for charity. The 2021 Valero Texas Open raised a record breaking $16 million for charity, bringing the grand total to over $187 million in charitable giving.

In 2019, the Valero Texas Open returned to being played before The Masters, thereby shifting the weekend coverage from CBS to NBC.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Valero Texas Open was cancelled just three weeks before taking place but returned in 2021, the week before The Masters.

Course layout

See main article: TPC San Antonio. Oaks Course

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Yards	454	602	213	481	401	403	207	604	474	3,839	447	405	410	241	567	464	183	347	591	3,655	7,494
Par	4	5	3	4	4	4	3	5	4	36	4	4		4	3	5	4	3	4	5	36	72

Source:^[5]

• The approximate average elevation of the course is 1100feet above sea level.

Highlights

• 1951: Al Brosch became the first player to record a round of 60 in a PGA Tour event.^{[6] [7] [8]}
• 1955: Mike Souchak's 257 (–27) set records for a 72-hole PGA Tour event:^{[9] [10]} the under-par record stood until John Huston's 28-under par 260 at the 1998 Hawaiian Open,^{[11] [12]} and the scoring record lasted until 2001, when Mark Calcavecchia shot 256 (–28) at the Phoenix Open.^[13]
• 2004: Oft-injured Bart Bryant, recovering from elbow surgery and playing on a Major Medical Extension, earned his first PGA Tour win in his 187th start.
• 2005: Robert Gamez won his first event since March 1990, giving him the record for longest time between PGA Tour wins.
• 2017: After 180 PGA Tour starts and six runner-up finishes, Kevin Chappell birdied the 72nd hole for his first PGA Tour win.
• 2019: Corey Conners, playing on conditional status, Monday qualified for the tournament and earned his first PGA Tour win the week before the Masters. He was the first player to win on the PGA Tour after qualifying on a Monday in nine years.^[14]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)	Ref.
Valero Texas Open
		268	−20	Playoff		9,200,000	1,656,000
	Corey Conners (2)	273	−15	1 stroke		8,900,000	1,602,000
		275	−13	2 strokes		8,600,000	1,548,000
		270	−18	2 strokes		7,700,000	1,386,000
	Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	^[15]
		268	−20	2 strokes		7,500,000	1,350,000
		271	−17	2 strokes		6,200,000	1,116,000
		276	−12	1 stroke		6,200,000	1,116,000
		276	−12	1 stroke		6,200,000	1,116,000
		277	−11	4 strokes		6,200,000	1,116,000
		280	−8	1 stroke		6,200,000	1,116,000
		274	−14	2 strokes		6,200,000	1,116,000
		279	−9	2 strokes		6,200,000	1,116,000
		280	−8	1 stroke		6,200,000	1,116,000
		274	−14	1 stroke		6,100,000	1,098,000
	Zach Johnson (2)	265	−15	Playoff		6,100,000	1,098,000
		261	−19	2 strokes		4,500,000	810,000
	Justin Leonard (3)	261	−19	Playoff		4,500,000	810,000
		265	−15	3 strokes		4,000,000	720,000
		262	−18	3 strokes		3,500,000	630,000
		261	−19	3 strokes		3,500,000	630,000
		254	−26	7 strokes		3,500,000	630,000
		261	−19	3 strokes		3,500,000	630,000
Texas Open
	Justin Leonard (2)	266	−18	2 strokes		3,000,000	540,000
Westin Texas Open
		261	−19	5 strokes		2,600,000	468,000
	Duffy Waldorf (2)	270	−18	Playoff		2,000,000	360,000
		270	−18	1 stroke		1,700,000	306,000
LaCantera Texas Open
		271	−17	2 strokes		1,400,000	252,000
		275	−13	1 stroke		1,200,000	216,000
		268	−20	6 strokes		1,100,000	198,000
Texas Open
		265	−19	1 stroke		1,000,000	180,000
H.E.B. Texas Open
	Jay Haas (2)	263	−21	Playoff		1,000,000	180,000
		263	−21	Playoff		900,000	162,000
		269	−11	Playoff		900,000	162,000
		261	−19	1 stroke		800,000	144,000
Texas Open
		258	−22	7 strokes		600,000	108,000
		259	−21	8 strokes		600,000	108,000
align=center colspan=9	1987: No tournament
Vantage Championship
	Ben Crenshaw (2)	196	−14	1 stroke		1,000,000	180,000
Texas Open
		268	−12	Playoff		350,000	63,000
		266	−14	3 strokes		350,000	63,000
		261	−19	5 strokes		300,000	54,000
		262	−18	3 strokes		250,000	45,000
		266	−14	Playoff		250,000	45,000
San Antonio Texas Open
		265	−15	1 stroke		250,000	45,000
		268	−12	1 stroke		250,000	45,000
		265	−15	1 stroke		200,000	40,000
		266	−14	2 strokes		150,000	30,000
		273	−15	Playoff		125,000	25,000
		275	−13	Playoff		125,000	25,000
		269	−19	1 stroke		125,000	25,000
		270	−14	2 strokes		125,000	25,000
		273	−15	2 strokes		125,000	25,000
align=center colspan=10	1971: No tournament
San Antonio Open Invitational
		273	−7	5 strokes		100,000	20,000
Texas Open Invitational
		274	−10	Playoff		100,000	20,000	^[16]
align=center colspan=9	1968: No tournament
		277	−7	1 stroke		100,000	20,000	^[17]
		272	−8	3 strokes		80,000	13,000	^[18]
		270	−10	3 strokes		50,000	7,500	^[19]
		273	−7	1 stroke		40,000	5,800	^[20]
		268	−16	2 strokes		30,000	4,300	^[21]
	Arnold Palmer (3)	273	−11	1 stroke		30,000	4,300	^[22]
	Arnold Palmer (2)	270	−14	1 stroke		30,000	4,300	^[23]
		276	−12	2 strokes		20,000	2,800	^[24]
		276	−8	2 strokes		20,000	2,800	^[25]
		274	−10	3 strokes		15,000	2,000	^[26]
1957		271	−13	1 stroke		20,000	2,800	^[27]
1956		276	−12	2 strokes		20,000	3,750	^[28]
Texas Open
1955		257	−27	7 strokes		12,500	2,200	^[29]
1954		259	−25	2 strokes		12,500	2,200	^[30]
1953		264	−20	1 stroke		10,000	2,000	^[31]
1952		260	−24	6 strokes		10,000	2,000	^[32] ^[33]
1951	Dutch Harrison (2)	265	−19	Playoff		10,000	2,000	^[34] ^[35]
1950	Sam Snead (2)	265	−19	1 stroke		10,000	2,000	^[36]
1949		268	−16	1 stroke		10,000	2,000	^[37]
1948		264	−20	2 strokes		10,000	2,000	^[38]
San Antonio Texas Open
1947		265	−19	1 stroke		10,000	2,000	^[39]
1946		264	−20	6 strokes		7,500	1,500	^[40]
Texas Open
1945		268	−16	1 stroke		5,000	1,000	^[41] ^[42]
1944		273	−11	1 stroke		5,000	1,000	^[43] ^[44]
align=center colspan=9	1943: No tournament due to World War II
1942		272	−12	Playoff		5,000	1,000	^[45] ^[46]
1941		273	−11	3 strokes		5,000	1,200	^[47]
1940		271	−13	Playoff		5,000	1,500	^[48] ^[49] ^[50]
1939		271	−13	2 strokes		5,000	1,250	^[51] ^[52]
align=center colspan=10	1935–1938: No tournament
1934		283	−5	1 stroke		2,500	750	^[53] ^[54]
align=center colspan=9	1933: No tournament
1932		287	+3	1 stroke		2,500	600	^[55] ^[56]
1931		281	−3	2 strokes		6,000	1,500	^[57] ^[58]
1930		277	−7	3 strokes		7,500	1,500	^[59] ^[60]
1929	Bill Mehlhorn (2)	277	−7	4 strokes		6,500	1,500	^[61] ^[62]
1928		297	+13	1 stroke		6,500	1,500	^[63] ^[64]
1927		292	+8	3 strokes		10,000	1,500	^[65] ^[66] ^[67]
1926		288	+4	1 stroke		8,000	1,500	^[68] ^[69] ^[70]
1925		284	E	1 stroke		6,000	1,500	^[71]
1924		279		7 strokes		6,000	1,500	^[72]
1923		279		Playoff		6,000	1,500	^[73] ^[74]
1922		281		1 stroke		5,000	1,500	^[75]

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:^{[76] [77] [78]}

External links

• • Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site

Notes and References

1. Web site: Valero Texas Open – Fact Sheet . Valero Texas Open . August 9, 2017.
2. Web site: Kelley . Brent . Lowest 72-Hole Stroke Total on PGA Tour . About.com . January 16, 2015.
3. http://www.pgatour.com/2010/tournaments/r041/05/09/inside.the.course/ Inside the course: TPC San Antonio
4. http://www.pgatour.com/2008/r/10/07/ap.notebook/index.html Last autumn appearance for Valero Texas Open
5. TPC San Antonio, AT&T Oaks Course: A hole-by-hole look . Valero Texas Open . Commemorative Tournament Magazine . 2013 . 40–6 . March 30, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130325042100/http://www.valerotexasopen.org/spectator-info/tournament-magazine/ . March 25, 2013 . dead . mdy-all .
6. News: Brosch's 60 sets new PGA tourney record . St. Petersburg Times . (Florida) . Associated Press . Ratliff . Harold V. . February 11, 1951 . 29.
7. News: Al Brosch's sizzling 60 shatters PGA record . Pittsburgh Press . United Press . February 11, 1951 . 39.
8. Web site: Players who have shot sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour . PGA of America . January 24, 2019 . February 26, 2019.
9. News: Souchak's 257 cops Texas Open . St. Petersburg Times . (Florida) . Associated Press . February 21, 1955 . 18.
10. News: Mike Souchak registers record-shattering 257 to win Texas Open by 7 strokes . Youngstown Vindicator . (Ohio) . Associated Press . February 21, 1955 . 13.
11. News: Aloha to record and Open . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . February 16, 1998 . D7.
12. Mike Souchak, 1927 - 2008 . Golf Digest . July 10, 2008 . February 26, 2019.
13. News: Calcavecchia sets record in victory . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . January 29, 2001 . D6.
14. News: Monday qualifier Conners wins Valero Texas Open . April 9, 2019 . Associated Press . ESPN . April 7, 2019.
15. News: PGA Tour cancels Players and other events thru April 5th . Golf Channel . Ryan . Lavner . March 12, 2020 . March 12, 2020.
16. News: Beman Wins Texas Golf . . . . May 12, 1969 . 35 . May 10, 2010 .
17. News: Rodriguez Wins Open . . . . May 1, 1967 . 16 . May 10, 2010 .
18. News: Henning Wins Texas Tourney . . . . May 2, 1966 . 9 . May 10, 2010 .
19. News: Beard Captures Texas Open Golf With 270 Total . . . . April 26, 1965 . 27 . May 10, 2010 .
20. News: 65 Wraps Up Texas Open For Crampton . . . . April 27, 1964 . 2C . May 10, 2010 .
21. News: Rodgers Captures Texas Open Golf . . . . April 29, 1963 . 30 . May 10, 2010 .
22. News: Another Palmer Finish In Texas . . . . April 30, 1962 . 16 . May 10, 2010 .
23. News: Arnie's Eagle Wins Texas $30,000 Golf . . . . May 1, 1961 . 14 . May 10, 2010 .
24. News: Palmer Tops Texas Open . . . . February 27, 1960 . 2–3 . May 10, 2010 .
25. News: Ellis Wins Texas Open Tourney on Final Hole . . . . February 23, 1959 . 3 . May 10, 2010 .
26. News: Donora Native Wins Texas Open . . . . February 16, 1958 . 21 . May 10, 2010 .
27. News: Jay Hebert Wins Texas Open Golf . . . . February 16, 1957 . 8 . May 10, 2010 .
28. News: Littler's 'High' 276 Bags Texas Open . . . . February 20, 1956 . 24 . May 10, 2010 .
29. News: Souchak Wins Texas Open, Breaks Hogan's Records . . . . February 21, 1955 . 5 . May 10, 2010 .
30. News: Record Golf By Harper Wins Top San Antonio Prize . . . February 23, 1954 . 10 . May 10, 2010 .
31. News: Holguin Triumphs In Texas Open With 72-Hole 264 . . . . February 16, 1953 . 7 . May 10, 2010 .
32. News: Burke Posts Record 260 . . . . February 18, 1952 . 12 . May 10, 2010 .
33. News: Worsham Leads The Texas Open Golf Tourney . https://archive.today/20120604042315/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OH8QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5342,4729636&dq=texas-open+golf&hl=en . dead . June 4, 2012 . . . . February 15, 1952 . 8 . May 10, 2010 .
34. News: Harrison Wins Golf Playoff . . . . February 13, 1951 . 29 . May 10, 2010 .
35. News: Harrison, Ford Go Into Open Playoff . . . . February 12, 1951 . 10 . May 10, 2010 .
36. News: Sam Snead Far Ahead In Earnings . . . . February 13, 1950 . 18 . May 11, 2010 .
37. News: Dave Douglas Captures Texas Open Golf Crown . . . . February 14, 1949 . 18 . May 11, 2010 .
38. News: Snead Pockets First Money . . . . February 9, 1948 . 5 . May 11, 2010 .
39. News: Porky Oliver Takes Texas Open Tourney . . . . February 10, 1947 . 9 . May 11, 2010 .
40. News: Hogan Winner In Texas Open . . . . February 11, 1946 . 8 . May 11, 2010 .
41. News: Byrd Snatches Texas Open Golf . . . . January 29, 1945 . 16 . May 11, 2010 .
42. News: Nelson Favorite To Annex TexasOpen Golf Title . . . . January 25, 1945 . 10 . May 11, 2010 .
43. News: Revolta Wins Texas Open Golf . . . . February 15, 1944 . 23 . May 11, 2010 .
44. News: Revolta Now Leads Field In Texas Open . . . . February 13, 1944 . 18 . May 11, 2010 .
45. News: Harbert Takes Texas Tourney . . . . February 17, 1942 . 6 . May 11, 2010 .
46. News: Ben Hogan, Battle Creek Golfer Tie . . . . February 16, 1942 . 5 . May 11, 2010 .
47. News: Little Wins in Texas Open nMatch With 273 . . . . February 10, 1941 . 2 . May 11, 2010 .
48. News: Byron Nelson Wins Playoff . . . . February 13, 1940 . 16 . May 11, 2010 .
49. News: Pros Start Play For Texas Title . . . . February 12, 1940 . 19 . May 11, 2010 .
50. News: Nelson Hits Golf Stride . . . . February 11, 1940 . 11 . May 11, 2010 .
51. News: Harrison Tops Money Winners On Golf Circuit . . . . February 13, 1939 . 6 . May 11, 2010 .
52. News: Harrison Gets 66; Tied for 1st in Texas Open . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102050836/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/493543902.html?dids=493543902:493543902&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+12,+1939&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Harrison+Gets+66%3B+Tied+for+1st+in+Texas+Open&pqatl=google . dead . November 2, 2012 . . . February 12, 1939 . A1 . May 11, 2010 .
53. News: Cox Wins In Texas Open Golf Tourney . . . . February 12, 1934 . 10 . May 11, 2010 .
54. News: Young Texas Pro Leads Open Field With 136 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102050904/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/825511782.html?dids=825511782:825511782&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+11,+1934&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=Young+Texas+Pro+Leads+Open+Field+With+136&pqatl=google . dead . November 2, 2012 . . . February 11, 1934 . C2 . May 11, 2010 .
55. News: Clark Captures Texas Tourney From Bif Field . . . . February 1, 1932 . 8 . May 11, 2010 .
56. News: Two Tie for Lead in Texas Open with 143 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102050932/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/456938542.html?dids=456938542:456938542&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+31,+1932&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Two+Tie+for+Lead+in+Texas+Open+with+143&pqatl=google . dead . November 2, 2012 . . . January 31, 1932 . A2 . May 11, 2010 .
57. News: Espinosa Cracks Par To Win Texas Crown . . . . February 2, 1931 . 3 . May 11, 2010 .
58. News: Abe Espinosa Wins $6000 Texas Open . . . . February 2, 1931 . 6 . May 11, 2010 .
59. News: Shute Getse Big Prize In Texas Open Tourney . . . . February 3, 1930 . 8 . May 11, 2010 .
60. News: Shute Wins Texas Open . . . . February 3, 1930 . 11 . May 11, 2010 .
61. News: Melhorn (sic) Is Winner In Texas Open . . . . January 28, 1929 . 27 . May 11, 2010 .
62. News: More Records Drop As Mehlhorn Wins Texas Open Golf Tournament . . . . January 28, 1929 . 16 . May 11, 2010 .
63. News: Bill Mehlhorn Is Texas Open Winner . . . . February 8, 1928 . 26 . May 11, 2010 .
64. News: Wild Bill Melhorn (sic) Shoots 297 To Annex Texas Open Title . . . February 8, 1928 . 11 . May 11, 2010 .
65. News: Texas Open Won By Cruickshank . . . . January 31, 1927 . 12 . May 11, 2010 .
66. News: Cruickshank Leading Field in Texas Open . . . . January 30, 1927 . 3-1 . May 11, 2010 .
67. News: Golfers Tuning Up for First Day's Attack on Texas Title . . . . January 28, 1927 . 18 . May 11, 2010 .
68. News: Melhorn (sic) 'Razzed' Cruickshank Causing Latter To Miss Ten Inch Putt For Texas Crown . . . . January 19, 1926 . 2-1 . May 11, 2010 .
69. News: Golfers Gather For Texas Open . . . . January 14, 1926 . 6A . May 11, 2010 .
70. News: Mac Smith With Two 69s Leads Field For Title . . . . January 16, 1926 . 10 .
71. News: Turnesa Awarded $1,500 As Texas Open Champion . . . . February 25, 1925 . 27 .
72. News: Kirkwood Wins Texas Open Golf Tournament . . . . February 17, 1924 . 27 .
73. News: Hagen Nabs Open Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102050958/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/320410642.html?dids=320410642:320410642&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+29,+1923&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=HAGEN+NABS+OPEN+TITLE&pqatl=google . dead . November 2, 2012 . . . January 29, 1923 . 3-1 . May 11, 2010 .
74. News: Large Field Enters Texas Golf Tourney . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102054454/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/312386642.html?dids=312386642:312386642&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jan+26,+1923&author=&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=Large+Field+Enters+Texas+Golf+Tourney&pqatl=google . dead . November 2, 2012 . . . January 26, 1923 . 12 . May 11, 2010 .
75. News: The 19th Hole . . . February 8, 1922 . 10 . May 11, 2010 .
76. http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/valero-texas-open/past-winners.html Valero Texas Open – Winners
77. http://www.golfobserver.com/new/golfstats.php?style=&tour=PGA&name=&year=&tournament=Valero+Texas+Open&in=Search Valero Texas Open – Winners
78. Book: Johnson . Sal . Seanor . Dave . The USA Today Golfers Encyclopedia . 2009 . . . 978-1-60239-302-8 .