Players will likely insist they’re focusing on the task in hand but it’s very easy to presume that many of the big names taking part at the Valero Texas Open are doing so to fine-tune their games for next week’s Masters.
Rory McIlroy has decided it’s the best way to try and win that elusive first Green Jacket and he’s the favourite here as you would expect.
It’s certainly not the worst course to get ready on in terms of compatibility as TPC San Antonio, a Greg Norman design, is a par 72 of 7,438 yards, has plenty of trees on the property while there are shaved run-offs around the greens.
But it can only do so much and the fairways here are tighter while the greens are bermuda with poa overseed and slower than the fast bent greens of Augusta National.
What those using this as Masters prep don’t want is high winds, often a risk in any event played in Texas.
They’ll be glad that Thursday’s weather is calm and sunny although there could be some rain around at the weekend with winds picking up to a peak of 16mph.
This is a new venue that only opened in 2010 but that still gives us plenty of course form to look at since Adam Scott won the first edition played here.
Corey Conners is a two-time champion (2019 and 2023) but American flags dominate the list of winners and runners-up.
Angles to consider
1/ Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
There was no event in 2020 due to Covid but starting from 2019 and all four champions ranked in the top five for SG: Tee To Green. That suggests what you do before you get to the green is more important than what you do on it as the SG: Putting rankings of those four winners were 26-6-17-41.
2/ Course form
Conners’ double win here isn’t in isolation as past winners Jordan Spieth, Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell had previously finished runner-up. Hoffman has five top threes and Billy Horschel three top fours while Matt Kuchar has a second and a third on his last two visits.
3/ Correlating courses
Augusta does correlate quite well when looking at the Masters form of San Antonio winners. Conners, for example, had a trio of Masters top 10s from 2020 to 2022 and Scott and Spieth have won both here and at Augusta. The Sony Open has also been a good pointer.
Selections
The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected.
Corey Conners
It’s hard to leave Conners out this week as he seems to tick every box. The defending champion, as discussed, has a good recent record at Augusta and has a third and three other top 12s in four of his last five Sony Open starts. To complete his compatibility, the Canadian is 10th for SG: Tee To Green this week and arrives in good nick after 13th (Sawgrass) and 18th (Bay Hill) in his last two starts.
Byeong Hun An
An sits in the top 25 for SG: Tee To Green after a strong start to the season which shows three top 10s. One of those is a second place at the Sony Open which bodes well while he was eighth at Bay Hill two starts ago. The Korean has enjoyed some good times at TPC San Antonio, closing with a 66 to finish seventh on his second appearance in 2019 and taking sixth on his fourth start last year.
Lucas Glover
A double winner at the back end of last season, Glover is striking the ball well again - he's 13th for SG: Tee To Green - and stepped up on some solid efforts with 11th at the Valspar last time out. He has course form via a run of 14-4-18 in three of his last four starts at TPC San Antonio and his past records also show a top five at the Sony Open.
Tips 0-3; -6.00pts
1.25pts e.w. Corey Conners at 22/1 (William Hill 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 25th
1pt e.w. Byeong Hun An at 30/1 (Skybet, William Hill, 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) mc
0.75pts e.w. Lucas Glover at 70/1 (William Hill 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8) 25th
