PGA Golf tips at $31 and $48 | Valero Texas Open preview

The Valero Texas Open is a final chance for players to find their form in the lead-up to next week’s US Masters.

Valero Texas Open

One of the older events on the schedule, the Texas Open dates back to 1922. It has moved a bit on the rotation and now finds itself staged around in March / April each year. Falling around the time of the US Masters means that it tends to struggle to attract a lot of really big names, as many players are busy preparing for Augusta. That said, enough players do like to keep active, or work things through on the golf course itself, so we have a fair smattering of tour winners and Major champions in this week’s line-up.

Prize money $8.6m ($1.386 to the winner)

Field 134

Highest-ranked players in field: McIlroy (9), Matsuyama (12), DeChambeau (14), Ancer (16), Spieth (17), Finau (23), Conners (32).

Valero Texas Open: The Course

The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio has been the host venue since 2010. The layout is a Greg Norman design stretching 7,433 yards, played as a par 72. The set-up is tough, but not too tough, with local windy conditions being one of the course’s main defences. And as recent scoring would suggest, this won’t be a breeze for the pros… several winning scores in recent years have been just 8 or 9-under-par.

72-Hole Record 268: Corey Conners (2019).

18-Hole Record 62: Trey Mullinax (2018).

2021 result
-14 Jordan Spieth ($5.50)
-12 Charley Hoffman ($31)
-10 Matt Wallace ($101)
-8 Lucas Glover ($101)
-6 Anirban Lahiri ($401)

Valero Texas Open: The Weather

An almost rain-free week is forecast with a daily precipitation forecast of 0%-0%-10%-10% over the course of the tournament. Temperatures will be in the low-to-mid 80s, with only partial cloud cover during the week. Winds will be light, with maximum wind speeds reaching just 10-12mph.

The wait is over…tournament week has officially begun! Welcome to the 100th Anniversary of the #ValeroTexasOpen!🏆 pic.twitter.com/rFlB57vOUn

— Valero Texas Open (@valerotxopen) March 28, 2022

Valero Texas Open: Outright Value Bets

These are two value bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.

ADAM HADWIN (each way) $31 with TopSport

The man from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan comes to Texas in fine form. He recorded an eye-catching Top 10 in the Players Championship, and followed that up with another Top 10 in the Valspar. Both those performances showcased Hadwin’s trademark laser-accuracy off the tee, and if he can just up his putting stats then another PGA Tour is well within his range. To date he has just one title to his name (back in 2017), but Hadwin has twice been a runner-up since then and is overdue a second career success. He’s played well in Texas before, posted a Top 25 here last year, and is another, like Woodland, who comes here fresh and in-form. Well-suited to this course, Hadwin is another solid value play for me.

TONY FINAU (each way) $48 with TopSport

Finau remains a hugely enigmatic character on the golf course. Only twice has he won in his career, but eight times he’s finished runner-up. A lack of winning mentality? Possibly. But his two wins have come in play-offs, so maybe he’s just been a tad unlucky. Finau hasn’t set the course alight much in 2022, with a best placed effort of 19th first time out in the Tournament of Champions. But he’ll be mad keen to find his mojo ahead of a trip to Augusta, and on a track where he was 3rd in 2017 he should have every incentive. Not a player to pile into at short odds, he’s a much more attractive option at a backable price this week. If he finds his A-Game then Finau is more than capable of winning.