2022 Valero Texas Open Betting Preview

Mar 30, 2022

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

With one week to go before the much-anticipated Masters, the PGA Tour gathers in San Antonio, Texas for the 100th edition of the Valero Texas Open. After a week off for the match play event, golfers return to the stroke-play format at the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio.

While most Masters participants chose to return home to work on their game, there are a few high-ranked players choosing this event as their warm-up for Augusta. This includes the likes of Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, defending Valero champion Jordan Spieth, and defending Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama. Also, if the winner of the Valero Texas Open has not yet qualified for the Masters, that player will earn a spot in the field. It’s a great week to chase unqualified golfers as seven of the past nine winners here were not originally in the Masters field.

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Valero Texas Open Winners/Odds

Past Player Quotes

*Quotes courtesy of ASAP Sports Transcriptions

On the Wind and the Course in General

Kevin Chappell: It’s a good mixture on this golf course, a lot of holes run north/south. With the wind blowing out of the south today, you know, you had a good mixture of both. For me, I played enough rounds around here that I probably played every wind they have. So, you know, I look forward to the challenge. My game tends to rise in more difficult conditions so I look forward to that.

Charley Hoffman: There are low scores out there, still going to make some putts in the right spots. historically, you've got to make birdies. If the wind doesn't blow, guys can shoot 5, 6, 7 under on this golf course. If the wind blows, it's a totally different story.

Matt Kuchar: I actually think it's a wonderful spot just before the Masters. I think there's nice topography out here, nice undulations, nice kind of change of elevation. You've got to drive the ball well here, and then the approach shots have some characteristics similar to Augusta with the elevation changes, with the runoffs, the collection areas. I think it's a nice warm-up for next week's Masters as well.

On the Fairways and Driving OTT

Jordan Spieth: The golf course here is really challenging. It's just a really difficult driving golf course. You can't make many mistakes off the tee, you've got to be hitting fairways because it's not just like bunkers on one side. A lot of holes you have that rocks and that brush off both sides of the fairway. So you've got to drive it straight in the wind. The trouble isn’t the hazard. You’re going in to try to find your ball or you’re walking up thinking you’re going to find it in a good spot. And then when it’s not in a good spot, well, now I don’t want to find it. You want to play it as a lost ball. So because it’s so challenging on both sides of the fairway, you will hit shots astray, which will happen tomorrow in the wind.

Charley Hoffman: You've got to shape tee shots. You've got to be in certain spots hitting iron shots into the green. I guess it just fits my eye and I really enjoy playing this golf course. You've got to hit right to left, left to right, and make a few putts, and I've been able to do that so far and throughout my career. Tee to green is very visual, shapes with the trees and it’s a tough driving golf course. I usually drive it pretty good and got to be accurate when you’re hitting in there. It gives you plenty of room out there but if you start hitting it unsolid you can find the native area very quickly and, if that happens, you’re just trying to get it back in play and hopefully have a putt for par or make a bogey and get out. No rough, no overseeding. Premium on driving isn’t quite as much. You can hit them in the rough and have a shot at the green.

On Approaching the Greens

Kevin Chappell: Missing it in the right spots is the key. It was windy enough you had to really think about what shots you can take on and, if you did, getting the ball in the right place. I was fortunate to be chipping back into the wind a lot and that made it a lot easier.

Jordan Spieth: When the wind starts to blow it gets dicey in different places you miss around these greens. So you can feed balls into holes and make birdies, but if you miss the spots, you can get into some trouble. Tee to green it's just a very fun challenge.

Anirban Lahiri: You need to leave yourself in the right positions on the greens. Given the pin positions and the wind, you've got to really have a good game plan as to which holes you can attack.

On the Short Game, Around the Greens, and Putting

Andrew Landry: You can get some pretty sketchy lies around those greens. Not sketchy as in it’s in bad shape, but sketchy as in the ball sits down and you’re having to hit some higher shots on some tight lies. All around the greens, it’s really tough. The winds kind of swirl all over the place.

Kevin Chappell: It’s such a difficult scrambling course because of the wind and how severe some of the runoffs are around the greens. It’s important to get the ball on the green when you can and not necessarily force a shot in there to try to get a birdie look because there’s not many out there.