Valero Texas Open preview

The PGA Tour will spend the next three weeks in the Lone Star State starting with the Valero Texas Open. Zach Johnson defends the title at La Cantera Golf Club on the outskirts of San Antonio.

Zach Johnson defends
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: Dating back to 1922, the Texas Open is one of the oldest tournaments on the PGA Tour, past winners including: Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino. It’s only seven months since the last Valero Texas Open as the tournament was held later in the schedule in 2008. It was the middle of last October when Zach Johnson closed with rounds of 62 and 64 to hold off the challenge of Charlie Wi, Tim Wilkinson and Mark Wilson.

This May, the Valero Texas Open marks the start of a three-week stay in Texas for the PGA Tour with the Byron Nelson Championship and the Colonial to follow.

La Cantera has hosted this event since 1995, but this is the last time the course will be used for the tournament.With views over San Antonio and the Six Flags Amusement Park, it’s a distinctive layout with changes in elevation, extensive bunkering (revamped in 1999) and a number of natural water hazards. In addition, swirling winds can make shot selection here challenging. Having said this, at 6,896 yards, it’s one of the shortest courses on this year’s PGA Tour and it generally produces low scoring. It will almost certainly take four rounds in the 60s to secure victory this week. Venue: La Cantera Golf Club, San Antonio, Texas Date: May 14-17 Course stats: par 70, 6,896 yards Purse: $6,100,000, Winner: $1,098,000 Defending champion: Zach Johnson (-19)

TV coverage: Thursday 14th – Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm Friday 15th - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm Saturday 16th - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm Sunday 17th - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm

Player watch: Justin Leonard – A three-time winner of this tournament, Leonard is enjoying a solid season. He must be considered one of the favourites this week. Brian Davis – The Englishman has been under par for his last 12 rounds on the PGA Tour. A tie for fifth at last week’s Players Championship should give him a confidence boost for this event. Zach Johnson – The defending champion is currently sixth in the FedEx Cup standings. He’s the top ranked player in the field and will be looking to dominate a fairly weak field.

Key Hole: 1st. At 665 yards, this is one of the longest par-5s on the PGA Tour schedule. Although it drops some 125 feet from tee to green, it’s a definite three-shotter.

Skills Required: Putting. La Cantera is a layout where the pros seem to hole an inordinate amount of putts. Expect to see plenty of red figures on the leaderboard this week.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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