There is one final PGA Tour stop before the first Major of the calendar year and that takes place this week in San Antonio at the Valero Texas Open. Situated right before The Masters, the field will take a hit with many high-profile players beginning preparations for Augusta. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson withdrew earlier in the week leaving Jordan Spieth and Tony Finau at the top of the odds board as the only players with shorter than 15/1 odds. Corey Conners finally has the chance to defend his 2019 title after last year’s edition was canceled due to COVID. Below is a list of matchup odds for the tournament taking place at the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course. Visit BookMaker.eu when you’re ready to place a wager.
Valero Texas Open Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Scottie Scheffler -135 vs. Hideki Matsuyama +105
Jordan Spieth +110 vs. Tony Finau -140
Tony Finau -130 vs. Scottie Scheffler +100
Corey Conners -105 vs. Abraham Ancer -125
Brendan Steele +105 vs. Charley Hoffman -135
Cameron Tringale -125 vs. Ryan Palmer -105
Chris Kirk -105 vs. Si Woo Kim -125
Zach Johnson -120 vs. Matt Kuchar -110
Lanto Griffin -115 vs. Keegan Bradley -115
Cameron Davis -135 vs. Sam Burns +105
Hideki Matsuyama -125 vs. Abraham Ancer -105
Adam Hadwin -115 vs. Ryan Moore -115
Andrew Putnam -105 vs. Harold Varner III -125
Rickie Fowler -135 vs. Phil Mickelson +105
Danny Willett +100 vs. Jhonattan Vegas -130
Charles Howell III -190 vs. Phil Mickelson +155
Matt Wallace +100 vs. Doug Ghim -130
Joel Dahmen +100 vs. Aaron Wise -130
Byeong-Hun An +100 vs. Jhonattan Vegas -130
Erik van Rooyen -135 vs. Bernd Wiesberger +105
Rickie Fowler -105 vs. Branden Grace -125
Martin Laird +105 vs. Erik van Rooyen -135
Denny McCarthy -135 vs. Bernd Wiesberger +105
Adam Long -130 vs. Harry Higgs +100
Lucas Glover +105 vs. Sebastian Munoz -135
John Huh -130 vs. Sam Ryder +100
Russell Knox -115 vs. Patton Kizzire -115
Tom Hoge -105 vs. Matthew Nesmith -125
Sepp Straka -135 vs. Chase Seiffert +105
Kyoung-Hoon Lee -125 vs. Graeme McDowell -105
Brandon Hagy +100 vs. Will Gordon -130
Adam Schenk -135 vs. Kyle Stanley +105
Need to Know
It’s time to break out the big dogs on this lengthy 7,494-yard layout. The TPC San Antonio fairways are forgiving off the tee and distance is much more important than accuracy on those shots. The overall length and difficult par 5s tend to keep scores down and we’re not going to see many eagle opportunities. Even with four par 5s the course has never averaged under par. Conners was masterful in 2019 with his 20-under a record for this event on the TPC Oaks Course. He was three swings better than the previous low of 17-under from Andrew Landry in 2018. Maybe the layout is getting easier. The course is exposed to the elements and winds in south Texas are notoriously strong. The forecast calls for tame conditions, but that can and likely will change without notice. Also, if not already invited, a spot in The Masters is given to the winner upping the stakes slightly for those looking to wear the green jacket.
Valero Texas Open Matchup Picks
Phil Mickelson +105 vs. Rickie Fowler
How about this matchup between big-time PGA players? Both have had tough times lately and this more of a nostalgic pick than anything. I was leaning toward Fowler since he needs something positive to keep his streak of Masters’ starts intact. He’s played for the green jacket every year since 2010 and a win gives him an invite. However, his game has been awful of late, just slightly worse than that of Mickelson which is why I’m backing Lefty at plus odds.
Jordan Spieth +110 vs. Tony Finau
I’ve backed Finau more times than not in matchups, but I’m also a big fan of Spieth and couldn’t be happier for him about his recent turnaround. He stumbled at THE PLAYERS with a pair of costly rounds putting an end to a run of four straight top-15s, three of which landed him in the top-5. He continued to strike the ball well at the WGC Match Play and the field is to his liking. He’s the favorite for a reason and getting him at plus odds in a matchup is hard to pass up.
Corey Conners -105 vs. Abraham Ancer
His lone PGA Tour win was right here two years ago so that has to rekindle good memories for Conners. It’s not like he needs any added motivation since his game has been solid. He missed the cut just once in his last 12 stroke play events with five top-10 finishes among his nine top-25s. The pressure to defend his title is there, but not nearly as bad since it was two years ago that he emerged victorious.
Matt Kuchar -110 vs. Zach Johnson
Not many have played TPC San Antonio better than Kuchar over the years. He’s 8 for 8 with four top-15s and broke out of a mini slump with a strong showing at the WGC Match Play where he finished third. He’s one of the most accurate players off the tee, something that has helped him on this layout in the past. The question is whether or not he can carryover the strong play from last week. On a course he likes I’m betting he can.
Si Woo Kim -125 vs. Chris Kirk
Kim has a score to settle on this track. I’m sure he remembers the 2019 event where he led after each of the first three rounds before settling for a T4. He gets a shot at redemption and he’s been playing solid golf with a T9 at THE PLAYERS a few weeks ago and win at The American Express back in January. It’s been a crapshoot in between, but I like his chances in this matchup.
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