Valero Texas Open Course Preview – TPC San Antonio

The Valero Texas Open is an annual professional golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. Held at TPC San Antonio golf course in San Antonio, the Valero Texas Open has long and storied history, dating back to 1922, and has seen some of the biggest names in golf come through over the years.

TPC San Antonio’s Oak Course, designed by Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia, is a challenging course with narrow fairways, large greens, and plenty of hazards. In this course preview, we’ll take a closer look at what players can expect from the Valero Texas Open, including the course layout, notable past winners, and what it takes to succeed on this challenging course

The Course:

The TPC San Antonio is a golf complex located in San Antonio, Texas, and is home to two championship courses, the AT&T Oaks Course and the AT&T Canyons Course. The complex was designed by two-time major champion, Sergio Garcia, and golf course architect, Greg Norman, and opened in 2010. The AT&T Oaks Course, which hosts the Valero Texas Open, is a par-72 course that measures 7,435 yards from the championship tees. The course features narrow fairways, large greens, and a number of water hazards and bunkers, making it a challenging test for even the best golfers.

Tournament Set-up: 

Par: 36-36—72
Yardage: 7,438
Stimpmeter: 11

Course Statistics

Average Green Size: 6,400 sq. ft.
Number of Sand Bunkers: 64
Number of Water Hazards: 3
Number of Holes Water is in Play: 3

Greens: Poa Trivialis overseed .110”
Collars: Poa Trivialis overseed .220”
Approaches: Perennial rye / fescue .400”
Tees: Poa Trivialis overseed .325”
Fairways: Perennial rye / fescue .400”
Rough: Perennial rye / fescue 2.25””

Additional Notes

Warm February and March has awakened the underlying bermuda grass.

Area is in third year of a drought and has had water restrictions for more than a year (currently stage 3, 35% reduction).

Average landing area fairway widths are 25-30 yards.

Links to DFS Army Tools

• PGA Research Station – Every single stat you could want for this week’s event!
• PGA Cheatsheets – Notes on all the viable players in the field
• PGA Domination Station – One-click Optimized Lineups in Seconds

Keys to Success 

The TPC San Antonio golf course is known for its challenging layout, long holes, and tight fairways, which require players to have a well-rounded game to succeed. In general, the type of player who has been successful at TPC San Antonio tends to be:

1. Accurate Off-the-Tee: Given the narrow fairways and the presence of many hazards, players who can hit the ball straight off the tee and avoid trouble will have a significant advantage.
2. Strong Iron Play: The course has several long par-4s and challenging par-3s that require precise approach shots to set up birdie opportunities. Players who can hit their irons well and find the greens in regulation will be at an advantage.
3. Good Short Game: The greens at TPC San Antonio are known for their firmness and speed, which can make putting a challenge. Players who can read the greens well and make putts from long range will have an advantage. Additionally, the course’s green complexes are designed to make it challenging to get up and down from around the greens, so players with a strong short game and good touch around the greens will have an advantage.

Overall, the type of player who performs well at TPC San Antonio tends to be a well-rounded golfer who is accurate off the tee, has strong iron play, and a good short game.

The Average Strokes Gained statistics for each category (off the tee, approach, around the green, and putting) for the winner of the Valero Texas Open from 2017 to 2022:

2022 – JJ Spaun:

• Off the Tee: 0.88
• Approach: 0.66
• Around the Green: 0.83
• Putting: 0.76
• Strokes Gained: Total: 2.94

2021 – Jordan Spieth

• Off the Tee: 0.24
• Approach: 1.85
• Around the Green: 1.13
• Putting: 1.43
• Strokes Gained: Total: 4.65

2019 – Corey Conners:

• Off the Tee: 1.08
• Approach: 2.89
• Around the Green: -0.38
• Putting: 0.54
• Strokes Gained: Total: 4.13

These statistics provide a detailed breakdown of the areas in which each winner excelled during their winning performances at the Valero Texas Open. As you can see, approach shots and putting are often key areas of success for winners at this tournament, while performance off the tee and around the green can also play an important role.

Quotes about the Course:

• “It’s a great test of golf. You have to drive the ball in the fairway, and if you do that, you get rewarded. The greens are big, and if you can hit it close, you can make a lot of putts.” – Jordan Spieth
• “It’s a tough course. You have to be really precise off the tee, and the greens are tough to hit. But it’s a great test of golf, and I enjoy playing it.” – Rickie Fowler
• “It’s a beautiful golf course, and the layout is really challenging. You have to hit a lot of different shots, and the greens are really tough. But it’s always a fun week here.” – Justin Thomas
• “TPC San Antonio is one of the toughest golf courses we play all year. You have to be on your game from the first shot to the last. But it’s a great venue and a great test of golf.” – Phil Mickelson
• “I love TPC San Antonio. The course is always in great shape, and it’s a challenging but fair test of golf. You have to hit a lot of different shots, and if you can do that, you’ll have a chance to score well.” – Sergio Garcia.

Past Results:

• 2022 – JJ Spaun
• 2021 – Jordan Spieth
• 2019 – Corey Conners
• 2018 – Andrew Landry
• 2017 – Kevin Chappell

The average winning score at the Valero Texas Open varies depending on the course conditions, weather, and other factors that may impact scoring. However, over the past few years, winning scores at the tournament have generally ranged from 10-under par to 20-under par.

The average winning score at the Valero Texas Open over the past few years is around 15-under par.

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Final Thoughts:

TPC San Antonio is a fantastic venue and while the week before the Masters means that the field isn’t the best, it’s still a really fun week and there is tons of strategy involved in building lineups here. What strategy you might ask? Become a DFS Army VIP and you can read my full slate breakdown cheat sheet on who I’m playing this week and what sort of allocation I’m giving them in MME!

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