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Valero Texas Open: PGA Golf Predictions and Odds

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The PGA Tour returns to Texas this week for one of the oldest tournaments in North America, the Valero Texas Open. It’s also the finale for this event in one regard.

Valero Texas Open

This event is the fifth-oldest professional golf tournament in North America, first played in 1922. The only ones older are the U.S. Open (1895), Western Open (1899), Canadian Open (1904) and PGA Championship (1916). The Valero is the oldest in terms of being held in just once city its entire existence: San Antonio, although not the same course for that span.

This also will be the last time the Valero Texas Open is played at this spot on the Tour calendar. It will move to the week before the Masters next year, replacing the Houston Open – which is having some sponsorship difficulties. The Valero did precede the Masters once before, in 2013 when Martin Laird won. There are a handful of major changes coming to the PGA Tour schedule for the 2018-19 season.

The tournament has been played at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course since 2010. It’s a very hilly track situated in Texas hill country. It measures 7,435 yards and is a par 72. The 72-hole record is a 274, while the 18-hole mark is a 63. Laird owns a share of both of those.

Valero Texas Open Odds

Just six of the world’s Top 30 are set to play so it’s a potentially wide-open field. Sergio Garcia, who was a consultant on the course design in 2010, plays here for the first time since that year and is the +1400 favourite. He was last seen missing the cut as the defending champion of the Masters thanks to a first-round 13 on the 15th hole.

Matt Kuchar and Charley Hoffman are both +1800 on the golf odds. Hoffman is a former champion, winning by a shot over current Masters champ Patrick Reed in 2016 at 12-under 276. Hoffman was also runner-up in San Antonio in 2011 and third in 2013. He slipped to 40th last year. Kuchar was 40th here in 2017 and has a best result of fourth.
Luke List (+2500), Ryan Moore (+2800), Kevin Chappell (+3000) and Adam Scott (+3000) round out the leaders. Chappell won this tournament last year at 12 under, birdieing the 72nd hole to edge Brooks Koepka by a shot. It was Chappell’s first Tour win in his 180th start. The last repeat winner here was Zach Johnson in 2009. Scott won in 2010.

Canadian Golfer Odds

The top-ranked Canadian, Adam Hadwin, is taking this week off. Nick Taylor is priced at +15000, David Hearn +20000, Corey Conners +20000, Ben Silverman +25000 and Mackenzie Hughes +50000.

Last week, Taylor missed his fourth straight cut this season, coming at the RBC Heritage. He has played here twice and been 21st and 22nd. Hearn, who also missed the cut last week, was 13th here in 2016 and 11th in 2012. Conners and Silverman play here for the first time. Hughes missed the cut in San Antonio last year in his lone visit. No Canadian has won this event.

Valero Texas Open Predictions

Recommend Hoffman and Moore for Top 10s, but the winner is Billy Horschel at +3500. He comes off a solid T5 last week and has a fourth (2016) and two thirds (2015, ’13) in San Antonio.