The Valero Texas Open starting this Thursday runs the serious risk of dissolving like a sugar cube into irrelevance ahead of the imminent arrival next week of the Masters at Augusta, and because this Easter period is more suited to the beach, the mountains, the village or processions than to a regular PGA Tour event. However, it is a tournament with more substance than it appears, precisely because the first Major of the year is just around the corner.
In fact, the tournament divides players into two types: those who are already qualified for the Masters and will therefore use the Valero Texas as a testing ground, and those who face their final chance to qualify and for whom only winning on Sunday will do. If there were a fight between the two groups, the latter would win hands down, although it may come as a surprise that there are actually quite a few who play both Valero and the Masters.
Specifically, 24 players with secure spots have decided to compete the week before Augusta, three of them top 10 in the world: Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa y Russell Helney. They may not seem many compared with the other 108 playing in San Antonio who are not qualified. However, they are actually more than a quarter of the field for the Masters, since at best it will not exceed 94 players (right now it is 93 and could be between 92 and 94, depending on who wins the Valero and Tiger’s final decision).
The real problem is if the Valero is won by one of the 24 players who are already qualified. First, obviously, because a spot is wasted and second because it is by no means clear that arriving at the Masters with a trophy still warm under your arm is a good thing. In fact, only four players have won the Masters the week after winning a tournament. The most recent was Phil Mickelson in 2006. Before him Sandy Lyle (1988), Art Wall Jr. (1959) and Ralph Guldahl (1939).
The 24 who will use the Valero as a pre‑Masters testing ground, in addition to the three world top 10s mentioned, are: Ludvig Aberg, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman, Max Homa, Johnny Keefer, Michael Kim, Si Woo Kim, Haotong Li, Robert MacImtyre, Hideki Matsuyama, Matt McCarty, Maverick McNealy, Collin Morikawa, Alex Noren, Andrew Novak, Marco Penge, Kristoffer Reitan, JJ Saoun, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Nick Taylor y Sami Valimaki. It should be noted that some of them, besides preparing for the Masters, are somewhat short of FedEx Cup points.
On the other side are the 108 who are squeezing their last chance to get into the Masters. There are several very notable names. The main ones are Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel and Will Zalatoris. Probably the most significant by the numbers is Finau, even if he is a name that usually flies under the radar. The reason is that the Utah golfer of Samoan descent has played all the majors since the 2017 Open Championship. That is, he has 33 consecutive appearances without missing a single event, apart from that sad 2020 Open which was not held.
Moreover, Finau’s Masters record is not bad at all. He debuted in 2018 with a tenth place, not bad. He was fifth in 2019 and tenth again in 2021. Of the eight he has played he missed the cut only once, precisely last year. That being so, if Finau does not want to stop his run at 33, he will have to win the Valero Texas.
Another absence that would stand out is Fowler’s, although it is not so unusual. The Puma icon has played only one Masters since 2021, although he also has very good results (2nd in 2018, 5th in 2014 and 9th in 2019). Similarly, Horschel would be missed. He has missed only two (2017 and 2024) of the last twelve. For his part, Zalatoris was absent in 2023, but in 2021 he debuted with a 2nd, was 6th in 2022 and 9th in 2024. Last year he missed the cut.
More interesting names who face their last opportunity to play the Masters: Brandt Snedeker, Jhonattan Vegas and Michael Thorbjornsen, in great form and among the main favourites to win and take the spot for the Masters. The problem for all of them is that there are many and only one can succeed
