Texas Open 2025 Tips: Can Jamie make it three on the spin?

We are just one-week away from The Masters and following on from the game’s best, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy gaining some vital practice chasing home Min Woo Lee in last week’s Houston Open – where the talented and likeable Aussie held his nerve to win a first PGA Tour title – another group of potential Augusta contenders will tee it up this week.

This final stop before our first major of the year takes us to TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, where not only a PGA Tour title awaits the winner, but potentially that final Masters berth.

Fresh from back-to-back winners in Hovland and Lee, here are Jamie Worsley's Texas Open 2025 tips, as well as his usual long-read preview featuring six players priced from 33/1 all the way out to 200/1!

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

First held in 1922, the Texas Open is one of the oldest events on the PGA Tour. It is always played in and around San Antonio and has occupied this spot on the calendar, as the final post-Masters event, since 2019.

This long-running tournament has an impressive list of former winners, with highly respected players such as Walter Hagen (1923), Byron Nelson (1940), Ben Hogan (1946), Sam Snead (1948, 1950), Hale Irwin (1977) and Lee Trevino (1980) all having claimed the trophy.

There are two players who have enjoyed more success in the event than any other, winning three titles apiece. The great Arnold Palmer was the first of these, winning three in a row from 1960-1962 and he was matched by Texas-born Justin Leonard in 2007, who had previously won back-to-back in 2000/2001.

Last five winners:

• 2024 – Winner: Akshay Bhatia (-20, playoff)

Runner-up: Denny McCarthy (-20)

• 2023: Winner: Corey Conners (-15)

Runner-up: Sam Stevens (-14)

• 2022: Winner: JJ Spaun (-13)

Runners-up: Matt Jones, Matt Kuchar (-11)

• 2021: Winner: Jordan Spieth (-18)

Runner-up: Charley Hoffman (-16)

• 2019: Winner: Corey Conners (-20)

Runner-up: Charley Hoffman (-18)

Akshay Bhatia won his second PGA Tour title here last year, beating Denny McCarthy in a playoff after the duo finished an incredible nine-shots clear of 3^rd-placed Rory McIlroy. The American returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio was designed by Greg Norman in 2010 and took up hosting duties of this event later that year. Excluding a bunker renovation in 2021, the venue has remained largely unaltered.

The course plays as a par 72 and measures 7438 yards, possessing 4x par 3s (171-241yds), 10x par 4s (347-481yds) and 4x par 5s (553-604yds). With an average winning score just above -14.6 over the last 10 renewals, TPC San Antonio is a tricky but fair test, where high-class ball strikers often thrive.

This predominantly flat parkland course is tree-lined, mixing reasonably spacious holes with those that are tighter and more strategic. The doglegging fairways are largely narrow – producing the third-lowest driving accuracy percentages on the PGA Tour – and although the rough isn’t too punishing, they are protected by smart bunkering.

The average-large greens are bermudagrass at the base but overseeded with poa trivialis. Most of these slender, sloping surfaces are elevated – dramatically so in places – and many are positioned at an angle to the fairways. Made to repel balls at their edges with some steep run-offs, it’s no surprise to see them rank as the seventh-toughest greens to hit on tour and there are lots of large, cavernous bunkers to offer added protection.

However, the greens usually run pretty slow and TPC San Antonio doesn’t rate as one of the most intimidating short-game tests on tour.

Water is only seriously in-play on a couple of holes, first guarding the front of the huge sloping green on the 171yd par 3 3^rd. It then returns at the 18^th hole, which is the last of an exciting trio of closing holes.

This final stretch kicks off with the 183yd par 3 16^th, where players must hit an approach into a huge donut-shaped green protected by a bunker in the middle.

That is followed by the 347yd par 4 17^th. This short par 4 is potentially drivable but rather tricky to do so and can prove penal. The long, narrow green is protected by a sizeable bunker to the left and with the fairway cambering down heavily from right-to-left, those who come up short often leave themselves an extremely high-tariff shot over the aforementioned bunker to try and find the green in two.

We then finish with the risk/reward 591yd par 5 18^th. Home to one of the narrowest fairways at TPC San Antonio and with a creek splitting the sloping green and layup area in two, it is fraught with danger and anything from an eagle to a double+ is on the cards.

THE WEATHER

We have a little bit of everything in the forecast in Texas this week. Conditions start off warm (33C), bright and humid over the first couple of rounds, before potentially giving way to some showers on Saturday. Although that isn’t predicted to carry over into the final round, the temperatures are scheduled to drop significantly to highs of around 19C on Sunday.

The wind may also be a mixed bag, with only a gentle breeze forecast for rounds one and three, and stronger winds on the other two days, where we could see gusts at close to 30mph.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation/Proximity 150-200yds

Strong iron play is pivotal at TPC San Antonio and it’s extra important to be in-tune with your short-mid irons, with approaches between 150-200yds counting for around a third of approach distances at the course.

Akshay Bhatia was superb with his irons last year, ranking 1^st in approach and greens-in-regulation. Runner-up, Denny McCarthy ranked 7^th in approach, whilst 3^rd and 4^th-place finishers, Rory McIlroy and Russell Henley ranked 3^rd and 2^nd in approach respectively.

Corey Conners also ranked 1^st in approach and GIR when winning in 2023, as he did when taking the title in 2019. J.J. Spaun ranked inside the top 25 in both areas on his way to victory in 2022; Jordan Spieth ranked 4^th in approach when lifting the trophy in 2021; 2018 winner, Andrew Landry ranked 1^st in approach and GIR; and Kevin Chappell was 4^th in approach and 5^th in GIR when he won in 2017.

• SG: Off-the-Tee and/or Driving Accuracy

Quality with the driver, whether that be through a display of controlled power or ultra-accuracy, is another key ingredient to success in this event.

Bhatia led the field in ball striking last year, marrying his field-leading approach display with a sixth-ranked performance off-the-tee.

Corey Conners has ranked 8^th (2023) and 4^th OTT (2019) in his victories here; finding plenty of fairways on each occasion, which includes ranking 3^rd in driving accuracy in ’23.

J.J. Spaun was 10^th OTT and in driving accuracy in 2022; Jordan Spieth’s four nearest challengers all ranked top 20 with driver in 2021; as did each winner from 2016-2018.

• SG: Putting (poa trivialis overseed)

As with prior 2025 events such as last week’s Houston Open, THE PLAYERS Championship, Valspar Championship and Phoenix Open, as well as tournaments such as the RBC Heritage and Wells Fargo Championship, a poa trivialis overseed is the grass of choice on the bermudagrass-based greens here.

Although it is rarely the most important club in the bag at the course, any players who have previously putted such greens positively will be of interest.

• Par 5 Scoring

Lastly, the par 5s offer up the best birdie chances and players will need to score strongly on these holes. This is something that three of the last four winners have done, with Akshay Bhatia, Corey Conners and Jordan Spieth each ranking 1^st in par 5 scoring for the week.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Phoenix Open (TPC Scottsdale)

This week’s first comp course is TPC Scottsdale, home of the Phoenix Open. It provides a similar test off the tee, with fairways well bunkered and tricky to find, though lacking in especially severe rough. There is also an emphasis on approaches from that 150-200yd range, into the poa trivialis overseeded greens.

Notable correlating form:

Charley Hoffman:

Texas (1^st, 2^nd, 2^nd) / Phoenix (2^nd, 2^nd)

Brendan Steele:

Texas (1^st) / Phoenix (3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, 6^th)

Martin Laird:

Texas (1^st) / Phoenix (3^rd, 5^th)

Jordan Spieth:

Texas (1^st, 2^nd) / Phoenix (4^th, 4^th)

J.J. Spaun:

Texas (1^st) / Phoenix (4^th)

Matt Kuchar:

Texas (2^nd, 3^rd) / Phoenix (4^th, 5^th)

Ryan Moore:

Texas (3^rd, 7^th, 8^th) / Phoenix (4^th, 6^th, 6^th)

Ryan Palmer:

Texas (4^th, 6^th, 6^th) / Phoenix (2^nd, 2^nd)

Charles Howell III:

Texas (4^th, 8^th) / Phoenix (4^th, 6^th)

Adam Hadwin:

Texas (4^th) / Phoenix (9^th, 10^th)

Chez Reavie:

Texas (6^th) / Phoenix (2^nd, 4^th)

Byeong Hun An:

Texas (6^th, 7^th) / Phoenix (6^th, 9^th)

Gary Woodland:

Texas (6^th, 8^th) / Phoenix (1^st)

Cognizant Classic (PGA National)

PGA National is another course where approaches from 150-200yds are of most importance and the event can often be impacted by wind, as with TPC San Antonio.

With the shorter rough in the last couple of years, this smartly bunkered course provides a somewhat comparable test off the tee and although the bermudagrass greens there aren’t overseeded, the rough uses the same ryegrass overseed as in Texas.

Notable correlating form:

J.J. Spaun:

Texas (1^st) / Cognizant (2^nd)

Brendan Steele:

Texas (1^st) / Cognizant (3^rd, 4^th)

Matt Jones:

Texas (2^nd) / Cognizant (1^st)

Denny McCarthy:

Texas (2^nd) / Cognizant (3^rd)

Will MacKenzie:

Texas (2^nd) / Cognizant (5^th, 6^th)

Chad Collins:

Texas (3^rd) / Cognizant (4^th)

Billy Horschel:

Texas (3^rd, 3^rd, 4^th) / Cognizant (4^th, 8^th, 9^th)

Sam Ryder:

Texas (3^rd) / Cognizant (8^th, 9^th)

Russell Henley:

Texas (4^th) / Cognizant (1^st, 3^rd)

Ryan Palmer:

Texas (4^th, 6^th, 6^th) / Cognizant (2^nd, 4^th)

Lucas Glover:

Texas (4^th) / Cognizant (4^th, 4^th)

Chris Kirk:

Texas (6^th, 8^th, 8^th) / Cognizant (1^st)

Gary Woodland:

Texas (6^th, 8^th) / Cognizant (2^nd, 5^th, 6^th)

Byeong Hun An:

Texas (6^th, 7^th) / Cognizant (4^th, 5^th)

Ben Martin:

Texas (7^th, 10^th) / Cognizant (5^th)

Matthias Schwab:

Texas (8^th) / Cognizant (7^th)

Sony Open (Waialae Country Club)

Waialae Country Club is a wind-affected course that provides a closely-matched test to TPC San Antonio off the tee, with the fairways relatively narrow and protected by strong bunkering as opposed to nasty rough.

Its demands around the greens are of a similar level of difficulty to this week and with approaches between 150-200yds commonplace, it’s no shock to find bundles of crossover form.

Notable correlating form:

Jimmy Walker:

Texas (1^st) / Sony (1^st, 1^st)

Brendan Steele:

Texas (1^st) / Sony (2^nd, 4^th)

Corey Conners:

Texas (1^st, 1^st) / Sony (3^rd)

J.J. Spaun:

Texas (1^st) / Sony (3^rd)

Matt Kuchar:

Texas (2^nd, 3^rd) / Sony (1^st, 3^rd)

Sean O’Hair:

Texas (2^nd) / Sony (2^nd)

Russell Henley:

Texas (4^th) / Sony (1^st, 2^nd)

Ryan Palmer:

Texas (4^th, 6^th, 6^th) / Sony (1^st)

Si Woo Kim:

Texas (4^th) / Sony (1^st)

Charles Howell III:

Texas (4^th, 8^th) / Sony (2^nd, 2^nd)

Brian Stuard:

Texas (4^th) / Sony (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 8^th)

Lucas Glover:

Texas (4^th) / Sony (5^th)

Adam Schenk:

Texas (5^th, 7^th) / Sony (6^th)

Byeong Hun An:

Texas (6^th, 7^th) / Sony (2^nd)

Gary Woodland:

Texas (6^th, 8^th) / Sony (3^rd, 6^th, 7^th)

Chez Reavie:

Texas (6^th) / Sony (3^rd)

Keegan Bradley:

Texas (8^th, 9^th) / Sony (2^nd, 6^th)

RBC Heritage (Harbour Town Golf Links)

Harbour Town is a much tighter and more strategic course than TPC San Antonio. However, wind is often a factor and possessing a relatable challenge in approach into the overseeded poa trivialis greens, with GIR numbers similar and a high portion of approaches falling into that 150-200yd range, it is worth a look this week.

Notable correlating form:

Jordan Spieth:

Texas (1^st, 2^nd) / Heritage (1^st, 2^nd)

Corey Conners:

Texas (1^st, 1^st) / Heritage (4^th)

Charley Hoffman:

Texas (1^st, 2^nd, 2^nd, 2^nd) / Heritage (6^th, 8^th)

Matt Kuchar:

Texas (2^nd, 3^rd) / Heritage (1^st, 2^nd)

John Huh:

Texas (2^nd) / Heritage (3^rd)

Sean O’Hair:

Texas (2^nd) / Heritage (6^th, 7^th)

Si Woo Kim:

Texas (4^th) / Heritage (2^nd)

Troy Merritt:

Texas (4^th) / Heritage (3^rd)

Brian Stuard:

Texas (4^th) / Heritage (5^th)

Brendon Todd:

Texas (5^th, 6^th, 8^th) / Heritage (4^th)

Kevin Streelman:

Texas (6^th, 8^th) / Heritage (3^rd, 6^th, 7^th)

Ben Martin:

Texas (7^th, 10^th) / Heritage (3^rd)

Houston Open (Memorial Park Golf Course)

I’m going to come back around to Texas for my last course and I believe anybody who went well in Houston last week should be confident of carrying that form over to TPC San Antonio.

While there is more defence at this week’s course, these two venues have strikingly similar ball-striking numbers and feature some severe, steep slopes around the similar-in-size poa trivialis greens.

Notable correlating form:

Trey Mullinax:

Texas (2^nd) / Houston (4^th)

Kevin Tway:

Texas (3^rd) / Houston (2^nd)

Billy Horschel:

Texas (3^rd, 3^rd, 4^th) / Houston (7^th)

Russell Henley:

Texas (4^th) / Houston (7^th)

Adam Hadwin:

Texas (4^th) / Houston (7^th)

Cameron Tringale:

Texas (5^th, 8^th, 9^th) / Houston (7^th)

Gary Woodland:

Texas (6^th, 8^th) / Houston (2^nd)

THE FIELD

Our final post-Masters event is headed by world #5 Ludvig Aberg. The field possesses just one further member of the top 10, Hideki Matsuyama at #6 and there are 17 of the world’s top 50 in total.

Part of that 17-strong group is last year’s Texas Open winner, Akshay Bhatia. He is one of seven former winners, joined by Corey Conners (2023, 2019), Jordan Spieth (2021), Charley Hoffman (2016), Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013) and Zach Johnson (2009, 2008).

The #3 and #11-ranked amateurs, Ben James and Preston Summerhays will each tee it up; meanwhile, star names, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Rose are among this week’s TPC San Antonio debutants, with both hoping to gain some much-needed sharpness before next week’s trip to Augusta National.

Texas Open 2025 Odds

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Ludvig Aberg 12/1, Tommy Fleetwood 14/1, Corey Conners 18/1, Hideki Matsuyama 20/1, Patrick Cantlay 20/1, Jordan Spieth 22/1

This event is often won by a player not yet in The Masters and I’m going to lean heavily on that this week, ignoring the market leaders who may have one eye firmly fixed on next week.

Five of my six selections will play their way into Augusta with a victory and the first of these is Daniel Berger, who has been in excellent form the last couple of months.

1.5 pts Daniel Berger each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

Berger finally found form at the end of 2024 after returning from a lengthy absence due to a back injury earlier in the year. He’s carried that over into 2025, recording six top-25 finishes in his eight starts and went closest when a distant 2^nd to Thomas Detry in the Phoenix Open.

Ranking as the 15^th-best player from tee-to-green on the PGA Tour and 45^th in putting, each part of his game is looking in great shape. The driver has been super reliable, ranking 10^th in driving accuracy and 37^th off-the-tee, and in relation to his approach play, it’s a positive to see him rank 17^th from 150-175yds.

Berger has only played here twice before, missing the cut in 2015 and 2019. However, runner-up finishes at TPC Scottsdale and PGA National suggest he is capable of much better, as does a 3^rd-place finish in the RBC Heritage and having not played The Masters since 2022, he’ll be desperate to book his return.

1 pt Rico Hoey each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 60/1

Rico Hoey has been hitting the ball excellently this season and finally found something on the greens last week. Having gone well here last year, he looks to have much in his favour to win a first PGA Tour title and in turn, earn his Masters debut next week.

Hoey couldn’t get anything going at the start of the season, missing three of his first five cuts and failing to record a top-50 finish. He turned that around in the Cognizant Classic, finishing 25^th and has gone on to make three of his next four cuts, including producing that season’s best result when 11^th in the Houston Open last week.

He drove the ball very well there, which came as no surprise due to him ranking 2^nd OTT and 16^th in driving accuracy this season. The surprise came on the greens, where he put up his best numbers of 2025, ranking 19^th and with an iron game ideally suited to this challenge, ranking 9^th in greens-in-regulation, 16^th from 175-200yds and 30^th from 150-175yds, he looks a perfect fit statistically.

Hoey finished 14^th on his TPC San Antonio debut last year, looking especially good on the greens. Meanwhile, those finishes in Houston and at PGA National recently do nothing but boost his appeal.

1 pt Lee Hodges each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

Lee Hodges had been nursing a rib injury which saw him spend six weeks on the sidelines before returning last week. It would’ve been understandable had he needed time to blow away the cobwebs there, but he finished an admirable 11^th and showing quality throughout the bag, he jumped off the page at TPC San Antonio.

Hodges had looked good in the early part of the season, making each of his first five cuts and recording top-10 finishes in the Sony and Phoenix Opens. He started well enough in Houston, opening with rounds of 68 and 69, but he was even better over the weekend, shooting a 66 on Saturday and after closing with a 65, I’m hoping he can bring that weekend energy this week.

He's done his best work with the putter this year, ranking 6^th but he’s actually gaining strokes in each area. His ranking of 4^th in total driving should be a good fit for this challenge and ranking as the second-best par 5 scorer, he has the ability to take it to those most scorable holes.

Hodges has played this event on three occasions, missing the cut in 2022 and 2024, though sandwiched between them is a 6^th-place finish in 2023. He also finished 9^th in the 2022 Cognizant Classic and with his 10^th and 11^th-place finishes in the respective Sony and Houston Opens this year boding well, he has some encouraging recent comp form to his name.

1 pt Ryan Gerard each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

Ryan Gerard continues to impress on his PGA Tour return and arriving here after achieving his best result of the year in Houston, this excellent iron player looks primed for a PGA Tour breakthrough.

Gerard has teed it up on nine occasions this year and missed just one cut in the Puerto Rico Open. He’d previously recorded three straight top 25s in the Farmers Insurance Open, Mexico Open and Cognizant Classic, but he improved on all of those efforts last week, finishing 9^th at Memorial Park.

His approach play was key there, ranking 2^nd and it’s indeed been in this area that he’s impressed most in 2025, ranking 15^th for the season, looking strong with his short-mid irons. He also ranks 28^th on the greens, often going well on similar surfaces to these and combining a reasonable level of power with accuracy off the tee, his all-round ball-striking performances look well matched to TPC San Antonio.

Gerard was 56^th on his only previous visit to the course in 2023. However, last week’s top 10 is indicative of what he’s capable of doing here, as is his impressive 4^th-place finish in the 2023 Cognizant Classic.

1 pt Chris Kirk each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 66/1

Although Chris Kirk doesn’t have that added motivation of a Masters spot to spur him on, he does come into this week after showing some serious promise with an otherwise flagging area of his game on his latest start. Combined with having a very strong record at TPC San Antonio, this six-time PGA Tour winner looks an interesting contender.

Kirk has made eight starts this season and while he’s hardly been terrible, missing just two cuts, he’s rarely threatened the top of the leaderboard, recording just one top 25 when finishing 22^nd in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That being said, he’d been consistently misfiring on the greens, but having produced his best display of the season in this area last time out at TPC Sawgrass, ranking 15^th, I’m hoping he can keep it rolling on similar surfaces this week.

He's been driving it solidly enough this year and with a decent level of accuracy, though aside from those struggles on the greens he’d also failed to find his usually high level in approach. That has been turned around in recent starts, gaining strokes with his irons in his last three and is typically good from 150-175yds, ranking 45^th last year.

Kirk has played here on nine occasions, recording four top-10 finishes, including a best of 6^th in 2021. He’s also a past winner of the Cognizant Classic and possessing two runner-up finishes in the Sony Open, his comp form strengthens his case.

1 pt Chandler Phillips each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 200/1

I’m going to finish off my selections with Texan, Chandler Phillips at huge odds. His game has appeared much stronger in recent weeks after a difficult start to the season and in possession of a handy piece of form at a venue where last year’s Texas Open winner, Akshay Bhatia has also gone well, this venue may just be a better fit than his past results suggest.

Phillips missed the first two cuts of his second season on the PGA Tour, but has since missed only one of the last seven. His previous standout result had been a 34^th-place finish in the Mexico Open, but he improved on that last week, finishing 32^nd in Houston and shooting every round under par.

He’d done little of note in any area of his game over his first half-a-dozen starts, but he’s been great in approach in his last three, ranking 24^th in THE PLAYERS Championship, 15^th in the Valspar and 17^th in Houston. Typically a straight driver, he has the precision ball-striking ability to handle the demands of TPC San Antonio and though the putter hasn’t yet warmed up as it did last season, he has been solid on the greens in his two previous visits here.

That didn’t inspire Phillips into top performances at the course, finishing 64^th on debut in 2023 and missing the cut last year. Having said that, his one victory on the Korn Ferry Tour came in the often windy The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic in 2023. A certain Akshay Bhatia won that event the year previous and I’m hoping Phillips can again succeed his fellow American as the winner of an event this week.