One last stop before the year’s first major: the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in Texas.
Many of the world’s best players are taking the week off in preparation for the Masters, however, there’s one superstar in the Lone Star State looking to earn his invitation to Augusta.
Rickie Fowler.
The 34-year-old’s game has come alive in 2023, grabbing three top-20 finishes in his last four stroke-play events. Last week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Fowler needed an appearance in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the Masters. He failed to advance from pool play.
Due to the March 27th Official World Golf Ranking point cutoff, Fowler needs a win at TPC San Antonio to qualify for next week’s field.
Golf course
TPC San Antonio | Par 72 | 7,438 yards
General view of the 18th hole as Gary Woodland finishes his round during the fourth round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio on April 03, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Course history
TPC San Antonio (Oaks) – Course History for the #ValeroTexasOpen
Includes average finish position and strokes gained per round since 2018. pic.twitter.com/L6PQafQ4NU
— Ron Klos (@PGASplits101) March 27, 2023
Betting preview
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Tyyrell Hatton | (+1300) | Ryan Fox | (+4000) |
| Rickie Fowler | (+2000) | Alex Noren | (+4600) |
| Corey Conners | (+2200) | Ben Griffin | (+4800) |
| Si Woo Kim | (+2200) | Brendon Todd | (+4800) |
| Hideki Matsuyama | (+2500) | Matt Wallace | (+4800) |
| Taylor Montgomery | (+2500) | Cam Davis | (+5000) |
| Davis Riley | (+2800) | Nick Taylor | (+5000) |
| Matt Kuchar | (+3000) | Nicolai Hojgaard | (+5000) |
| Chris Kirk | (+3100) | Thomas Detry | (+5000) |
| J.J. Spaun | (+3400) | Aaron Rai | (+5500) |
Rickie Fowler tees off on the 10th hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open. (Photo: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports)
There was a zero percent chance Fowler would be left off this list this week.
Win and he’s in, pretty simple.
Fowler missed the cut here last season but grabbed top-20 finishes in 2019 and 2021 (no 2020 event due to COVID-19).
Before last week’s event at Austin Country Club, Fowler tied for 13th at the Players Championship, finished T-31 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and T-20 at the Genesis Invitational.
In a weaker field this week, expect Fowler to make a run.
Ryan Fox of New Zealand plays his shot from the second tee during day two of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 23, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Fox plays most of his golf on the DP World Tour but he can hang with anyone in the world.
After back-to-back top-20 finishes on the Euro circuit in February, Fox flew across the pond and tied for 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A week later, he grabbed a top 30 at the Players.
Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark watches his shot from the 17th tee during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course on March 26, 2023, in Punta Cana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Hojgaard finished runner-up to Matt Wallace at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week. The two-time DP World Tour winner is not only a future star but is destined to be a European Ryder Cup team stalwart for years to come. This week may be the perfect opportunity to get in on Hojgaard early.
Akshay Bhatia lines up his putt on the 17th green during the first round of the Valspar Championship golf tournament. (Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports)
Bhatia tied for 24th at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week after missing the cut at the Valspar Championship. At the Puerto Rico Open earlier this season, he finished solo second.
Bhatia is a bit of a microwave man. When he’s hot, he can’t miss. Let’s hope we see that version of the budding star this week in Texas.
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