The PGA Tour heads back to Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open. A field of 156 players will tackle the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, where the winner receives a pair of cowboy boots in addition to the trophy.
Be sure to join the all-new Golf Channel Fantasy Challenge - including a new One & Done game offering - to compete for prizes and form your own leagues, and log on to www.playfantasygolf.com to submit your picks for this week’s event.
Kevin Chappell won this event last year by one shot over Brooks Koepka. Here are 10 names to watch in San Antonio:
1. Charley Hoffman: This event may soon be christened the Hoffman Invitational given the veteran’s dominance in hill country. Hoffman has finished T-13 or better 10 times since 2006, including a runner-up in 2011 and a victory two years ago. He has four top-25s in his last six starts entering the week, including a T-12 finish at the Masters.
2. Matt Kuchar: Kuchar remains his reliable self, with a T-23 finish at Harbour Town his fourth top-30 finish in as many weeks. In a field devoid of starpower and on a course where a controlled ball flight will be key, Kuchar’s name rises to the top and that position is reinforced by his four straight top-25s here from 2012-15.
3. Luke List: List nearly broke through at the Honda Classic earlier this spring, but he hasn’t let up since that playoff loss to Justin Thomas. List tied for third last week in South Carolina, and he has finished T-26 or better in each of his eight stroke-play starts dating back to the Farmers Insurance Open.
4. Sergio Garcia: Garcia had a hand in re-designing this week’s venue along with Greg Norman, but he hasn’t played here since 2010. Still, he’s the only player ranked inside the top 20 and outside of a disaster on the 15th hole at Augusta National has been playing some solid golf this year, with three top-10s preceding his Masters missed cut.
5. Brendan Steele: Steele earned his first career victory at this event during his rookie season back in 2011, and he tends to play some of his best golf in San Antonio with three top-15 finishes since. Steele has played sparingly since a T-3 finish in Phoenix, but he notched a pair of top-20s in two WGC events before missing the cut in Augusta.
6. Billy Horschel: Horschel has been feast-or-famine in this event, with three top-4 finishes sandwiched around a pair of missed cuts over the last five years. The former FedExCup champ has been quiet this season, but he broke through last week with a T-5 finish at Harbour Town which showed that some more good play could be in store for a player known to ride a hot streak or two.
7. Ryan Moore: Moore has quietly bounced back from a disappointing 2017 season, with three straight top-30 finishes highlighted by a T-5 finish last month at Bay Hill. Moore has played sparingly in San Antonio, but over his last two trips (a T-8 finish in 2012 and a T-18 finish last year) he has only one round over par on a difficult track.
8. Adam Scott: Scott has won every stroke-play event contested in Texas, including a win at TPC San Antonio in 2010. While he has played only once since, he returns this week as he looks to get his game back to its former heights. The results haven’t all been bad, though, as Scott notched a pair of top-20s in Florida and now heads to a course that should accentuate his tee-to-green advantages.
9. Kevin Chappell: The defending champ hasn’t been heard from much in recent weeks, but he’s still a name worth mentioning at this event. Chappell earned his maiden win in dramatic fashion last year, and he was also a runner-up in 2011 and finished T-4 in 2016. He has missed the cut each of the last two weeks but did crack the top 10 in Palm Springs, Pebble Beach and Orlando.
10. Jimmy Walker: A resident of nearby Boerne, Walker will have plenty of fan support this week at an event where he outlasted Jordan Spieth for the title back in 2015. That remains the highlight of a four-year run that included three top-20 finishes, as Walker tied for 13th last year and returns on the heels of a T-20 finish at the Masters.