Valero Texas Open Preview & Picks

Weekly feature from David Jenkins @ Fettes Management looking at the top players and picks for this week's Valero Texas Open PGA Tour event.

Fed Ex Cup:          Valero Texas Open

Welcome to River City, the seventh largest city in the USA and the famous home of the Alamo, the Riverwalk and the San Antonio Spurs. We are here for one thing; and one thing only. It’s the greatest game on grass and it’s always bigger and better in TEXAS! It’s the 2012 Valero Texas Open – GET IN THE HOLE!

Date:                        19^th to 22^nd April 2012

Venue:                   AT&T Oaks Course, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

This course is not for the impatient and the wayward - you take what it gives you – and it’s never much! Greg Norman designed the 7,435-yard course with ball-striking supremo Sergio Garcia. What they concocted was a test emphasizing precision tee to green as well as imagination around seriously difficult greens, mimicking what you find in Australia and with average scoring of 73.67 a year ago, it was the most difficult par 72s on the PGA schedule.

Yards:                      7,522 yards

Par:                           Par 72

Field:                      

It has only a dusting of the high fliers on the PGA Tour but still shows enough quality and flair in its make up that this weekend could be very interesting in the overall FedEx Cup race. Back in the fight is Johnson Wagner (28/1) – who could retake the lead in the big race with victory this weekend and last year’s champ Brendon Steele (66/1) although his form in 2012 is far from that in 2011. Let’s also not forget Kevin Na (25/1 – all StanJames) and his amazing 16 in last year’s event but perhaps in the words of Davy Crockett maybe he was only “born for hardships, misery, and disappointment”.

Consider…:

The AT&T Oaks Course is the epitome of taking it one shot at a time, and then not trying to do too much with it! It’s customary breezy conditions will add to the considerable challenge and there is a threat of rain and thunderstorms creeping into the picture late Thursday, and is expected to linger throughout the day on Friday. The weekend looks dry and clear but the golfing picture is by no means as clear or predictable!

Ones to watch:

Son of 13 times PGA Tour winner and ’82 Masters Champion “The Walrus”, Kevin Stadler (53/1 at BetDaq) secured share of fourth place at the RBC Heritage with 10 birdies shooting 67 and 68 at the business end of the week. Ranked second in greens hit for the week to hit third top 20 in his last four starts. Kevin lies 71st in both fairways and greens and 39th in Strokes Gained-Putting so if he brings the game that his father used to play the field better watch out!

Texan Brandt Jobe (75/1 with BetFair) (isn’t this the name from Electrotanks online golf game?) bids to become the King of the Wild Frontier and appears a good fit for the job. He ranks high in driving, mid table in GIR and has the putting game to match proven by a 9^th in Puerto Rico. He shared 15^th place here last year and has been fairly consistent with 2 top 25’s from 4 cuts and with attractive odds, a place would be a good result for all concerned.

Ones to win:

Coming off a season best so far of 8^th in the RBC Heritage, Charley Hoffman (28/1 with 188Bet) is one to keep in your sights this week – especially after a field destroying 65 in round 2! Has had 5 top 15’s in 6 starts here including runner up in San Antonio in 2011 and on current improved form has no reason to buck the trend. With bogeys a near certainty, the ability to bounce back is a must and our fat Jeff Daniels look-a-like here ranks number 1!

Bearded long hitting wunderkind J.B. Holmes has taken two weeks off to rest following a T8 at Shell Houston, his second 8^th place of the season. During last year's Texas Open, he led the field in distance off the tee and ranked top 10th in greens hit and scrambling so if the same rules apply, he will be definitely be a contender. Often known to “whup the tar” where the field is concerned if he finds his golfing mojo which would leave a tremendous casualty rate by any standards!

Trick shots:

Former two time winner Justin Leonard is at 14/1 with StanJames to have a top ten finish – will history repeat itself and he delivers you far more?

Boo Weekley is a 40/1 punt for leader after the first round – if he drives it straight and long then this is very much achievable!

Thank me later!