Valero Texas Open 2026 preview, picks & analysis

With the Masters dominating everybody’s thoughts, we will be getting some useful form pointers at this week’s Texas Open, the last chance for players to prepare for Augusta.

So it should come as little surprise that we will be seeing a decent field in action, although both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are notable by their absence. 

In an ideal world, players would want to contend without actually winning.

Twelve months ago, Brian Harman tuned up for Augusta with a three-shot victory in blustery conditions in San Antonio.

The American, who won the 2023 Open, finished with a three-over par 75 in his final round but it was still good enough to finish clear of the pack.

Harman's title was his fourth career PGA Tour title and his first tournament success since he claimed the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool.

Fellow American Ryan Gerard finished in second on six under after he shot a nine-under round of 69, with compatriots Andrew Novak and Maverick McNealy a further shot back.

"The last two days felt like they took an eternity, with the wind it felt like a nightmare out there," Harman told Sky Sports.

Justin Rose carded a final-round 76 to finish three over for the tournament while fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood struggled as he shot 81 to finish eight over. Of course, Rose would go on to play some brilliant golf at Augusta the following week, only losing in a playoff to Rory McIlroy.

While many players of his age might have half an eye on the Champions Tour, Rose continues to play some of the best golf of his career. He was apparently approached about taking on the role of Ryder Cup captain next year but flatly refused because he is absolutely convinced that he will still have something to offer as a player. And having already won on the PGA Tour this season, it is difficult to argue with him.

I will be fascinated to watch the ongoing progress in 2026 of Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood.

Aberg’s collapse in the final round of the Players Championship was as surprising as it was shocking because it was so out of character. He has played some poor golf this season and has also struggled with some health issues but he loves Augusta National and will be looking to take his very best golf there next week so this is an important week for him. He finished second to Scottie Scheffler in what was his major debut in 2024 and was in contention again last year until a last-hole disaster.

Unbelievably, he still only has two PGA Tour titles to his name. 

Aberg is a class act in every way. He only turned professional in 2023 and gained full status on the PGA Tour by finishing on top of the national University Rankings, becoming the first player to earn this advantage. He was the world’s leading amateur at the time.

He only made his debut as a professional in June 2023 at the Canadian Open, where he made the cut and finished in a tie for 25th place. In July he finished in a tie for fourth at the John Deere Classic.

His first start on the DP World Tour came at the Czech Masters, where he also finished in a tie for fourth place after a final round 66. He then went on to win the European Masters, a tournament he started in 186th place in the Race to Dubai and ranked 200th in the world. His win at Crans-sur-Sierre took him to 49th in the Race to Dubai and was enough to convince Luke Donald to give him a wild-card pick for the European Ryder Cup team. He went on to produce a starring role as Europe thrashed the USA.

And his incredible form continued. The week after the Ryder Cup, Aberg finished in a tie for second at the Sanderson Farms Championship and followed it with a tied 13th at the Shriners Children’s Open and tied 10th at the World Wide Technology Championship. And he ended the 2023 PGA Tour season by winning the RSM Classic in only his 12th start, securing rookie of the year honours in the process. His win at the Genesis in February last year came in only his 40th PGA Tour start. He also once again played a key role for Europe as they beat the USA in the Ryder Cup last year. But for a player of his undoubted quality, two PGA Tour victories looks like a poor return.

Morikawa had a real rollercoaster season in 2025. He was pipped to the Tournament of Champions title by a brilliant display from Hideki Matsuyama and and then attracted a lot of negative headlines after storming off in a strop at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Russell Henley produced a finish for the ages to beat him.

It was bad enough that he refused to speak to the media but he then chose to defend his actions, effectively saying that he owed nothing to fans or golf journalists. It was extremely disappointing.

However, we have seen a different Morikawa this year. He won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, finished tied seventh at the Genesis and fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He is once again riding high in both the world rankings and FedEx Cup standings. At his best, Morikawa is one of the finest iron players on the planet and I believe he is going to mount a proper challenge at Augusta.

Tommy Fleetwood finished 2025 on an incredible high, winning the Tour Championship, FedEx Cup, India Challenge and starring for Europe in the Ryder Cup. I expected much of him this year but it really hasn’t happened for the Englishman yet.

It is a measure of the standard he has now reached that a tied fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach, tied seventh at the Genesis, 49th at the Arnold Palmer and tied eighth at the Players is seen as a disappointing start. The positive thing is that it indicates he is not far from finding his very best form - and what better time of year to do it than right now? Expect to see Fleetwood in contention this week.

I also remain utterly convinced that Marco Penge is made for the PGA Tour. He recorded his best PGA Tour finish at the Valspar, where he was tied fourth behind Matt Fitzpatrick. The big-hitting Englishman has already become a fan favourite in America and TPC San Antonio should be made for his game.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Jimmy Walker, in 2016 by Charley Hoffman, in 2017 by Kevin Chappell, in 2018 by Andrew Landry, in 2019 and 2023 by Corey Conners, in 2021 by Jordan Spieth, in 2022 by JJ Spaun, in 2024 by Akshay Bhatia and last year by Brian Harman. There was no tournament in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Course:

TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course is a par 72 measuring 7,435 yards and was designed by Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia. It features narrow, tree-lined fairways, huge bunkers, fast, undulating greens and several water hazards - and it is a proper test!

Form Guide:

Tommy Fleetwood is moving in the right direction. If he can get the putter working this week then he could be adding another title to his resume.

Prize Money:

The winner will collect $1.6m and 500 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, April 2, Sky Sports Golf, 1.30pm; Friday, April 3, Sky Sports Golf, 1.15pm; Saturday, April 4, Sky Sports Golf, 3.15pm; Sunday, April 5, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm.

To Win:

Tommy Fleetwood. So consistent

Each Way:

Ludvig Aberg. Needs to shake off Players meltdown

Each Way:

Collin Morikawa. Back to his best

Five to Follow:

Tommy Fleetwood. No longer afraid to win on PGA Tour

Ludvig Aberg. Looking for perfect Augusta tune-up

Collin Morikawa. Growing increasingly frustrated

Robert MacIntyre. Has shown some flashes of his best

Marco Penge. Course is made for him

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Sami Valimaki. Only knows one way to play - to attack!

Max Homa. Has shown some encouraging signs

Haotong Li. Holding his own on PGA Tour

Johnny Keefer, Local favourite

Tom Kim. Trying to arrest rankings slump