PGA Tour preview: Valero Texas Open TV times and betting tips
After a frustrating fourth place finish for my banker at the WGC Dell Match Play last week, I can’t wait to get over to TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open. This was a big one for us last year, with our preview tipping champion Jordan Spieth and runner-up Charley Hoffman. That will be hard to beat this year, but I am going to give it a good go with my three selections. But before I get into my free golf betting tips…
Valero Texas Open details
Venue: TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks Course), Texas
Date: March 31-April 3, 2022
Course stats: Par 72; 7,435 yards
Course summary: This tricky Greg Norman design is relatively long with familiar Bermuda grass greens. The famous oak trees, after which the course is named, must be avoided at all costs if you want to have a manageable approach. The fairways are not the hardest to find on the PGA Tour, but players will need to use an element of strategy to avoid the penal rough. Weather conditions are likely to affect proceedings this week, so it will be interesting to see which players can handle the heat in Texas.
Purse: $8.6 million
Defending champion: Jordan Spieth (-18)
Valero Texas Open TV coverage
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf (Red Button) from 1.30pm; Sky Sports Golf from 3pm; Sky Sports Golf from 9pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf (Red Button) from 1.30pm; Sky Sports Golf from 3pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf (Red Button) from 5pm and Sky Sports Golf from 8pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 6pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm
Valero Texas Open golf betting tips
Bazza’s Banker: Hideki Matsuyama – 4pts win @ 20/1 with Bet365
Two wins this season for the reigning Masters champion and a great opportunity to make it hat-trick before we reach Augusta with a win here in Texas. Matsuyama has had his injury concerns of late, but with just one event to go before the Masters he will be looking to fine tune his play in preparation for his first major defence.
Matsuyama fits the bill for this course perfectly, ranking 2nd in the field for SG: Approach and SG: Total in the last three months. The Japanese star also ranks 8th for Bogey Avoidance this season on the PGA Tour, and was 30th on his first outing at TPC San Antonio last year. If I were the bookies, I would be wary of a well-rested and sizzling hot Matsuyama as he looks to gear up for Augusta.
The Each-Way Play: Si-Woo Kim – 2pts e/w @ 35/1 with Bet365
Kim really caught my eye at last week’s WGC-Match Play, and I can’t help but fancy him based on his course and recent form. Kim was 4th in this event in 2019 and also has two other top-23 finishes. Kim also has six top-26 finishes in his last nine starts, and we know that he tends to run hot when playing on courses he favours.
Kim ranks 5th for SG: Off-the-Tee and 11th for SG: Tee-to-Green, so should have no problem finding positions to attack this golf course. His putting often leaves a bit to be desired, but with strong course form I am prepared to gamble that things could be about to click for him as he looks to secure his fourth PGA Tour title.
The (other) Each-Way Play: Adam Hadwin – 2pts e/w @ 35/1 with Bet365
Hadwin has been in sublime form of late, arriving off the back of consecutive top-10 finishes. The Canadian also has some interesting course form, finishing T23 on his last visit to TPC San Antonio. Hadwin’s single PGA Tour victory came back in the 2016-2017 season, so a win appears well overdue for a man in this kind of form.
In the last three months, Hadwin ranks 5th in the field for SG: Approach, 7th for SG: Tee-to-Green and 9th for SG: Total. When you consider he also ranks 10th for Bogey Avoidance, I would say he has a realistic shot at title number two.
For more prices, visit Bet365.
