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Texas Open preview: The race for the final Masters invitation

Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / Getty

After a thrilling final WGC-Match Play concluded with Sam Burns holding the trophy, the PGA TOUR heads south to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open.

None of the top 15 players in the OWGR are in the field, but the final berth into the Masters being on the line will create some compelling golf in Texas.

When: March 31-April 3
Where: TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

How to watch

Date Time (ET) Channel
March 30 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. GOLF
March 31 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. GOLF
April 1 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. GOLF
3:30 - 6:00 p.m. NBC
April 2 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. GOLF
2:30 - 6:00 p.m. NBC

Last year's result

Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / Getty

J.J. Spaun fired a final-round 69 to notch his first career PGA TOUR win over Matt Kuchar and Matt Jones in last year's event. Spaun double-bogeyed his opening hole in the final round but rebounded with five birdies over the remaining 17 to secure the victory. It catapulted Spaun to a career-best 26th-place finish in the FedEx Cup regular-season rankings.

Recent winners

2022: J.J. Spaun (-13) over Matt Jones, Matt Kuchar
2021: Jordan Spieth (-18) over Charley Hoffman
2020: Canceled
2019: Corey Conners (-20) over Charley Hoffman
2018: Andrew Landry (-17) over Trey Mullinax, Sean O'Hair
2017: Kevin Chappell (-12) over Brooks Koepka
2016: Charley Hoffman (-12) over Patrick Reed
2015: Jimmy Walker (-11) over Jordan Spieth
2014: Steven Bowditch (-8) over Will MacKenzie, Daniel Summerhays

3 reasons to watch

Last chance at the Masters

Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR / Getty

Thanks to its place on the calendar, the Texas Open is the last shot for anybody not currently in the Masters field to win an event and grab an invitation to the season's first major championship. That can lead to some riveting television down the stretch if one of those players is in contention. The big name that people will be following with that in mind is Rickie Fowler. The former star is having something of a resurgent season after a couple years struggling with this game, as he currently sits 25th in the FedEx Cup standings. Fowler will need to emerge victorious this week to avoid missing his third straight Masters.

First-time glory

Five of the last 11 champions in Texas were first-time winners on the PGA TOUR - victories that bring a two-year exemption on the circuit and the Masters invite. It's a massive deal for a younger player looking for a lengthy career on TOUR. Last year, Spaun captured his first career title and secured his card for the next two seasons. There will be plenty in the field hoping to do the same, but four young players who could make it happen include Taylor Montgomery, Nicolai Hojgaard, Davis Riley, and Thomas Detry.

Hideki's health

Hideki Matsuyama was forced to withdraw from last week's WGC-Match Play due to a back injury but is in the field this week in San Antonio. How he performs is something worth watching, especially with the Masters beginning in a week. The 2021 champion not only won the event two years ago but has seven top-20 finishes in his last eight starts at Augusta.

Featured/Marquee groups

Group: Matt Wallace, Matt Kuchar, Nico Echavarria
Thursday: 9:03 a.m. ET off No. 10

Group: Padraig Harrington, Lucas Glover, Francesco Molinari
Thursday: 9:25 a.m. ET off No. 10

Group: J.J. Spaun, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler
Thursday - 1:58 p.m. ET

Group: Chris Kirk, Cam Davis, Tyrrell Hatton
Thursday - 2:09 p.m. ET

Betting corner

Tyrrell Hatton +1,200
Corey Conners +2,000
Rickie Fowler +2,000
Davis Riley +2,200
Si Woo Kim +2,200
Hideki Matsuyama +2,500
Chris Kirk +2,800
Matt Kuchar +2,800
Taylor Montgomery +2,800
Alex Noren +4,000
Cam Davis +4,000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4,000
J.J. Spaun +4,000
Matt Wallace +4,000
Nicolai Hojgaard +4,000

Odds via theScore Bet

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