The world’s best golfers will head this week to the famed AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio for the 92nd staging of the Texas Open. A total of $6.2 million is at stake for the 144-man field with the winner collecting not only 500 FedEx Cup points but also the $1.116 million top prize.
Read on below for our in-depth analysis of the favorites, high-value sleepers and long shots for this prestigious PGA Tour event. If you’re looking for other sports action, though, you can check out our preview of the 2015 BNP Paribas Open final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
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2015 Valero Texas Open Betting Preview and Prediction
Jordan Spieth will head to the Texas Open with momentum on his side after winning in spectacular fashion the Valspar Championship last week, and is the favorite in the field at +750. The 21-year-old shot a 10-under-par total of 274 and sank a clutch 28-foot putt at the third extra hole to outlast Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair in a thrilling three-man playoff.
[sc:Golf240banner ]Putting has been Spieth’s main weapon this season, placing first on tour in terms of putts per round. That has helped Spieth garner five top-10 finishes in his last seven tournaments, including two victories. With the form that he is in right now, expect Spieth to be in the hunt come Sunday afternoon.
Another player who’s enjoying a rich vein of form is Dustin Johnson (+850). The big hitter from South Carolina is fresh off a stunning victory at the WGC Cadillac Championship. Johnson shot a final-round three-under-par 69 to finish one stroke ahead of J.B. Homes.
Key to Johnson’s strong start this season has been his phenomenal driving. He leads the tour in driving distance with a whopping average of 317.3 yards per drive. That will be a major asset in tackling TPC San Antonio’s long 7,435 yard, par-72 course.
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High-Value Sleepers – Jimmy Walker and Hideki Matsuyama
One guy who’s a solid pick to win this event this week is Jimmy Walker. The 36-year-old has had a strong start to the year, finishing first and second in the Sony Open and Hyundai Tournament of Champions, respectively. The current FedEx Cup points leader already has three top-10 finishes this year and will be definitely on the lookout for another strong showing this coming weekend. Walker is priced at +1,500 to grab top prize this weekend.
Another player who’s having a great start to the 2015 season is Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese star already has three top-five finishes this year, finishing tied for third in the Hyundai Tournament, tied for second in the Phoenix Open and tied for fourth at the Northern Trust Open.
Matsuyama, the top-ranked Japanese player in the world, will be making his first ever appearance in the Valero Texas Open. Matsuyama will take heart, though, in the fact that in his only other start in the state of Texas, he finished second at the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth.
Long Shots –Phil Mickelson and Sam Bowditch
For the second year running, Phil Mickelson will be making a trip to the Lone Star State to compete in the Texas Open. The five-time major champion has recovered nicely from his two missed cuts earlier this year, finishing in a tie for 17th at the Honda Classic and a tie for 31st at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in his last two events.
With the Masters fast approaching, Mickelson (+2,500) needs to sort out his game quickly and TPC San Antonio might be the place where he gets the ball rolling once again. Last year, he made the cut by the skin of his teeth before withdrawing the very next day because of an oblique muscle injury. Lefty would like to have a much better ending to his Texas Open experience this time around.
One player who’s already tasted some success in this tournament before is Steven Bowditch. The 31-year-old stunned the golfing world with a one-shot victory in the Texas Open last year. The Australian native held on for his first PGA Tour victory even though he finished the final round with a four-over-par 76.
Like Mickelson, though, Bowditch has had a rough start to the year as well. He has missed the cut in his last five PGA Tour events. However, given his familiarity with the golf course and his recent success here, you can never count Bowditch out from making a spirited charge come the back nine on Sunday.
Writer’s Prediction
Dustin Johnson (+850)’s driving will prove to be the difference as he wins his second consecutive PGA Tour title.
