2023 The Valero Texas Open First Round Leader Predictions, Picks: Si Woo Kim Leads the Way
The PGA Tour is in San Antonio, Texas, for the Valero Texas Open this Thursday. Johnny Covers looks at the field and shares his first-round leader predictions and picks. Let's break it down.
Johnny Covers - March 29, 2023, 9:38 AM EDT
5 min2023 The Valero Texas Open First Round Leader Predictions, Picks: Si Woo Kim Leads the Way
The PGA Tour meets in San Antonio, Texas, for the 101st Valero Texas Open, one week before what is arguably the most anticipated Masters ever. Golfers return to the stroke-play format at the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio after a week off for the match-play competition in Austin.
The third-oldest event on the PGA Tour, this competition was established in 1922, and since its inception, it has been held in the San Antonio region. Before finding its current location at the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio in 2010, when Adam Scott raised the trophy, it had been held at a number of different courses.
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Just north of Texas' second-largest metropolis, TPC San Antonio, weaves through the constricting Cibolo Canyons. It plays as the 14th toughest annual PGA course, with players averaging 0.14 strokes over par per round. The course features fairways lined with mature oak trees and brush, challenging pin positions on elevated greens, one of the most difficult sets of par 5s on Tour, and typical gusty "Texas" winds. This course's unusual layout contrasts spacious fairways with slender, tree-lined alleys, creating tactical angles for approach approaches.
In recent years, the competition has produced a few unexpected champions. Can another get off to a hot start on Thursday? Let’s take a closer look at three players who I think could do just that.
Valero Texas Open Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date - Thursday, March 30 - Sunday, April 2
- Opening Tee Times - 8:30 a.m. ET - 2 p.m. ET
- Where - TPC San Antonio Oaks Course, San Antonio, Texas
- Where to Watch - ESPN+, Golf Channel, NBC
Click here for Valero Texas Open odds
The Valero Texas Open First Round Leader Predictions Picks
Si Woo Kim (+4000) Bet $100 to collect $4100. DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet
Si Woo Kim is a fantastic ball driver who keeps his misses in play, which is very important this week in San Antonio. He has a great deal of success on the greens at TPC San Antonio and is a significantly better putter than he has been in past editions.
Corey Conners (+4000) Bet $100 to collect $4100. DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet
Corey Conners is being expected by some to actually win the tournament, so at this price, I'll gladly take him to get off to a hot start. His win at this tournament in 2019 is still his only PGA Tour triumph, and recently, his ball striking has been more erratic later in the weekends recently, as have his strokes on the approach. He'll probably place among the top 20, given the lesser field, and I like this as a bounce-back spot.
Matt Kuchar (+5000) Bet $100 to collect $5100. DraftKings has the best odds; click here to bet
At this stage of his career, Matt Kuchar is no longer the reliable, high-floor choice, but he is still capable of showing potential and getting off to a hot start on any given week. In addition to topping his group at the Match Play last week, he has already finished ninth at Riviera and T-7 at the Sony Open this year. With three consecutive top-12 performances and eight top-25 finishes over the course of his last ten outings, his performance at TPC San Antonio is almost unrivaled.
The Valero Texas Open First Round Leader Picks
- Si Woo Kim (+4000) Bet $100 to collect $4100
- Corey Conners (+4000) Bet $100 to collect $4100
- Matt Kuchar (+5000) Bet $100 to collect $5100
