The last opportunity for players to gear up for the season’s first major is in San Antonio, Texas, home of the Valero Texas Open.
Defending champion, Ben Curtis, along with the world’s No. 2 Rory McIlroy, lead an impressive field this week that includes four of the top-15 players in the world.
Curtis is hoping to do what few have been able to accomplish by successfully defending the Texas Open title. Only two players have been able to win back-to-back in the past 13 years of the tournament and both champions are currently playing. Justin Leonard won in 2000 and 2001 and Zach Johnson won in 2008 and 2009.
Curtis won last year over Matt Every and John Huh by two shots. It was a grueling back-nine for Curtis, who fought with his putter most of the way. The win was his first in six years.
Curtis admited this year did not start out as he would have liked, but feels his game has had more positive momentum lately.
Curtis admitted to reporters on Tuesday that he still has plenty to work on this year.
“I haven’t played great this year,” Curtis said in his press conference. “I’ve had a couple of decent finishes, but just trying to get the snow off from home (in Kent, Ohio). It seems like I was playing nicely (before missing the cut at the Shell Houston Open), then the last four holes the driver just disappeared. I hit two of the worst drives I’ve hit all year and it cost me four shots.”
McIlroy is not a stranger with the struggles of the game and like Curtis, is hoping for more positives signs of improvement this week.
McIlroy is a late entry into this week’s field and is delaying his scheduled mission trip to Haiti to work on improving his game. McIlroy believes he really needs one more tournament and a few more competitive rounds before heading to Augusta next week.
McIlroy further explained to the Irish Times why he feels he needs to play this week:
“I’m there to play competitive golf. If it was a par three (competition), I would go and play it just because that’s what I need. I need competitive golf and I need committing to targets. It doesn’t matter if it’s a short course or long course or wide course or whatever, as long as I have a scorecard in my hand, that’s what I need.”
If Rory needs to commit to targets, the Oaks course at TPC San Antonio will force him to do just that. With its narrow fairways, deep bunkers, underbrush and rocks surrounding various holes, the course will force you to focus.
The Texas Open has a rich history. Though it has been held at different venues through the years, San Antonio has always hosted the event since its inaugural year in 1922.
To say this is a warm-up tournament to the Masters seems to undermine the history of the tournament and accomplishments of its past champions. Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer have all won in San Antonio.
The player who wins this week will know they have been challenged and will know they are in good company. Just ask Curtis.