The Valero Texas Open — the final event before The Masters — tees off Thursday at TPC San Antonio.
It’s far from a loaded field as most PGA Tour professionals are resting and recovering for next week’s trip to historic Augusta National, but there are still some enticing options for you to bet.
“If you look at a lot of the previous winners, they all have something in common,” VSiN host and golf handicapper Wes Reynolds told NESN. “Last year it was Jordan Spieth and there’s Corey Conners, Andrew Landry, Kevin Chappell and Martin Laird. None of those guys are necessarily big hitters, but they’re all very good with their irons.
“It’s all about your ball striking and your iron play. You have to give yourself a lot of birdie opportunities. These are the third-toughest par fives of any event on the PGA Tour. Two of them measure over 600 yards, so these aren’t exactly two-shot holes. That’s one thing to keep in mind. Irons become very important (at TPC San Antonio).”
Odds to win The Valero Texas Open at DraftKings:
Rory McIlroy +750 ($100 wins $750)
Jordan Spieth +1400
Hideki Matsuyama +1400
Corey Conners +1800
Abraham Ancer +2200
Chris Kirk +2500
Si Woo Kim +2800
Bryson DeChambeau +2800
Gary Woodland +3000
Maverick McNealy +3500
Keegan Bradley +3500
Adam Hadwin +4000
Tony Finau +4000
Ryan Palmer +4000 ($100 wins $4,000)
Reynolds didn’t have to dive too deep down the page for an outright winner.
“Abraham Ancer (22-1) makes a lot of sense. I went with him because he was very impressive last weekend at WGC-Dell Match Play. He finally showed some signs of life that he hadn’t showed in 2022. And Ancer is a San Antonio resident, so he practices regularly at this course. That gives him a big advantage given all the familiarity.
“There are a couple guys that aren’t qualified for The Masters, too,” Reynolds added. “Chris Kirk (35-1) is playing really well. Jhonattan Vegas (55-1) and Patton Kizzire (70-1) are interesting at bigger prices. Those guys all made my card along with Ancer. Again, you’re looking for pretty good ball strikers and really good iron players and all of those guys fit the mold.”
Let’s tail Reynolds, but rather than play Ancer to win, we’ll bet him to finish top-five.
Abraham Ancer Top 5 at Valero Texas Open (+550)
RECORD: (107-102, +13.1)
