Valero Texas Open - San Antonio, TX
As a proud Auburn University alumni, I traveled to San Antonio, TX with some college friends to cheer on the Auburn Tigers in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in early April. This was Auburn’s second appearance in the Final Four, with the first coming back in 2019. I was fortunate enough to be offered tickets to the Final Four from my great friend, Reid Cacaro, who has been a supported of Wellington Golf Co. from the beginning. The Final Four coincided with The Valero Texas Open. Reid and I made it up the The Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio for the Saturday round of the tournament. We were met by the Texas heat, some great golf, and a fun day on the course prior to the Final Four Tipoff where Auburn played Florida.
The Valero Texas Open, first played in 1922, is the 3rd oldest PGA TOUR tournament. It’s only younger than the Western Open (1899) and Canadian Open (1904). If you include the U.S. Open (1895) managed by the USGA, and the PGA Championship (1916) managed by the PGA of America, then the Valero Texas Open is the sixth oldest professional tournament worldwide. The Valero Texas Open is the oldest professional golf tournament to be held in the same city its entire existence. In 2022, the Valero Texas Open celebrated its 100th anniversary.
TPC San Antonio was a really interesting site. Set against the rugged natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country, the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio was designed by Greg Norman with input from Sergio Garcia to showcase a return to traditional golf course aesthetics. Eschewing expansive modern layouts, the course favors a more intimate, natural presentation—without compromising its tournament-friendliness for fans or players. Each November, the agronomy team begins meticulous overseeding of the fairways and rough with a mix of perennial ryegrass and chewing fescue to ensure ideal conditions for the Valero Texas Open.
Measuring 7,435 yards and playing to a par 72, the course artfully blends narrow, tree-lined corridors with broader fairways offering multiple strategic routes to the green. Rugged, minimalist bunkering mimics the flowing canopy of native oak trees, while carefully chosen Bermuda grass varieties give the course rich texture, color contrast, and environmental resilience. Though the elevation change across the property is only 100 feet, the routing maximizes variety: downhill holes typically play into the prevailing wind, while uphill holes benefit from it. Native grasses and plants flourish throughout, underscoring the course's commitment to preserving the region’s character while delivering a stern and memorable test of golf.
Reid and I spent some time on the range in the morning, watching the pros go through their methodical routines. Coming off a red-hot 64 on Thursday, Keith Mitchell arrived at the Oaks Course on Saturday with the kind of quiet momentum that tends to stick around. We followed him from his opening tee shot on hole 10, and while he didn’t recapture the fireworks of Round 1, the third round was a different kind of impressive—gritty, patient, and marked by the kind of small battles you only appreciate when you’re inside the ropes.
The back nine—his front—started with a bang. Mitchell rolled in a confident birdie on the par-4 10th, setting the tone early. A misstep came at 12 with a bogey, but he righted the ship quickly. Pars on 13-16 and a birdie on 17 highlighted a composed 35 on the back, and he made the turn at 1-under for the day.
But the front nine, often the tougher test at TPC San Antonio, pushed back. Bogeys on holes 4 and 5 capped off a round of 73 for the Saturday round. A rocky round of 76 on Sunday cost Keith a few spots, however he still earned a T12 finish which goes a long way in the season long race. Since the Valero Texas Open, Keith has had some nice finishes with a T2 at the Corales Puntacana Championship, a T18 at the Zurich, and a T7 at the Truist Championship.
I have long admired Keith’s professional approach to the game, his calm swagger on the course, and buttoned up fashion; outfitted by Sid Mashburn. You also don’t see a lot of Tour Visors on the pro circuit anymore. Grab one of ours here!
Brian Harman outlasted the field with a pair of 66’s on Thursday and Friday as conditions toughened through the weekend to claim the championship.
San Antonio as a whole played a great host to both the PGA Tour as well as all the hopeful fans for the Final Four Championship. We spent some time on The Riverwalk, touring the Alamo District, and watching the four Number 1 seeds battle it out for a National Championship. I would love to return to SATX with more time to tee it up and further explore all the city has to offer.
