PGA Tour heads to Texas for Valero Open
IN: News | US PGA | Valero Texas Open (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 20 Sep 2006
While the attention of American golf will be, to a large extent, on the fortunes or otherwise of their Ryder Cup team half a world away in Ireland this week, there is a lot for many others to focus on as the PGA Tour nears the business end of the season.
This week the PGA Tour is in San Antonio in Texas for the Valero Texas Open where Robert Gamez will defend a title he won by three shots over Olin Browne. The Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed Resort course at the La Cantera Golf Club will again play host as it has done since 1995 when Duffy Waldorf won the first of his two Texas Open titles. The relatively short layout has seen some low scoring over the years, more especially in 2003 when Tommy Armour 111 won by seven shots when recording a 72 hole total of 254, the tournament record at this venue by some seven shots.
Gamez's win came from out of the blue last year and he is hardly in any better form this year in the lead up to the event. That was his first title since his dramatic victory at Bay Hill in 1990. His recent 18th place finish at the WGC Bridgestone event suggests that not all is bad with his form at present.
Bart Bryant is a recent winner of this event (2004) in a year when he recorded a third round of 60 and as a player who was good enough to win the Memorial and the Tour Championship in 2005, he must be a good chance this week. His recent runner up placing at the Canadian Open gives every indication that he is ready to perform well at a golf course where he clearly has a comfort zone.
K.J. Choi has been all round the edges of contention of late and a second round of 62 when 7th in 2003 in this event gives every indication that he might improve further this week.
Shaun Micheel returns from a thrashing by Paul Casey on Sunday at Wentworth but he was good enough to beat Tiger Woods earlier in the week and he has played very well of late. He did finish 5th in this event a few years ago and appears back to his best form following his runner up to Woods at the PGA. His task will be to recover from the demanding week last week in London.
Olin Browne was runner up last year, his last round of 64 resulting in his rapid progress from back in the field. He has also played well at this event on one or two other occasions. While his form in recent weeks has not been great, neither has it been bad, and with the memories of such a good last round twelve months ago it might be enough for him to do well again.
In better times Justin Leonard could be considered as a chance but his form has been so ordinary this season that the two time winner would surprise us all if he made it three.
After his win at the International a few weeks ago, Dean Wilson disappeared from contention and in fact he has missed his last two cuts. He does though have a very good record in this event with top tens in each of his two starts. It might be that he has now recovered from the back slapping associated with his first PGA Tour win and could do well.
Justin Rose has not been able to finish off the great starts he has made in recent weeks but at some stage he will win a PGA Tour event. He was 17th in this event in 2004 and has been in very good form in recent weeks. If he can find a way to hang on after a hopefully good start then this might be the week.
John Senden is perhaps the best of the Australasians and has quite good form at La Cantera. He made a great start to this event last year only to back off at the weekend. Now with a win behind him in 2005, if he was to make a good start it is unlikely he would falter this time.
Other Australasians in the field include Steve Elkington, Jason Day, Greg Chalmers, Brendan Jones, Grant Waite, Craig Perks, Phil Tataurangi and Steve Bowditch.
Day gets his last invite for 2006, having made the cut in five of the six PGA Tour events he has played. The only way he can get another start to a PGA Tour event in 2006 is to finish inside the top ten this week.
Brendan Jones has struggled of late with a bad back and, although still not 100%, he was able to play last week but missed the cut. He gets another chance this week in what will be his second last PGA Tour event this season before returning to Japan.
Photo - Anthony Powter
