Valero Texas Open next up on PGA Tour
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 Valero Texas Open | Preview | 02 Oct 2007
The Valero Texas Open is played this week at the La Cantera Resort in San Antonio in Texas with just five events now left on the 2007 USPGA Tour.
The Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed Resort Course at the La Cantera Golf Club will again play host to this event 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 III won by seven shots when he carded a 72 hole total of 254, the tournament record at this venue by some seven shots. Interestingly and perhaps only by coincidence the event has witnessesd comprehensive victories in recent years, the smallest winnning margin in the past five years being three shots.
The defending champion is Eric Axley who won on the first occasion he had played the event and in his rookie season on the USPGA Tour. Axley has not exactly gone on with it this year with only one top 20 finish in 31 starts in 2007. Mind you his lead-in form prior to last year’s surprise victory was not a lot better.
The possible favourite is Steve Flesch. Flesch won two weeks ago, his second victory in his last five events and with a couple of good finishes in this event in previous years there should be a lot of confidence in the Flesch camp for another good week.
Chad Campbell arrives in San Antonio off the back of his first win in eighteen months – and a significant turnaround in form – at last week’s Viking Classic. Campbell has put together several very low rounds at this event.
Charley Hoffman seems to be close to the point he was at earlier in the year when he won the Bob Hope event. He was 5th two weeks ago at the Turning Stone Resort event and finished 22nd last week at the Viking Classic.
Dean Wilson has played well enough in recent weeks to be some sort of consideration on a golf course where he has often played well and against a field that is considerably less than a full strength USPGA Tour event.. Wilson was runner up to Axley last year and in 2004 finished third so there is clearly something about this venue that appeals to him.
Anthony Kim played the first half of the season well but has not been quite so sharp in the latter half. He has, however, played well enough to be some sort of consideration this week. He also finished runner up to Axley last year. He produced a last round of 65 in the event last year to share second when he was not yet a PGA Tour member. As a much more experienced player now he stands a chance.
Justin Leonard has been sadly below his best over the past two seasons but he has a good record in this event and has produced the occasional good finish of late. The ‘good old Texas boy’ is certainly at home playing in the Lone Star State.
The Australians in the field are Mathew Goggin, Nick Flangan, Mark Hensby, Andrew Buckle, Gavin Coles, Jarrod Lyle, Michael Sim and Paul Gow. New Zealanders Grant Waite and Craig Perks are guaranteed starts while Phil Tataurangi is awaiitng a start from the alternate list.
For Craig Perks this represents what will likely be one of his last few starts on the PGA Tour before his exempt status from his remarkable win at the 2002 Players Championship runs out. The New Zealander has not made a cent from tournament play in 13 starts this season. He is a classic example of the dangers of messing with a successful swing in the hope that it can be improved but I’m sure he needs little reminding of that. It is, however, a lesson for others.
