RADIO
Thorbjorn Olesen Trending Up in San Antonio
Through five events to start the season, Thorbjorn Olesen recorded four missed cuts and a T40 finish, which came at the Cognizant Classic. He showed signs of a turnaround last week at the Texas Children's Houston Open, finishing T14 while gaining over 5.8 strokes on approach. He'll look to carry that into the Valero Texas Open, where he has finished T14 and T5 over the last two years. His success here has been driven by strong approach play, gaining over 8.1 strokes on the field across those two starts. However, the flat stick remains a major concern. He ranks 142nd in putting this season (-0.538 strokes per round) and has lost strokes on the greens in both appearances in San Antonio. Olesen also ranks 17th on approach (+0.608), 24th tee to green (+0.786), and 17th in proximity from 200+ yards, a range that made up over 26% of approach shots here last year. The ball striking will need to carry him, but he is trending upwards ahead of a course he has found success at.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Denny McCarthy Carrying Momentum into San Antonio
After recording no result better than T40 through his first seven events, Denny McCarthy has started to turn things around, posting finishes of T26 and T12 in his last two starts. He looks to keep that momentum going at the Valero Texas Open, where he has recorded finishes of T18, second, and T18 in his last three appearances. Success at TPC San Antonio typically hinges on ball striking, along with accuracy off the tee and short game play. McCarthy ranks 74th in strokes gained on approach (+0.110 per round), 78th in driving accuracy, 59th in putting (+0.172), and 81st around the green (+0.007). Over his last three starts here, he has gained a massive 32.75 strokes on the field, including over 18.2 strokes putting. This is clearly a course where McCarthy is comfortable, and at $8,200 on DraftKings, he offers strong upside at this price point.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Chris Kirk Has Course History on His Side in San Antonio
After missing the cut in four of his first five events to start the season, Chris Kirk has started to show some improvement, recording finishes of T47, T27, and T51 in his last three starts. He looks to continue that trend at the Valero Texas Open, where he has historically played well, with five finishes of T13 or better in 10 appearances. Success at TPC San Antonio typically hinges on ball striking, along with accuracy off the tee and short game play. Kirk ranks 105th in total strokes gained (-0.313 per round), 55th on approach (+0.226), and 125th in putting (-0.366). He also sits 51st in total driving and 76th in proximity from 200+ yards, a range that made up 26.8% of approach shots here last year. At $7,200 on DraftKings, Kirk offers strong course upside at his price point.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Billy Horschel a Volatile Option at the Valero Texas Open
Billy Horschel struggled with the flat stick at the Texas Children's Houston Open, losing over 3.9 strokes putting and ultimately missing the cut. It marked his third missed cut of the year, to go along with just two finishes of T27 or better through his first nine events. He'll look to get back on track at the Valero Texas Open, where he has been a quintessential boom-or-bust option, recording four finishes of T11 or better along with four missed cuts in ten appearances. His best results here have coincided with strong putting, an area where he has been average this season, ranking 87th on tour. He also ranks 88th on approach (+0.005 per round), 154th in total driving, and 76th around the green (+0.025). Horschel has been all over the map to start the year and profiles as a clear boom-or-bust option once again in San Antonio.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Joe Highsmith Still Searching for Form in San Antonio
Joe Highsmith has struggled for much of the season, missing four cuts and finishing no higher than T42. He'll look to find something at the Valero Texas Open, where he finished T51 in his only start here in 2025. Highsmith has struggled across the board, ranking 145th in total strokes gained (-1.202 per round), 128th in putting (-0.426), and 138th off the tee (-0.412). The only category where he has been positive is on approach, where he ranks 86th at +0.029 per round. Highsmith is treading water and can safely be left out of fantasy lineups until he shows signs of a turnaround.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Christiaan Bezuidenhout Looks to Find Form at the Valero Texas Open
Christiaan Bezuidenhout has put together an up-and-down season, with just three finishes of T30 or better and two missed cuts in his first eight events. He looks to find something at the Valero Texas Open, where he has posted a T28 and T25 in his two prior trips. Bezuidenhout has struggled off the tee this year, ranking 143rd on tour and losing -0.425 strokes per round, but he's been strong with the putter, ranking 12th and gaining +0.710 strokes per round. His approach play has been below average (-0.077), and he ranks 149th in proximity from 200+ yards, which made up 26.8% of approach shots here last year. Bezuidenhout will need his short game to do some heavy lifting to get him into the weekend.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Jordan Spieth a Horse for Course History at TPC San Antonio
Any event in the Lone Star State seems to have Jordan Spieth somewhere in the historical record. TPC San Antonio is certainly one of those places and events. Winning this event in 2021, the 32-year-old has been a factor here in each phase of his turbulent journey. Most recently, finishing T12 last season. Though more impressive is the fact that he's only missed one cut in nine appearances. It's a bit hard to tell the ceiling he has when the kinks from his surgery in late 2024 still seem to be causing some inconsistencies. The largest concern is off the tee, as he ranks 113th in average strokes gained (-0.168) this season. Spieth should be a decent DFS play coming off three top 15s in his last four starts, but the ceiling for what his expectation should be is a bit muted.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Robert MacIntyre Has One Flaw to Overcome at Valero Texas Open to be a Must-Play
Things are looking well for Robert MacIntyre following a solo fourth-place finish at The Players. He's been feasting on either end of the course all season, ranking sixth in strokes gained putting and 11th in strokes gained off the tee. However, TPC Sawgrass was the first time since the year's first event that the Scotsman gained strokes on approach. All of that falls on what happens under 200 yards, as he is very strong with long irons and woods. That creates some volatility for TPC San Antonio's ball-striker-heavy layout. Luckily, the 29-year-old is one of the top players on and around the green, though I can see his woes throughout the rest of his bag could cause issues for some. But if he can excel on a demanding course like TPC Sawgrass, he could certainly do it here.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Maverick McNealy In Exceptional Form This Season
Maverick McNealy finished tied for 32nd at the PLAYERS Championship three weeks ago, followed by a tied for 13th finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week prior. McNealy will now turn his focus to preparing for this week's Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. McNealy has played well at the Valero Texas Open in the past, finishing tied for third in 2025 and tied for 58th in 2024. Over the past 12 months, McNealy ranks in the 84th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because over 36% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valero Texas Open.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Michael Thorbjornsen Playing Well But Still Searching For A Win
Michael Thorbjornsen finished tied for 14th at last week's Texas Children's Houston Open after being one of the favorites to win heading into the tournament. Thorbjornsen has been playing exceptionally well this season, but has had trouble closing out on Sunday. He has four top-25 finishes and two missed cuts in eight starts this season. Thorbjornsen missed the cut at last year's Valero Texas Open. Over the past 12 months, Thorbjornsen ranks in the 39th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth mentioning because over 36% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Texas Valero Open.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Hideki Matsuyama Playing Well Heading to the Valero Texas Open
Hideki Matsuyama finished tied for 27th at the PLAYERS Championship, and this was following a tied for 41st finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week prior. Matsuyama will now turn his focus to preparing for this week's Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. Matsuyama has four top-15 finishes and no missed cuts in seven starts this season. Matsuyama missed the cut at last year's Valero Texas Open but finished tied for seventh in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Matsuyama ranks in the 91st percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth pointing out because over 36% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valero Texas Open.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Si Woo Kim Heads to Valero Texas Open For Final Tune-Up Before Masters
Si Woo Kim finished tied for 50th at the PLAYERS Championship three weeks ago, following a tied for 13th finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Kim will now start preparing for this week's Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. Kim has three top-five finishes and no missed cuts in nine starts this season. Kim missed the cut at last year's Valero Texas Open. Over the past 12 months, Si Woo Kim ranks in the 79th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because over 36% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valero Texas Open.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Collin Morikawa Withdraws From Valero Texas Open
The last time we saw Collin Morikawa was leaving TPC Sawgrass in a golf cart after tweaking something in his back on the second hole of the tournament. It appears he is still feeling the effects of whatever is going on, thus forcing him out at TPC San Antonio. This comes the week before the year's first major, where Morikawa has an impressive record and will undoubtedly draw a ton of DFS interest if healthy. Hopefully, this is a precaution to ensure he is ready to go at Augusta, but there are plenty of examples for us to look at how pesky back injuries can be.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Stephan Jaegar Still Looking For Consistency at Valero Texas Open
Everything looked great for Stephan Jaeger during Thursday's opening round last week in Houston. He was near the lead before going +3 on holes six and seven (his 15th and 16th holes of the day). He recovered nicely to post a 66, but it certainly took the wind out of his sails. The German ultimately finished T28. He'll head to San Antonio this week, where he has missed the cut in all three previous appearances. This golf course doesn't provide the same safety to big hitters as Memorial Park does, and all of his length still has him 94th in strokes gained off the tee (-0.058) and 106th in strokes gained on approach (-0.164). The 36-year-old has been solid on and around the greens, but this TPC course asks a little more of players than last week. He may get across the cutline finally, but the chance of being a useful DFS asset is unlikely.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Nicolai Hojgaard is Red-Hot Coming to TPC San Antonio
It was a sublime week for Nicolai Hojgaard in Houston, who finished runner-up to continue what has been an impressive spring. He led the field in strokes gained on approach (1.67) and ranked fourth in strokes gained off the tee (0.92), but couldn't get anything to find the hole on Sunday. He'll head to this week's Valero Texas Open for his third career appearance, where his best finish is a T28 in 2023. Unfortunately, he'll have the same problems to face at TPC San Antonio as he did at Memorial Park. Wind will be a factor, as well as the need to chip and putt it well. Still, he seems to be in a good place with his game, and there isn't any reason to jump off the train now.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
