Valero Texas Open By the Numbers: Jordan Spieth Should Be Comfortable This Week

San Antonio is the PGA Tour’s last stop before Augusta. Here are the numbers that matter, including positive stats for Jordan Spieth.

Spring is in the air in most of the country, but it already feels like midsummer here at the Valero Texas Open, where temperatures should hit the 90s this week. While this edition of the VTO may lack a bit in star power, it makes up for it with high stakes, as one final Masters invitation is on the line for the winner if he’s not already in the Augusta field. Here are a few numbers that matter as the Tour’s annual Texas stop prepares to kick off.

102 — Years since the first Texas Open. The VTO is the sixth-oldest tournament in the world, the third-oldest on the PGA Tour and the longest-running event in the same city.

118 — Players in the field who are not in next week’s Masters field and would qualify with a win. Akshay Bhatia won this event last year to suddenly punch a ticket to Augusta, a whirlwind experience he recalled in his Tuesday press conference here. “It’s such a surreal feeling, you win here, all of a sudden you’re on a plane straight to Augusta National. It’s something you really got to kind of keep off your mind and try to play this golf tournament and see where you end up at the end of the week,” he said.

27 — Players in the field who are already qualified for the Masters and will depart San Antonio for Augusta.

1 — Number of times Bhatia has defended a PGA Tour title. The two-time Tour winner fended off Denny McCarthy in a Sunday playoff here last year. (Bhatia didn’t defend his title at the ’23 Barracuda Championship.) “I think everyone that’s volunteering kind of recognizes me as the defending champ,” he said. “I’ve been getting a lot of people saying they’re seeing me on the room key this week. It’s really cool, and it’s such an honor obviously to come back and defend.”

2 — Top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking set to compete this week. While top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Xander Schauffele are onto Augusta, Ludvig Aberg (5) and Hideki Matsuyama (6) will play.

+1200 — Current FanDuel odds on Åberg, the betting favorite. Our panel also likes him this week.

9 — Times Jordan Spieth has competed in this event, including his start this week. Spieth won the Valero in 2021, was runner-up in 2015 and tied for 10th last year. This is clearly one of the Texas native’s go-to events.

222 — Total PGA Tour wins accumulated by this week’s field, led by Spieth’s 13 and followed by Zach Johnson (12), Justin Rose and Matsuyama (11).

7 — Past VTO champions in the field. Along with defending champion Bhatia, there’s Corey Conners (2019, 2023), Spieth (2021), Charley Hoffman (2016), Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013), and Zach Johnson (2008, 2009).

250 — Man hours spent creating the event’s trophy, designed by Malcolm DeMille, cousin of the filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, which was rolled out in 2019. It’s sharp.

92 — Forecasted high temperature for Friday’s second round. Sunblock and Deep Woods Off highly recommended. Sunday should be cooler and breezier.