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Barring further withdrawals (and there have been 11 through March 31), there are 108 players in the field this week for the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open with something in common: They have to win the tournament to earn an invitation to the Masters next week at the Augusta National Golf Club.
Eligibility deadlines such as the World Golf Ranking (at the end of last season and then another deadline through last week's Texas Children's Houston Open), the PGA Tour's 2025 FedEx Cup standings (top 30), winning national opens and amateur championships worldwide have come and gone and those players already have their ticket punched when the Masters tees off April 9.
But Augusta National has always reserved a spot for the winner of the PGA Tour events the week before the Masters, and it has always carried a certain buzz when a player who is not yet eligible at Augusta gets into the mix.
The list of players who need to win in San Antonio to get a tee time in Augusta is led by PGA Tour veterans such as Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Tony Finau.
The Greater Greensboro Open was the final chance to reach the Masters from 1938 to 2002. Atlanta's BellSouth Classic served as the preliminary to the Masters from 2003 to 2006, and the Houston Open was the lead-in from 2007 to 2018.
The Valero Texas Open took over in 2019, and magic happened the first year: Canadian Corey Conners got into the Texas Open field through a Monday qualifier, then won the tournament to qualify for his first Masters. Conners hasn't missed a year at Augusta since, and last year's tie for eighth was his fourth top 10 finish in seven starts.
Of the 108 players battling for a Masters spot, 53 have made previous starts at Augusta, 55 have yet to play in the Masters, 21 played last year (and lost their eligibility) and 15 have played in one Masters.
Here are the 108 players who will be battling for that one Golden Ticket to the Masters this week at the TPC San Antonio beginning on April 2:
Zach Bauchou, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Chandler Blanchet, Dan Brown, Bronson Burgoon.
Rafael Campos, Frankie Capan III, Ricky Castillo, Bud Cauley, Davis Chatfield, Luke Clanton, Eric Cole.
Joel Dahmen, Zecheng Dou, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nick Dunlap.
Austin Eckroat, A.J. Ewart.
Tony Finau, Patrick Fishburn, Steven Fisk, David Ford, Rickie Fowler.
Brice Garnett, Doug Ghim, Lucas Glover, Lanto Griffin, Emiliano Grillo.
Garrick Higgo, Joe Highsmith, Kensei Hirata, Ryo Hisatsune, Lee Hodges, Rico Hoey, Charley Hoffman, Tom Hoge, Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler, Mark Hubbard, Mackenzie Hughes.
Stephan Jaeger.
Takumi Kanaya, Jeffrey Kang, S.H. Kim, Tom Kim, Chris Kirk, Patton Kizzire, Matt Kuchar.
Christo Lamprecht, Hank Lebioda, K.H. Lee, David Lipsky, Justin Lower.
Peter Malnati, Denny McCarthy, Max McGreevy, Mac Meissner, Keith Mitchell, Taylor Moore, William Mouw.
Pontus Nyholm.
Thorbjørn Olesen.
Ryan Palmer, John Parry, Matthieu Pavon, Chandler Phillips, J.T. Poston, Seamus Power, Andrew Putnam.
Chad Ramey, Patrick Rodgers, Kevin Roy, Marcelo Rozo, Sam Ryder.
Adrien Saddier, Gordon Sargent, Adam Schenk, Neal Shipley, Webb Simpson, Alex Smalley, Jordan Smith, Austin Smotherman, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Stanger, Kevin Streelman, Jackson Suber, Adam Svensson, Jesper Svensson.
Davis Thompson, Michael Thorbjornsen, Brendon Todd, Alejandro Tosti.
Erik van Rooyen, John VanDerLaan, Jhonattan Vegas, Kris Ventura, Karl Vilips, Camilo Villegas.
Danny Walker, Jimmy Walker, Matt Wallace, Paul Waring, Vince Whaley, Dylan Wu, Austin Wylie.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Kevin Yu.
Will Zalatoris.
According to BetMGM, here are the top 10 players in the Texas Open field not eligible for the Masters with the best odds to win, based on money lines:
Michael Thorbjornsen +2800
Rickie Fowler +2800
Keith Mitchell +3000
Denny McCarthy +3300
Ryo Hisatsune +4000
Sudarshan Yellamaraju +4500
Rico Hoey +5000
Thorbjorn Olesen +5000
Will Zalatoris +5500
Austin Smotherman +6000
The top-10 players on the current PGA Tour FedEx Cup points list entering the Texas Open not yet eligible for the Masters:
Nearly half of the players scrambling for a spot in the Masters this week, 52, have experience at Augusta National. The players with double-digit starts:
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Masters tournament: How these players in Texas Open can make field
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Eligibility deadlines such as the World Golf Ranking (at the end of last season and then another deadline through last week's Texas Children's Houston Open), the PGA Tour's 2025 FedEx Cup standings (top 30), winning national opens and amateur championships worldwide have come and gone and those players already have their ticket punched when the Masters tees off April 9.
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But Augusta National has always reserved a spot for the winner of the PGA Tour events the week before the Masters, and it has always carried a certain buzz when a player who is not yet eligible at Augusta gets into the mix.
The list of players who need to win in San Antonio to get a tee time in Augusta is led by PGA Tour veterans such as Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Tony Finau.
Masters warmup has rotated at Southern courses
The Greater Greensboro Open was the final chance to reach the Masters from 1938 to 2002. Atlanta's BellSouth Classic served as the preliminary to the Masters from 2003 to 2006, and the Houston Open was the lead-in from 2007 to 2018.
The Valero Texas Open took over in 2019, and magic happened the first year: Canadian Corey Conners got into the Texas Open field through a Monday qualifier, then won the tournament to qualify for his first Masters. Conners hasn't missed a year at Augusta since, and last year's tie for eighth was his fourth top 10 finish in seven starts.
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Of the 108 players battling for a Masters spot, 53 have made previous starts at Augusta, 55 have yet to play in the Masters, 21 played last year (and lost their eligibility) and 15 have played in one Masters.
Who needs to win at Texas Open to qualify for the Masters?
Here are the 108 players who will be battling for that one Golden Ticket to the Masters this week at the TPC San Antonio beginning on April 2:
Zach Bauchou, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Chandler Blanchet, Dan Brown, Bronson Burgoon.
Rafael Campos, Frankie Capan III, Ricky Castillo, Bud Cauley, Davis Chatfield, Luke Clanton, Eric Cole.
Joel Dahmen, Zecheng Dou, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nick Dunlap.
Austin Eckroat, A.J. Ewart.
Tony Finau, Patrick Fishburn, Steven Fisk, David Ford, Rickie Fowler.
You must be registered for see images attach
Brice Garnett, Doug Ghim, Lucas Glover, Lanto Griffin, Emiliano Grillo.
Garrick Higgo, Joe Highsmith, Kensei Hirata, Ryo Hisatsune, Lee Hodges, Rico Hoey, Charley Hoffman, Tom Hoge, Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler, Mark Hubbard, Mackenzie Hughes.
Stephan Jaeger.
Takumi Kanaya, Jeffrey Kang, S.H. Kim, Tom Kim, Chris Kirk, Patton Kizzire, Matt Kuchar.
Christo Lamprecht, Hank Lebioda, K.H. Lee, David Lipsky, Justin Lower.
Peter Malnati, Denny McCarthy, Max McGreevy, Mac Meissner, Keith Mitchell, Taylor Moore, William Mouw.
Pontus Nyholm.
Thorbjørn Olesen.
Ryan Palmer, John Parry, Matthieu Pavon, Chandler Phillips, J.T. Poston, Seamus Power, Andrew Putnam.
Chad Ramey, Patrick Rodgers, Kevin Roy, Marcelo Rozo, Sam Ryder.
Adrien Saddier, Gordon Sargent, Adam Schenk, Neal Shipley, Webb Simpson, Alex Smalley, Jordan Smith, Austin Smotherman, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Stanger, Kevin Streelman, Jackson Suber, Adam Svensson, Jesper Svensson.
Davis Thompson, Michael Thorbjornsen, Brendon Todd, Alejandro Tosti.
Erik van Rooyen, John VanDerLaan, Jhonattan Vegas, Kris Ventura, Karl Vilips, Camilo Villegas.
Danny Walker, Jimmy Walker, Matt Wallace, Paul Waring, Vince Whaley, Dylan Wu, Austin Wylie.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Kevin Yu.
Will Zalatoris.
Who's got the best chance of winning?
According to BetMGM, here are the top 10 players in the Texas Open field not eligible for the Masters with the best odds to win, based on money lines:
Michael Thorbjornsen +2800
Rickie Fowler +2800
Keith Mitchell +3000
Denny McCarthy +3300
Ryo Hisatsune +4000
Sudarshan Yellamaraju +4500
Rico Hoey +5000
Thorbjorn Olesen +5000
Will Zalatoris +5500
Austin Smotherman +6000
Who's been playing well entering the Texas Open?
The top-10 players on the current PGA Tour FedEx Cup points list entering the Texas Open not yet eligible for the Masters:
- 21. Ryo Hitsatsune
- 27. Sudarshan Yellamaraju
- 29. Ricky Castillo
- 31. Patrick Rodgers
- 36. David Lipsky
- 37. Austin Smotherman
- 39. Rickie Fowler
- 43. Jordan Smith
- 45. Michael Thorbjornsen
- 48. Keith Mitchell
How many players have Masters experience?
Nearly half of the players scrambling for a spot in the Masters this week, 52, have experience at Augusta National. The players with double-digit starts:
- Matt Kuchar 15 starts (best finish, tie for 3rd in 2012)
- Brandt Snedeker, 12 starts (best finish tie for 3rd in 2008)
- Rickie Fowler, 11 starts (best finish 2nd in 2018)
- Webb Simpson, 11 starts (best finish tie for 5th in 2019)
- Lucas Glover, 11 starts (best finish, ties for 20th in 2007, 2024)
- Billy Horschel, 10 starts (best finish, tie for 17th in 2016)
Past major champions in Texas Open field trying to make the Masters
- Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open)
- Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open)
- Jimmy Walker (2016 PGA)
Past Players champions in Texas Open field trying to make the Masters
- Matt Kuchar (2012)
- Rickie Fowler (2015)
- Webb Simpson (2018)
Players with multiple PGA Tour victories in Texas Open field trying to make the Masters
- 9-Matt Kuchard, Brandt Snedeker.
- 8-Billy Horschel.
- 7-Webb Simpson.
- 6-Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Chris Kirk, Jimmy Walker.
- 5- Camilo Villegas.
- 4-Charley Hoffman, Ryan Palmer, Brendon Todd, Jhonnatan Vegas.
- 3-Tom Kim, Patton Kizzire, J.T. Poston.
- 2-Nick Dunlap, Emiliano Grillo, Garrick Higgo, Mackenzie Hughes, Seamus Power, Kevin Streelman.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Masters tournament: How these players in Texas Open can make field
Continue reading...
