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March 26, 2015
First-Round Notes – Thursday March 26
Weather: Mostly sunny and chilly, with temperatures reaching into the upper 60s. Winds N 20-30, with gusts in excess of 35 mph.
First-Round Leaderboard
| Charley Hoffman | 67 | (-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Baddeley | 68 | (-4) |
| Max Homa | 69 | (-3) |
Charley Hoffman
In hopes of becoming the season’s first multiple winner (OHL Classic at Mayakoba), Charley Hoffman posted the day’s only bogey-free round, a 5-under 67. Since moving to TPC San Antonio in 2010, Hoffman ties the record for highest first-round lead (2011, 2013 and 2014).
In round one, Hoffman hit eight of 14 fairways in regulation (57.1 percent) and found 11 of 18 greens (61.1 percent). He needed just 24 putts to complete his round.
Hoffman has previously held an 18-hole lead/co-lead twice, most recently at last year’s Shell Houston Open (finished T37).
Seeing Hoffman’s name atop the Valero Texas Open leaderboard should come as no surprise. Hoffman is making his 10th-consecutive start at the Valero Texas Open, where he has claimed four top-10 finishes. He has never missed a cut and only once finished outside the top-15 (T70/2008). His top-10 finishes; T8/2006, T9/2009, T2/2011 and T3/2013.
Of his nine previous starts at the Valero Texas Open, the first round is the only one in which Hoffman has never posted an over-par score.
Since moving to TPC San Antonio in 2010, Hoffman is now 35-under-par.
Hoffman’s third career PGA TOUR win earlier this season in October at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba snapped a winless drought of more than four years. With a win this week, Hoffman will have won twice in nine starts this season.
In addition to his win in Mexico, Hoffman added an additional top-10 finish at the Humana Challenge (T2), site of his first TOUR win in 2007. This is Hoffman’s 12th start of the season and first since missing the cut at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago.
First-Round Lead Notes
Today’s first round scoring average of 76.785 supplants the previous-high average this season for a round of 74.054 from the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
Dating to 1990, the highest single-round scoring average on the PGA TOUR, outside the majors, is 78.907 in round one of the 1990 Memorial Tournament.
Since moving to TPC San Antonio in 2010, the highest, first-round scoring average is 73.830 from 2012. The highest scoring average of any round at TPC San Antonio is 75.289, from round two in 2011.
The highest 18-hole score to lead on the PGA TOUR this year is 4-under 68 at the Puerto Rico Open.
Since 2000, there have been only two first-round leaders of the Valero Texas Open to hang on for the win. Justin Leonard claimed his fifth PGA TOUR win in 2000 after holding a share of the opening-round lead at LaCantera, and Robert Gamez achieved the feat in 2005.
This year, only two of 19 first-round leaders/co-leaders have held on for the win; Sangmoon Bae (Frys.com Open) and James Hahn (Northern Trust Open).
Aaron Baddeley
Making his eighth start in the Valero Texas Open, dating to 2000 (MC), Australia’s Aaron Baddeley took advantage of calmer afternoon winds and a remarkable break at the par-4 17th hole en route to a 4-under 68. After his tee shot was lost, Baddeley re-teed and proceeded to hole his third shot from 336 yards for birdie.
Though Baddeley’s didn’t score as a hole-in-one on a par four, it’s interesting to note that the last actual ace on a par four on the PGA TOUR occurred in round two of the 2001 Waste Management Phoenix Open, when Andrew Magee aced the 17th hole from 333 yards.
Of his seven previous starts at the Valero Texas Open, his best finish is T3 in 2010, the year the event moved to TPC San Antonio.
Baddeley, a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, is in search of his first win on TOUR since the 2011 Northern Trust Open, a span of 95 starts.
Baddeley has struggled somewhat the past two years. In a combined 48 starts in 2013 and 2014, he collected four top-10 finishes, but made just 23 of 48 cuts. In 2013, he finished 101st in FedExCup points and was 114th last year.
Baddelely is making his ninth start of the 2014-15 PGA TOUR Season, with a T17 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open his best showing. This marks Baddeley’s first start on TOUR since the Northern Trust Open (MC).
Since 2010, Australians have combined for five wins on the PGA TOUR in Texas; Adam Scott (2010 Valero Texas Open, 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial), Jason Day (2010 AT&T Byron Nelson Championship), Steven Bowditch (2014 Valero Texas Open) and Matt Jones (2014 Shell Houston Open).
Phil Mickelson
Making his third start in the Valero Texas Open since 1992 (T47), Phil Mickelson birdied his last two holes, Nos. 17 and 18, to post a 2-under 70. Mickelson posted the same score in round two last year at the Valero Texas Open, before withdrawing with a back injury.Among Mickelson’s 42 PGA TOUR wins are four from the state of Texas (1996 AT&T Byron Nelson Championship, 2000/2008 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and 2011 Shell Houston Open).
Jordan Spieth
Winner of the Valspar Championship earlier this month, former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth opened with a 1-under 71.Spieth is making his fourth-consecutive start in this week’s Valero Texas Open. The former Texas Longhorn finished 10th last year, missed the cut in 2013 and in 2012, as an amateur, finished T41.
In 11 rounds now at TPC San Antonio, Spieth’s only sub-70 score came in round three last year (68).
Jimmy Walker
FedExCup points leader and San Antonio resident Jimmy Walker opened with a 1-under 71. Walker is making his 10th start in the Valero Texas Open this week, where he posted his strongest finish of T3 in 2010. Walker finished T16 at TPC San Antonio last year.
Following his playoff loss to Patrick Reed, a San Antonio native, at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in early January, Walker took control of the top spot in the FedexCup standings. A week later, he increased out that lead with a win, his fourth on the PGA TOUR, at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Miscellaneous Notes
The Valero Texas Open is one of the final opportunities for players not exempt for the Masters to play their way into the year’s first major championship. The winner of the Valero Texas Open, if not already exempt, will punch his ticket to Augusta. Additionally, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking through the Valero Texas Open are exempt, as well. Not currently eligible, Harris English is lurking at No. 52 and hopes to play his way to the Masters with a strong performance at TPC San Antonio. English likely needs a seventh-place finish or better this week. He opened with a 3-over 75.
Defending Valero Texas Open champion Steven Bowditch opened with an 8-over 80. After last year’s first round, Bowditch was two strokes off the lead at 3-under 69.
Sam Burns, the 2014 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year and future LSU Tiger Sam Burns opened with a 17-over 89 in his first PGA TOUR start. Burns earned a spot into this week’s field via a sponsor exemption for winning the Junior PGA Championship in 2014.
After winning the Southern PGA Championship, Ryan Polzin earned a berth into the Valero Texas Open this week, where he posted an opening-round, 16-over 88. Polzin has Randy Jones serving as caddie this week, a longtime friend and Head Golf Professional at nearby Alamo Golf Club. Jones is battling melanoma cancer and the two are offering black ribbons this week to help raise melanoma cancer awareness.
Past Valero Texas Open champions in the field: Steven Bowditch/2014 (80), Martin Laird/2013 (76), Ben Curtis/2012 (81), Brendan Steele/2011 (74), Zach Johnson/2008, 2009 (71) and Justin Leonard/2000, 2001, 2007 (77).
Mike Weir (wrist) and Alex Cejka (back) withdrew prior to the start of round one and were replaced in the field by Cameron Percy and Tom Hoge, respectively.
During the first round, Sangmoon Bae (back), Graeme McDowell (foot) and Colt Knost (thumb) withdrew.
Bogey-free rounds:
| R1: | 67 | Charley Hoffman (67) |
|---|
Morning Scoring Average: 78.61
Afternoon Scoring Average: 74.86
In Thursday’s first round, there were 25 “others” posted (single-hole scores higher than double bogey). The most damaging of them was an 11 taken by Scott Stallings at the par-5 eighth hole.
Scoring Averages at TPC San Antonio
| Round | Front 9 | Back 9 | Total | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 38.967 | 37.821 | 76.695 | -- |
The par-4, 15th hole played the most difficult in round one at 4.631. The par-5 14th played the easiest at 4.617.
ABOUT VALERO
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries (collectively, Valero), is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products, and sells its products primarily in the United States (U.S.), Canada, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Ireland and Latin America. Valero owns 15 petroleum refineries located in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day. Valero is a joint venture member in Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC, which owns two renewable diesel plants located in the U.S. Gulf Coast region with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year, and Valero owns 12 ethanol plants located in the U.S. Mid-Continent region with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.6 billion gallons per year. Valero manages its operations through its Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol segments. Please visit investorvalero.com for more information.
ABOUT VALERO IN THE COMMUNITY
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries (collectively, Valero), and the Valero Energy Foundation are committed to improving the quality of life in communities where Valero has major operations. In 2023, Valero, its employees and the foundation collectively generated more than $77 million in charitable support through direct/in-kind donations, fundraising and volunteerism. Valero employees logged more than 127,000 volunteer hours in 2023 for hundreds of projects in their communities. Valero provides funding to a variety of nonprofit agencies for programs and services supporting education, basic needs, health care and civic initiatives. Through the overwhelming support of sponsors, the foundation’s signature programs, the Valero Texas Open and Benefit for Children, generated more than $23 million raised in 2023 for charities across the United States.
ABOUT THE VALERO TEXAS OPEN
The Valero Texas Open is the sixth-oldest professional tournament in golf worldwide, the third-oldest on the PGA TOUR and the longest held in the same city. In 2022, the tournament celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Its list of champions includes some of the greatest names in golf history: Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Justin Leonard, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spieth and 2019, 2023 champion Corey Conners to name a few.
Since Valero became title sponsor in 2002, the tournament has become a leader in charitable fundraising among PGA TOUR events. The Valero Texas Open, together with its Benefit for Children and Champions fore Charity initiatives, has contributed more than $232 million to hundreds of worthy charities since inception. Please visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for more information.
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