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April 7, 2024

Final Round Notes

Weather: cloudy. High of 82. Wind NE 8-14 mph.

Third-Round Leaderboard

P1Akshay Bhatia63706867268(-20)*
P2Denny McCarthy68706763268(-20)
3Rory McIlroy 69707266277(-11)
4Russell Henley 6969716978(-10)

Playoff Notes

  • With a birdie-4 on the first playoff hole (No. 18), Akshay Bhatia defeats Denny McCarthy to win the Valero Texas Open
  • Marks the 16th playoff at the Valero Texas Open, but first since the event moved to TPC San Antonio in 2010
  • Prior to Sunday, the last playoff at the event was won by Zach Johnson in 2009
  • Fourth playoff of the season
  • Playoff records: Bhatia (2-0), McCarthy (0-2)

Akshay Bhatia (1st/-20)

  • Picks up his second PGA TOUR victory in his 54th start at the age of 22 years, 2 months, 7 days; both wins have come in playoffs (2023 Barracuda Championship, 2024 Valero Texas Open)
  • Moves to No. 12 in the FedExCup standings and is now fully exempt through the 2026 PGA TOUR season
  • Earns final spot in next week’s Masters Tournament and entry into the four remaining Signature Events this season
  • Becomes the first Drive, Chip and Putt participant to play in the Masters; participated in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals in 2014, finishing sixth place overall in the boys 12-13 age group
  • Despite holding the outright lead after the first three rounds and a share of the lead at the end of regulation, the victory isn’t considered an official wire-to-wire win since it went to a playoff
  • Wins in first attempt with the 54-hole lead/co-lead and in his third start at the event (MC/2021, T46/2023, 1st/2024)
  • First lefthander to win the Valero Texas Open since Eric Axley in 2006; first lefthander to win on TOUR since he (Barracuda Championship) and Brian Harman (Open Championship) did so on the same day in July of 2023
  • 268 equals the lowest 72-hole score since the event moved to TPC San Antonio in 2010 (Corey Conners/2019/won, Denny McCarthy/2024/2nd)
  • Records his first top-10 finish in his 10th start of the season, with a T11 at last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open his previous best outing; now has six top-20 finishes this season
  • Led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (18.780) and Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (8.225)

Denny McCarthy (2nd/-20)

  • Seeking his first PGA TOUR victory in his 174th start, finishes runner-up for the second time, both playoff losses (fell to Viktor Hovland at the 2023 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday)
  • Sets the back nine scoring record at TPC San Antonio with an 8-under 28 (previous: 29/Trey Mullinax/R3/2018)
  • Fourth 28 this season and first since Erik van Rooyen at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (R4/front nine)
  • Closed his round with seven consecutive birdies (Nos. 12-18); the last player to birdie the final seven holes of regulation and go on to win was Kevin Streelman at the 2014 Travelers Championship
  • Previous-best birdie streak was six in a row at the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship (Nos. 2-7/R4) 92 putts equals the fewest on record (1983-present) in PGA TOUR history (David Frost/2005 RBC Heritage)
  • Marks his first top-10 finish on TOUR since the 2023 RSM Classic (T5)
  • Best finish in five starts at the Valero Texas Open (T20/2018, MC/2019, T34/2021, T18/2022, 2nd/2024)
  • Led the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (7.929), Sand Saves (4/4), Scrambling (25/29)

    • Miscellaneous notes

    • Rory McIlroy (3rd/-11) picks up his first top-10 finish of the season, after entering the week with a streak of five starts to start the season without a top-10, his longest such streak since 2010; in 2010 in his first season as a member, he won the Wells Fargo Championship in his sixth start for his first career PGA TOUR title
    • Four-time PGA TOUR winner Russell Henley (4th/-10) picks up his third fourth-place finish of the season (Sony Open in Hawaii/T4, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard/T4, Valero Texas Open/4th)
    • Two-time Valero Texas Open champion Corey Conners finishes T25 in bid to become the first player since World War II to earn his first three wins at the same event
    • 2016 Valero Texas Open champion Charley Hoffman finishes T69 in his 500th PGA TOUR start
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