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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2024
Past Champions Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson Add Valero Texas Open Ahead of Masters Tournament
30 Players Heading to Augusta, Ten Past Champs Currently in the Field
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Two-time Valero Texas Open Zach Johnson and 2021 champion Jordan Spieth are committed to compete in the 102nd anniversary of the Valero Texas Open.
San Antonio’s historical PGA TOUR event returns next week to TPC San Antonio’s The Oaks course for the 14th consecutive year, April 1-7, a week preceding the Masters Tournament.
Spieth, a three-time major champion, who won his first major at the 2015 Masters Tournament, is a former World No. 1 and winner of the 2015 FedExCup. His last start at the Valero Texas Open was in 2022 as defending champion and he finished T35.
Johnson, who won the Valero Texas Open in 2008 and 2009, is the last player to repeat as champion and the third in tournament history, joining Arnold Palmer and Justin Leonard. The 2007 Masters Tournament champion and 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup captain finished T13 in his last start at the Valero Texas Open in 2022.
Corey Conners, also a two-time winner of the Valero Texas Open, is set to defend his title. Other past champions in the field are Kevin Chappell, Charley Hoffman, Johnson, Martin Laird, Andrew Landry, Adam Scott, J.J. Spaun, Spieth and Jimmy Walker.
Johnson and Spieth join Hideki Matsuyama (2021), Scott (2013) and Vijay Singh (2000) to make five Green Jackets in this year’s Valero Texas Open field.
Current Valero Texas Open competitors Ludvig Åberg, Eric Cole, Austin Eckroat, Lee Hodges, Nicolai Højgaard, Denny McCarthy, Grayson Murray and Adam Schenk will be playing in their first Masters Tournament.
Other players currently scheduled to compete here who are Masters Tournament Invitees include: Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Ryan Fox, Lucas Glover, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Ryo Hisatsune, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Thorbjørn Olesen, Erik van Rooyen, and Camilo Villegas.
Past champions of the Valero Texas Open who have won golf’s first major championship of the year are: Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Burke, Jr., Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara, Johnson, Scott and Spieth.
PGA TOUR players have until Friday, March 29 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time to commit and can withdraw at any time.
Additional News and Notes:
- Tickets On Sale Now: Tickets to the Valero Texas Open are currently on sale via Ticketmaster and ValeroTexasOpen.com. As is customary, all net proceeds from the event will go to support hundreds of charity organizations throughout South Texas and well beyond.
- Night to Honor Our Heroes presented by Boeing: This year the event will feature two-time major champion John Daly and Combat Wounded Veteran Major Ed Pulido, U.S. Army (Ret.). The pair have joined forces to make a major impact on the world of philanthropy for America’s children, first responders and our nation’s Veterans. The Valero Texas Open’s long-standing tradition of celebrating “Military City, USA” continues this year as active military, wounded warriors and corporate supporters gather Friday night of tournament week on April 5 for this annual military appreciation banquet.
- Champions fore Charity: Champions fore Charity is a fundraising program that provides participating charities and schools the opportunity to generate contributions through the Valero Texas Open. The Champions fore Charity program distributed over $14.88M to charities, a part of the record-breaking $23 million raised by the tournament in 2023, bringing the grand total to $232 million in charitable giving from Valero Texas Open tournament proceeds.
The 2024 fundraising campaign is presently underway and will conclude April 15. Over 190 participating charities and school programs have already raised over $12.7 million to date. At the conclusion of the fundraiser, the charities will also receive several financial incentives including a 7% matching gift provided by the Valero Texas Open. To learn more and donate to your favorite charity and/or school visit, www.championsforecharity.com.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Opportunities are still available for individuals looking to support our charitable mission or interested in a behind-the-scenes look at conducting a PGA TOUR tournament. The Valero Texas Open utilizes approximately 2,100 volunteers across twenty-six committees to assist in staging and managing the tournament. Nearly 800 Valero employees are part of this volunteer effort.
Visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for all tournament news, updates, information and to purchase tickets.
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.
Media Contacts
Stephanie Sage
Valero Texas Open
Director, Marketing & Community Relations
210.345.3839 office
Lee Patterson
Valero Texas Open
Director, Media Relations
704.913.1088 mobile