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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2019

First Round Notes

Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 85. SW wind 10-15 mph.

First-Round Leaderboard

1 Si Woo Kim66(-6)
T2Abraham Ancer67(-5)
T2J.T. Poston67(-5)
T2Brian Stuard67(-5)
T2Jhonattan Vegas67(-5)

Things to Know

Si Woo Kim makes 106 feet of putts en route to 6-under 66

San Antonio resident Abraham Ancer offsets even-par front nine with a 5-under 31 on the inward half

Despite fighting a fever and allergies, Jhonattan Vegas opens with 67

In his first start at the Valero Texas Open, Rickie Fowler opens with 68

2015 Valero Texas Open runner-up Jordan Spieth opens with a 4-under 68 in fifth Valero Texas Open start

First-Round Lead Notes

Through 22 events this season, five first-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win, most recently being J.B. Holmes at the Genesis Open

Since 2000, only Justin Leonard (2000) and Robert Gamez (2005) have converted a first-round lead/co-lead into a win at the Valero Texas Open

At last year’s Valero Texas Open, Grayson Murray led by a shot with a 5-under 67, before finishing T16

Si Woo Kim (1st/66)

Entering the Week
23Age (June 28, 1995)
#34FedExCup
#61Official World Golf Ranking
116PGA TOUR starts
2PGA TOUR wins
13PGA TOUR starts in 2018-19
3PGA TOUR top-10s in 2018-19
3Starts at Valero Texas Open

Made seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch (Nos. 17, 18, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) en route to a 6-under 66

Made 105’ 10” of putts in round one

Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Total (5.399)

Takes his first 18-hole lead/co-lead on the PGA TOUR

Making his fourth consecutive start at the Valero Texas Open; T45/2018, T22/2017, MC/2016

Is making his 14th start of the 2018-19 season, highlighted by three top-10 finishes; T10/CIMB Classic, T4/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, 3rd/Genesis Open

In search of his third career PGA TOUR win and first since the 2017 PLAYERS Championship

Abraham Ancer (T2/-5)

San Antonio resident followed an even-par front with birdies at Nos. 10, 11, 14, 17 and 18, good for a 31 on the inward nine

Is making his third start in the Valero Texas Open; T42/2016, T58/2018

Is making his 14th start on the PGA TOUR this season, having finished inside the top 10 at the CIMB Classic (T5) and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (T4)

In his last two starts before this week, finished T12 at THE PLAYERS Championship and T17 at last week’s World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play

Claimed five top-10 finishes last season on TOUR en route to a 60th-place finish in the FedExCup

Remains in search of his first career TOUR win in his 64th start this week

Has never finished better than T4 (two occasions)

J.T. Poston (T2/-5)

Made six birdies against one bogey to open his third Valero Texas Open with a 5-under 67

Finished T27 in 2017 and T30 in 2018 at TPC San Antonio

Lone top-10 finish in 14 starts this season is T7 at the Desert Classic

Made a return to the PGA TOUR this season by virtue of his 117th-place finish in the 2018 FedExCup

Remains in search of his first TOUR title in his 65th start this week

Miscellaneous Notes

Despite nearly withdrawing from the event Wednesday due to a fever and allergies, Jhonattan Vegas opened with a 5-under 67

Graeme McDowell, winner of last week’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, opened with a bogey-free, 3-under 69

A week removed from his T2 finish at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Houston resident Chris Stroud offset one bogey with five birdies to open with a 4-under 68 in his 12th start in the Valero Texas Open (withdrew after last year’s first round with a neck injury)

Nearby Boerne, Texas resident and 2015 Valero Texas Open winner Jimmy Walker opened with a 2-under 70

2018 first-round leader (67) Grayson Murray withdrew during round one with a back injury D.A. Points withdrew following his first round with a neck injury

Bogey-free rounds:

R1 (3): Ted Potter, Jr. (68), Graeme McDowell (69), Seamus Power (69)

Scoring Averages at TPC San Antonio:

RoundFront 9Back 9TotalCumulative
R136.24535.15471.399--
Early Scoring Average:71.58
Late Scoring Average:71.22
Hardest hole:Par-4 fourth (4.245)
Easiest hole:Par-5 14th (4.643)

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