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No. 28 Sam Burns Returns to the Place of his First PGA TOUR Start
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Tournament officials announced today the addition of Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Louisiana’s Sam Burns to the list of top-ranked players making early commitments for the upcoming Valero Texas Open.
San Antonio’s historical PGA TOUR event returns this spring to TPC San Antonio’s The Oaks course for the 16th year, March 31-April 6, a week preceding the Masters Tournament.
Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters Tournament, becoming the first Japanese player to win a men’s major championship. The 32-year-old has accumulated eleven PGA TOUR career wins and started this season with a victory at The Sentry, finishing 35-under par, a PGA TOUR record for 72 holes. In four prior appearances at the Valero Texas Open, the bronze medalist in the 2024 Olympic Games, best finishes are a T15 in 2023 and a T5 in last year’s edition of the tournament.
Burns, a five-time winner on the PGA TOUR, played in the Valero Texas Open, his first TOUR start, as an amateur in 2015 prior to attending LSU. Two of his wins have been in Texas—the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge and the 2023 WGC—Dell Technologies Match Play. Burns, ranked No. 28 in the world, will be returning for the first time in three years. His best finish here was a T23 in 2019. The 28-year-old has competed in two Presidents Cup and one Ryder Cup matches for Team USA in the past three years.
Currently, there are five players among the top 12 in the world who are committed— Ludvig Åberg (No. 4), Collin Morikawa (No. 5), Matsuyama (No. 6), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 10), Patrick Cantlay (No. 12).
Past champions of the Valero Texas Open scheduled to compete are Akshay Bhatia (2024), Corey Conners (2019, 2023), JJ Spaun (2022), Charley Hoffman (2016), and Zach Johnson (2008, 2009).
Brian Harman, The Open Championship winner in 2023, six-time PGA TOUR winner Max Homa, who finished T3 at the Masters Tournament a year ago, and fan-favorite Rickie Fowler, will also return to compete in the tournament.
PGA TOUR players have until Friday, March 28 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time to commit and can withdraw at any time.
As part of the tournament’s annual Champions fore Charity campaign, this afternoon, tournament officials will be distributing $5.2 million dollars to 88 participating charities. Since its kickoff in October the charitable program has raised more than $9 million dollars to-date and will continue to raise funds through donor pledges and contributions until April 14 in support of over 230 participating charities and schools.
Additional News and Notes:
 |  | Tickets Currently on Sale: Tickets to the Valero Texas Open are on sale via www.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 USAA: This year’s program will feature World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus.
“I greatly appreciate the Valero Texas Open for inviting me to be a part of their event and pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country. I never had the opportunity to serve our country, but I have always had an enormous respect, admiration and heartfelt appreciation for those who have,” Nicklaus said.
The Valero Texas Open’s long-standing tradition of celebrating “Military City, USA” continues this year as active military, wounded veterans, and corporate supporters gather Friday night of tournament week on April 4 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 $17.7M to charities, a part of the record-breaking $24 million raised by the tournament in 2024, bringing the grand total to $256 million in charitable giving from Valero Texas Open tournament proceeds.
The 2025 fundraising campaign is presently underway and will conclude April 14. Over 230 participating charities and school programs have already raised over $9 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-four committees to assist in staging and managing the tournament through its Volunteer Program presented by Frost Bank. Nearly 700 Valero employees are part of this volunteer effort. | |
Visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for all tournament news, updates, information and to purchase tickets.
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