Valero Texas Open
Contents:
Field UpdateChampions fore Charity is Leading the Way
Volunteer Uniform Distribution This Weekend
Field Update
Player Commitments Include Past Champions, 2023 Masters Participants, Fan Favorites, Major Champions, and More

SAN ANTONIO, TX - The Valero Texas Open returns this spring for its 101st anniversary and tournament officials announced today more player commitments joining defending champion J.J. Spaun in the 144-man field. The historical PGA TOUR stop will once again be contested on TPC San Antonio's The Oaks course March 30 - April 2.

"Excitement is building as we make final preparations for this year's tournament. The player field is taking shape, our nearly 2,000 volunteers are gearing up, and the small city that we construct each year at TPC San Antonio is starting to rise," said Larson Segerdahl, Executive Director of the Valero Texas Open. "We look forward to welcoming this group of world class players to San Antonio as we kick off the tournament's next century."

Along with Spaun, those on the past champions list who are scheduled to appear are Corey Conners (2019), Andrew Landry (2018), Kevin Chappell (2017), Charley Hoffman (2016), Jimmy Walker (2015), and Martin Laird (2013).

Major champions joining Walker will be Francesco Molinari, the Italian who won the 2018 Open Championship and will be playing in the Masters, held the week after the VTO. Jason Dufner, winner of the 2013 PGA Championship, returns to San Antonio. Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion will compete. Harrington has won six times on the PGA TOUR and is currently active on the Champions Tour, where he has won four times.

Two players currently ranked among the top 35 in the world also committed last week. Tyrrell Hatton is ranked 24th and Ryan Fox is 32nd. Hatton, who hails from England, has won once on TOUR and six times on the DP World Tour while Fox is a three-time DP World Tour winner, having won twice last season. Both will be playing in the Masters as well.

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A foursome of fan favorites is coming to San Antonio and collectively they have 18 wins on TOUR. Matt Kuchar leads the group with nine victories and Luke Donald, this year's Ryder Cup captain for Europe, has five. Joel Dahmen, the breakout star from the popular Netflix docuseries Full Swing, and Cameron Champ have a combined four wins on TOUR.

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Texans Cole Hammer and Kyle Westmoreland will both make their Valero Texas Open debut. Westmoreland, who currently lives in Katy, earned status on the PGA TOUR via the Korn Ferry Tour finals last fall will make his first start at the VTO. The 31-year-old attended the United States Air Force Academy and in 2021 became the first graduate of that school to make the cut at the U.S. Open.

Hammer, a member of the 2022 National Championship University of Texas men's golf team, has enjoyed immediate success since turning professional last summer with a T27 and a T5 finish on the PGA TOUR already this season.

Two more international players joining the field include Kazuki Higa, who will be preparing for Masters week, and Nico Echavarria. Higa received an invitation to the Masters based on his performance on the Japan Tour in 2022. He won four times and was on top of the money list by season's end.

Echavarria earned his maiden TOUR win last week at the Puerto Rico Open. It will be the Colombian's first start in San Antonio.

PGA TOUR players have until Friday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time to commit and can withdraw at any time.

Tickets to the Valero Texas Open are now 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.

Visit ValeroTexasOpen.com for all tournament news, updates, information and to purchase tickets.

Champions fore Charity is Leading the Way
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Program Ambassador Randy Carroll
The 2022-2023 Champions fore Charity fundraising program recently hosted a Mid-Season Social on February 23 at Rock & Brews which provided a mid-season distribution of collected funds totaling $3.2M to 65 of the participating charities. Program Ambassador Randy Carroll with KJ 97 was on-hand to help celebrate the charities hard work and mid-season achievements and encourage the momentum to continue strong.

On March 1, participating organizations submitted commitments and contributions for the Zachry Group Pro-Am Charity Challenge incentive deadline. The Top 50 charities, based on amount raised to date, will each earn a $500 bonus and their organization will be represented by an amateur pro-am team playing the Zachry Group Pro-Am. Based on the team's performance, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place pro-am teams earns their respective charity additional incentive funds.

Champions fore Charity has raised over $9.1M to date, which is just shy of the $10M goal overall. Charities are striving to seek new donations before the 2023 fundraising campaign concludes on April 11. Participating organizations will receive 100% of the funds raised, plus a 7% matching gift on May 23 at the annual Celebration of Champions event.

You can be a champion to a charity close to your heart - there is still time to contribute and support these 180+ participating charities and school programs. You can make an impact today. To learn more and donate to your favorite cause, visit www.championsforecharity.com.

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Volunteer Uniform Distribution This Weekend
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The success of the Valero Texas Open is due in large part to over 2,000 volunteers who give generously of their time, talent and energy through our dynamic committees. Volunteers play an important role in the tournament's charitable mission to raise funds and awareness for hundreds of worthy causes throughout San Antonio and the South Texas region.

We are looking for volunteering enthusiasts with a passion to help and together create a fantastic Valero Texas Open experience for PGA TOUR players, corporate partners and spectators alike. As a volunteer you will receive benefits including grounds admission for guest, complimentary beverages and food during your shifts, volunteer polo & hat, tournament access all week and more! Volunteers who work over 18 hours receive one transferable appreciation golf round and those who volunteer over 30 hours receive two rounds of golf at TPC San Antonio.

For those who have already registered to volunteer - thank you! We look forward to seeing you this Friday and Saturday at uniform distribution.

Active-duty members of the military that register to volunteer at the Valero Texas Open will receive a 50% discount on the registration fee, compliments of Diligent Consulting Inc. Click here to verify your status and claim your discount.

If you haven't already ready registered, register by March 11 to secure your spot!

Register Now

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