Valero Texas Open officials, joined by 2019 champion Corey Conners, at its annual Media Day press conference, kicked off the 2020 tournament campaign this past Monday with wide-ranging announcements highlighted by exciting tournament week activities and early player commitments.

The 2020 edition of the Valero Texas Open, which is scheduled for April 2-5 at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, will be the second of a 10-year contract extension between the PGA TOUR and Valero Energy Corporation; a deal which repositioned the tournament in a coveted slot on the TOUR schedule the week preceding The Masters.

PAST CHAMPION PLAYER COMMITMENTS: Corey Conners is one of eight (8) tournament champions in the past decade currently committed to the third oldest PGA TOUR event on the schedule. Among them are Andrew Landry (2018), Kevin Chappell (2017), Charley Hoffman (2016), local star and major champion Jimmy Walker (2015), Martin Laird (2013), Brendan Steele (2011) and two-time major champion and two-time Valero Texas Open winner Zach Johnson (2008 & 2009).

Players have until Friday, March 27 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time to commit to the Valero Texas Open. They can withdraw from the tournament at any time.

Valero Texas Open is pleased to announce that two hundred and six (206) charities and schools from San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi and surrounding cities have registered thus far to participate in the annual fundraising campaign previously known as Birdies for Charity; now Champions fore Charity.

In the spirit of the rebrand and new name to Champions fore Charity, we were honored to have Defending Champion Corey Conners and our 2015 Champion, Jimmy Walker in attendance Monday morning to help launch the 2019-2020 campaign alongside program Ambassadors Randy Carroll of KJ 97 and David Chancellor of News 4 San Antonio.

The fundraising program provides nonprofit organizations with an unique and engaging platform to solicit donations while keeping 100% of the funds raised plus incentives, including a 7% matching gift opportunity provided by the Valero Texas Open.

Individuals and corporations from anywhere around the world are encouraged to participate and support their favorite cause through Champions fore Charity while knowing contributions are tax deductible and are maximized through the financial incentives the Valero Texas Open provides to participating organizations.

In 2019, the Valero Texas Open’s Champions fore Charity campaign set a new fundraising record of $6.8M which contributed greatly to the tournament’s overall charitable fundraising total of $15M.

Registration is still open for prospective charities and schools looking for no-cost fundraising opportunities. To learn more and donate to your favorite charity and/or school visit, www.championsforecharity.com.

The 4th annual Dash to the VTO will be held on Saturday, March 28 and will include a 5k and one-mile run/walk race around TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course followed by a post-race party. It’s a chance for participants to get a sneak peek at the tournament layout prior to the PGA TOUR competition beginning later that week or to enjoy active time with friends and family in a beautiful environment. A fun event for the whole family, this race will also help raise funds and awareness for the Valero Texas Open’s Champions fore Charity fundraising campaign.

Race registration is now open. Visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for more details and to register.

Executing an event the size and scope of the Valero Texas Open requires a lot of support. In 2019, more than 2,000 individuals donated over 58,000 hours of their time toward the successful execution of the Valero Texas Open.

Volunteer opportunities for the 2020 tournament will be available beginning Monday, October 14th as volunteer registration opens to the public. Individuals are encouraged to learn about each of the 26 volunteer committees and their role in the tournament to determine their area of interest.

This year, in partnership with the PGA TOUR the Valero Texas Open was among the first of all tournaments to participate in a PGA TOUR-wide Volunteer Service Excellence Workshop conducted by The Disney Institute. The world renowned customer service experts encouraged and empowered volunteers to think differently about the front lines of customer service and to go above and beyond for our fans when the opportunity presents itself. As part of the launch of this initiative, every volunteer across the PGA TOUR events that participated in this Volunteer Service Excellence Program was entered into a drawing to win a $2,500 Disney gift card as well as a $1,000 MasterCard gift card. This past Monday during the press conference, we were pleased to announce that from the more than 3,500 participants across the country, the winner was a Valero Texas Open volunteer and was fortunate enough to surprise Jory Cantanzaro with his prize during the remarks. Jory was a first year volunteer on our ShotLink Committee and was recruited to be a volunteer by a co-worker and friend at Accenture. He was quite excited and graciously accepted the prize and mentioned that he knew it would be put to good use with his children. He was excited to pick-up his children that afternoon from school wearing his Mickey Mouse ears. Corey Conners, Defending Champion along with Executive Director, Larson Segerdahl and 2020 Tournament Chairman, Eric Fisher, presented Jory Cantanzaro his Disney prize.

Volunteering at the Valero Texas Open can be a very rewarding experience, with or without incredible prizes. We encourage people across our community who are looking for ways to get involved to learn more about our various volunteer committees and register beginning this coming Monday, October 14.

Visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com to learn more and register.