Latest News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2025

First Round Notes

Weather: Mostly cloudy morning and sunny afternoon. High of 92. Wind SSE 5-12 mph, gusting to 18 mph.

First-Round Leaderboard

1	Sam Ryder	63	(-9)
2	Keith Mitchell	64	(-8)
3	Brian Harman	66	(-6)
T4	Carson Young	67	(-5)
T4	Jordan Spieth	67	(-5)

Sam Ryder (1st/-9)

Second career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR; 0-for-1 converting to victory (T1/2023 Farmers Insurance Open/finished T4)
Bogey-free 63 is his lowest score in 19 career rounds played at TPC San Antonio (previous: 66, R4/2023, R2/2019)
Marks his lowest round of the season (previous: 64/R1/Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches/finished T48)
Fifteenth straight par-or-better opening round on TOUR
Sixth player to record a score of 63 or better at the Valero Texas Open since the event moved TPC San Antonio in 2010, first since Denny McCarthy in the final round last year
Birdied six of his final seven holes (Nos. 12-14 and 16-18)
Recorded 15 one-putts, a new career best on TOUR (previous: 13/R4/2020 WM Phoenix Open)
Led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (5.353)
In six career starts at the Valero Texas Open, has one top-10 finish (2023/T3)
Made the cut in all nine starts this season, totaling four top-25 finishes, highlighted by a T14 at THE PLAYERS Championship

Keith Mitchell (2nd/-8)

Cards bogey-free 8-under 64 with six birdies and an eagle (par-5 No. 8); played Nos. 8-11 at 5-under (E-B-B-B), tying his career-best birdie/eagle streak of four (R4/2023 World Wide Technology Championship)
Led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (5.464) and Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (4.496)
Lowest score in 13 career rounds in the Valero Texas Open (previous best: 69, three times, most recently R4/2024)
Making his fourth career start at the Valero Texas Open (2024/T14, 2021/T17, 2018/T26)
In eight starts this season, has three top-25 finishes, highlighted by a T18 at last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open

Miscellaneous notes

Brian Harman (3rd/-6) records his lowest score in 25 career rounds at the Valero Texas Open (previous best: 68/R4/2024); sits inside the top 10 after 18 holes for the first time since 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge (T2/finished T24)
2021 Valero Texas Open champion Jordan Spieth (T4/-5) sits inside the top four after 18 holes for the first time since the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship (18-hole solo leader/finished T6); in eight career starts at the Valero Texas Open, has four top-10 finishes (2024/T10, 2021/Won, 2015/2nd, 2014/10th)
Carson Young (T4/-5), in his ninth TOUR start this year, sits inside the top five after 18 holes for the first time since the 2023 Barracuda Championship (T5/finished 43rd)
In his seventh career TOUR start, amateur Ben James (T6/-4) opens with a 68 via six birdies and two bogeys; earned a sponsor exemption this week by virtue of winning the 2024 Valero Texas Collegiate; University of Virginia junior is ranked No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
Corey Conners, two-time winner of the Valero Texas Open (2019, 2023), sits T43 following a 1-under 71
Defending champion Akshay Bhatia (T103/+2) records one birdie against three bogeys for a 2-over 74

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 produces low-carbon fuels including renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with a production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. See our annual report on Form 10-K for more information on SAF. Valero also owns 12 ethanol plants located in the U.S. Mid-Continent region with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.7 billion gallons per year. Valero manages its operations through its Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol segments. Please visit valero.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. Valero employees logged more than 133,000 volunteer hours in 2024 for hundreds of community projects. Valero funds various nonprofit agencies for programs and services supporting education, basic needs, health care, and civic initiatives. Through the overwhelming support of business partners, sponsors, and donors, the Valero Texas Open and the Benefit for Children generated more than $24 million in 2024 for charities in 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 2024 champion Akshay Bhatia 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 $256 million to hundreds of worthy charities since inception. Please visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X (@ValeroTXOpen) 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