Dustin Johnson was set to enter the Valero Texas Open as the clear favorite to win the final warmup available ahead of the Masters. But when Johnson withdrew on Monday, Jordan Spieth moved into pole position to win at TPC San Antonio this weekend.
Johnson said he withdrew after considering how he wanted to prepare for the Masters.
Spieth looking forward to Masters
The world’s No. 1 ranked golfer initially committed to the Valero Texas Open after bowing out early at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, failing to advance out of pool play.
“After much careful thought over the weekend, I have decided to withdraw from the Valero Texas Open,†Johnson said in a statement. “I now plan to spend the week at home in preparation for next week’s Masters.â€
That leaves Spieth as the favorite to win the tournament. FanDuel Sportsbook lists Spieth at +1100 to win the Valero Texas Open, ahead of a few other notable names in a field that looks anything like a major.
Spieth says that playing in Texas will help prepare him for Augusta next week, and that he’s thinking about the Masters even as he gets ready for this weekend.
“Looking forward to next week only drives me more for this week, so I don’t think there’s difficulty in letting my mind wander and having that affect in any negative way,†Spieth told reporters. “The best way to prepare for next week is to win this week. That’s the most confidence you can gain out of this week is to win.â€
Tony Finau (+1300) closely follows Spieth in the betting odds. Finau is coming off a disappointing performance in the Match Play, also failing to get out of his pool behind Dylan Frittelli. Finau has finished in the top-10 five times this season, including back-to-back second-place results at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Invitational.
Scheffler ready to win Valero Texas Open
Scottie Scheffler sits third on the Valero Texas Open board at +1500. Scheffler impressed in the Match Play, making it all the way to the final before losing to Billy Horschel. He also earned top-10 finishes at the Phoenix Open and WGC-Workday Championship earlier this year, and that recent form has bettors believing the 24-year-old is on the verge of a breakthrough.
| Valero Texas Open Odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook) | |
| Jordan Spieth: +1100 | Tony Finau: +1300 |
| Scottie Scheffler: +1500 | Abraham Ancer: +1900 |
| Hideki Matsuyama: +1900 | Corey Conners: +2100 |
| Ryan Palmer: +2500 | Charley Hoffman: +2900 |
| Brendan Steele: +3100 | Cameron Tringale: +3300 |
Scheffler says he’s noticed the attention and appreciates that others believe in him.
“I think it’s awesome people have that confidence in me, I definitely have always had that confidence in myself,†Scheffler told reporters. “I think I played this event in 2019 when I was playing on the Web and I was just hoping to get my Tour card, and so just to have the opportunity to play in this event was awesome. Now, just playing a full schedule and coming out here with my game in pretty good shape, I definitely expect myself to be there late on Sunday with a chance to win.â€
Other notables who have staked a place among the favorites at the Valero Texas Open include Hideki Matsuyama (+1900), Abraham Ancer (+1900), and Corey Conners (+2100).