Valero Texas Open Winners and History
The third oldest event on the PGA Tour, the Valero Texas Open started life as the Texas Open in 1922. While it has always been played in San Antonio, the venue as well as the name have changed over the years. It was variously known as the Texas Open, San Antonio Texas Open, Texas Open Invitational, San Antonio Open Invitational. It was the HEB Texas Open from 1990 – 1993, the La Cantera Texas Open from 1995 – 1997, the Westin Texas Open from 1998 – 2000 and since 2002, the Valero Texas Open.
Valero is a Fortune 500 oil and gas company based in San Antonio. In spite of the rumors in my area, it is NOT owned by the dictators in Venezuela. The name comes from Misión San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo.
The Texas Open has been held at a large number of venues over the years. It was played at Brackenridge Park Golf Course from 1922 to 1940, with a brief 1927-1928 switch to the Willow Springs Golf Course. It returned to that course from 1941 – 1949. Willow Springs Golf Club was the host from 1941 – 1949; and then either Brackenridge Park or the Ft. Sam Houston Golf Course until 1960. From 1961 – 1966, it was played at Oak Hills Country Club, before moving for the 1967 – 1970 seasons to Pecan Valley Golf Club. The years 1972 – 1976 found the tournament at Woodlake Golf Club. Oak Hills Country Club got the tournament back from 1977 to 1994. From 1995 – 2009, it was played at the Resort Course at La Cantera. Finally, in 2010, it began playing at the TPC at San Antonio.
The tournament is notable for several reasons. First, it was there in 2003 that Tommy Armour set a PGA Tour record low score of 254 for a 72 hole tournament. The Tour’s first 60 was shot there in 1951 by Al Brosch. It’s also the site of Texas native and PGA Tour legend Ben Crenshaw’s first Tour victory.
The List of Valero Texas Open Winners Follows:
| Year | Player | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valero Texas Open | ||||
| 2024 | Akshay Bhatia | 268 | -20 | Playoff |
| 2023 | Corey Connors | 273 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| 2022 | J.J. Spaun | 275 | -13 | 2 strokes |
| 2021 | Jordan Spieth | 270 | -18 | 2 strokes |
| 2020 | Cancelled COVID | |||
| 2019 | Corey Connors | 268 | -20 | 2 strokes |
| 2018 | Andrew Landry | 271 | -17 | 2 |
| 2017 | Kevin Chappell | 276 | -12 | 1 |
| 2016 | Charley Hoffman | 276 | -12 | 1 |
| 2015 | Jimmy Walker | 277 | −11 | 4 strokes |
| 2014 | Steven Bowditch | 280 | −8 | 1 stroke |
| 2013 | Martin Laird | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 2012 | Ben Curtis | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes |
| 2011 | Brendan Steele | 280 | −8 | 1 stroke |
| 2010 | Adam Scott | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke |
| 2009 | Zach Johnson (2) | 265 | −15 | Playoff |
| 2008 | Zach Johnson | 261 | −19 | 2 strokes |
| 2007 | Justin Leonard (3) | 261 | −19 | Playoff |
| 2006 | Eric Axley | 265 | −15 | 3 strokes |
| 2005 | Robert Gamez | 262 | −18 | 3 strokes |
| 2004 | Bart Bryant | 261 | −19 | 3 strokes |
| 2003 | Tommy Armour III | 254 | −26 | 7 strokes |
| 2002 | Loren Roberts | 261 | −19 | 3 strokes |
| Texas Open at La Cantera | ||||
| 2001 | Justin Leonard (2) | 266 | −18 | 2 strokes |
| Westin Texas Open at La Cantera | ||||
| 2000 | Justin Leonard | 261 | −19 | 5 strokes |
| Westin Texas Open | ||||
| 1999 | Duffy Waldorf (2) | 270 | −18 | Playoff |
| 1998 | Hal Sutton | 270 | −18 | 1 stroke |
| La Cantera Texas Open | ||||
| 1997 | Tim Herron | 271 | −17 | 2 strokes |
| 1996 | David Ogrin | 275 | −13 | 1 stroke |
| 1995 | Duffy Waldorf | 268 | −20 | 6 strokes |
| Texas Open | ||||
| 1994 | Bob Estes | 265 | −19 | 1 stroke |
| H.E.B. Texas Open | ||||
| 1993 | Jay Haas (2) | 263 | −21 | Playoff |
| 1992 | Nick Price | 263 | −25 | Playoff |
| 1991 | Blaine McCallister | 269 | −11 | Playoff |
| 1990 | Mark O’Meara | 261 | −19 | 1 stroke |
| Texas Open | ||||
| 1989 | Donnie Hammond | 258 | −22 | 7 strokes |
| 1988 | Corey Pavin | 259 | −21 | 8 strokes |
| 1987 | No tournament – club hosted the inaugural Tour Championship | |||
| Vantage Championship | ||||
| 1986 | Ben Crenshaw (2) | 196^ | −14 | 1 stroke |
| Texas Open | ||||
| 1985 | John Mahaffey | 268 | −12 | Playoff |
| 1984 | Calvin Peete | 266 | −14 | 3 strokes |
| 1983 | Jim Colbert | 261 | −19 | 5 strokes |
| 1982 | Jay Haas | 262 | −18 | 3 strokes |
| 1981 | Bill Rogers | 266 | −14 | Playoff |
| San Antonio Texas Open | ||||
| 1980 | Lee Trevino | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke |
| 1979 | Lou Graham | 268 | −12 | 1 stroke |
| 1978 | Ron Streck | 265 | −15 | 1 stroke |
| 1977 | Hale Irwin | 266 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 1976 | Butch Baird | 273 | −15 | Playoff |
| 1975 | Don January | 275 | −13 | Playoff |
| 1974 | Terry Diehl | 269 | −19 | 1 stroke |
| 1973 | Ben Crenshaw | 270 | −14 | 2 strokes |
| 1972 | Mike Hill | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes |
| 1971 | No tournament | |||
| San Antonio Open Invitational | ||||
| 1970 | Ron Cerrudo | 273 | −7 | 5 strokes |
| Texas Open Invitational | ||||
| 1969 | Deane Beman | 274 | −10 | Playoff |
| 1968 | No tournament – club hosted 1968 PGA Championship | |||
| 1967 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | 277 | −7 | 1 stroke |
| 1966 | Harold Henning | 272 | −8 | 3 strokes |
| 1965 | Frank Beard | 270 | −10 | 3 strokes |
| 1964 | Bruce Crampton | 273 | −7 | 1 stroke |
| 1963 | Phil Rodgers | 268 | −12 | 2 strokes |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (3) | 273 | −11 | 1 stroke |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer (2) | 270 | −10 | 1 stroke |
| 1960 | Arnold Palmer | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes |
| 1959 | Wes Ellis | 276 | −8 | 2 strokes |
| 1958 | Bill Johnston | 274 | −10 | 3 strokes |
| 1957 | Jay Hebert | 271 | −13 | 1 stroke |
| 1956 | Gene Littler | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes |
| Texas Open | ||||
| 1955 | Mike Souchak | 257 | −27 | 7 strokes |
| 1954 | Chandler Harper | 259 | −25 | 2 strokes |
| 1953 | Tony Holguin | 264 | −20 | 1 stroke |
| 1952 | Jack Burke, Jr. | 260 | −24 | 6 strokes |
| 1951 | E. J. Harrison (2) | 265 | −19 | Playoff |
| 1950 | Sam Snead (2) | 265 | −19 | 1 stroke |
| 1949 | Dave Douglas | 268 | −16 | 1 stroke |
| 1948 | Sam Snead | 264 | −20 | 2 strokes |
| San Antonio Texas Open | ||||
| 1947 | Ed Oliver | 265 | −19 | 1 stroke |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | 264 | −20 | 6 strokes |
| Texas Open | ||||
| 1945 | Sammy Byrd | 268 | −16 | 1 stroke |
| 1944 | Johnny Revolta | 273 | −11 | 1 stroke |
| 1943 | No tournament due to World War II | |||
| 1942 | Chick Harbert | 272 | −12 | Playoff |
| 1941 | Lawson Little | 273 | −11 | 3 strokes |
| 1940 | Byron Nelson | 271 | −13 | Playoff |
| 1939 | E. J. Harrison | 271 | −13 | 2 strokes |
| 1935–38: No tournament | ||||
| 1934 | Wiffy Cox | 283 | −5 | 1 stroke |
| 1933 | No tournament | |||
| 1932 | Clarence Clark | 287 | 3 | 1 stroke |
| 1931 | Abe Espinosa | 281 | −3 | 2 strokes |
| 1930 | Denny Shute | 277 | −7 | 3 strokes |
| 1929 | Bill Mehlhorn (2) | 277 | −7 | 4 strokes |
| 1928 | Bill Mehlhorn | 297 | 13 | 1 stroke |
| 1927 | Bobby Cruickshank | 292 | 8 | 3 strokes |
| 1926 | Macdonald Smith | 288 | 4 | 1 stroke |
| 1925 | Joe Turnesa | 284 | E | 1 stroke |
| 1924 | Joe Kirkwood, Sr. | 279 | 7 strokes | |
| 1923 | Walter Hagen | 279 | Playoff | |
| 1922 | Bob MacDonald | 281 | 1 stroke |
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I worked the 1997 La Cantera Texas Open; it was a tough course and the temps (and humidity) were high.
And not to be picky, but it’s “Brackenridge Park”. Though I’ve heard it called other, less charitable, names.