Latest News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2025
Four of the World’s Top 12 PGA TOUR Players Highlight List of Early Commitments
Night to Honor Our Heroes Presented by USAA to feature Jack Nicklaus
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Tournament officials announced today the first of several early player commitments for the 103rd anniversary of the Valero Texas Open that includes four of the top twelve players in the world—Collin Morikawa (No. 4), Ludvig Åberg (No. 6), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 11), Patrick Cantlay (12).
San Antonio’s historical PGA TOUR event returns this spring to TPC San Antonio’s The Oaks course for the 16th year, March 31-April 6, a week preceding the Masters Tournament.
Morikawa, a two-time major champion, was T75 here last year before finishing T3 at the Masters Tournament the following week. Åberg was T14 in San Antonio last year and finished solo runner-up at the Masters Tournament while Fleetwood recorded a T7 here and a T3 a week later in Augusta. Cantlay will be making his first appearance at the Valero Texas Open. The eight-time PGA TOUR winner, was T22 at the Masters Tournament a year ago.
In addition to these four highly ranked players, past champions of the Valero Texas Open—Akshay Bhatia (2024), Corey Conners (2019, 2023), JJ Spaun (2022), Charley Hoffman (2016), and Zach Johnson (2008, 2009)—announced their intentions to join the field of competitors.
Brian Harman, The Open Championship winner in 2023, as well as six-time PGA TOUR winner Max Homa, who finished T3 at the Masters Tournament a year ago, will also return to compete in the tournament.
Tournament officials also announced today that a Night to Honor Our Heroes presented by USAA will feature World Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Nicklaus.
“I greatly appreciate the Valero Texas Open inviting me to be a part of their event and pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country,” Nicklaus said. “I never had the opportunity to serve our country, but I have always had an enormous respect, admiration and heartfelt appreciation for those who have.”
The Valero Texas Open’s long-standing tradition of celebrating “Military City, USA” continues this year as active military, wounded veterans, and corporate supporters gather Friday night of tournament week on April 5 for this annual military appreciation banquet.
PGA TOUR players have until Friday, March 29 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time to commit and can withdraw at any time.
Additional News and Notes:
- Tickets On Sale Today: Tickets to the Valero Texas Open go on sale today at Noon CT via www.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.
- Champions fore Charity: Champions fore Charity is a fundraising program that provides participating charities and schools the opportunity to generate contributions through the Valero Texas Open. The Champions fore Charity program distributed over $17.7M to charities, a part of the record-breaking $24 million raised by the tournament in 2024, bringing the grand total to $256 million in charitable giving from Valero Texas Open tournament proceeds.
The 2025 fundraising campaign is presently underway and will conclude at the end of March. Over 230 participating charities and school programs have already raised over $7.7 million to date. At the conclusion of the fundraiser, the charities will also receive several financial incentives including a 7% matching gift provided by the Valero Texas Open. To learn more and donate to your favorite charity and/or school visit, www.championsforecharity.com.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Opportunities are still available for individuals looking to support our charitable mission or interested in a behind-the-scenes look at conducting a PGA TOUR tournament. The Valero Texas Open utilizes approximately 2,100 volunteers across twenty-four committees to assist in staging and managing the tournament through its Volunteer Program presented by Frost Bank. Nearly 700 Valero employees are part of this volunteer effort.
Visit www.ValeroTexasOpen.com for all tournament news, updates, information and to purchase tickets.
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
