The Valero Texas Open means we’re only one week away from The Masters, however, this event is going to be a fun precursor to Augusta National. Located at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course in San Antonio, Texas, a field of 156 golfers are preparing to tee it up on one of the best ball-striking courses on the PGA Tour circuit.
Corey Conners has won two of the past five events at Valero, including in 2023, but we’re going to be recommending other players to use for one-and-done pick’em and survivor leagues today. Don’t worry. There’s plenty of talented prospects who can get the job done this week.
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is back to provide his latest insights for why the following golfers warrant serious consideration to be the designated player in one-and-done golf leagues. Make sure to follow Matt on X @Matt_MacKay_ for more free betting insights and advice throughout the week!
Big Guns
Hideki Matsuyama
Nine-time PGA Tour winner, Hideki Matsuyama, is a great play in one-and-done leagues at Valero this week. Matsuyama ranks 38th SG: Approach, 1st SG: Around the Green, and fourth SG: Tee-to-Green. While his putting has been less than ideal, the Japanese native has gone T15 and T30 at Valero in two of his past three outings. His past three finishes include an outright win at Genesis, along with T12 at Arnold Palmer Invitational and T6 at The PLAYERS Championship, so Matsuyama is red-hot at the perfect time to tag him for one-and-done survivor leagues.
Ludvig Åberg
One of the trendy picks to win at Valero is Swedish golfer, Ludvig Åberg. He already has an outright win at the 2023 RSM Classic and managed a solo eighth-place finish at The PLAYERS Championship in his last outing. Åberg also has a T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a runner-up at Pebble Beach this season. Ranked 35th SG: Approach and inside the top-60 for SG: Putting, the Swede is among the best when it comes to using his driver. Valero suits his game, so this is a good time to make use Åberg in one-and-done leagues.
Secondary Options
Brian Harman
The last time Brian Harman competed at Valero, he missed the cut at even par. Since his win at the British Open a year ago though, Harman has evolved and looks more confident with his game. Ranked 28th SG: Putting and 50th SG: Approach, he’s top-30 when it comes to birdie or better conversion rate. The flat stick is Harman’s strength and when he does bogey, which is rare, he ranks seventh in bounce-back percentage. Harman is another solid choice to appoint as the primary golfer at Valero this week.
Keith Mitchell
Keith Mitchell is ranked 10th SG: Approach and 8th SG: Off-the-Tee. Yes, his putting has been bad, which cost him a chance to win at Valspar, but the 32-year-old Georgia native last managed a T17 finish at Valero back in 2021. He’s likely going to be a popular pick due to his ball-striking prowess, but if you still have him available to use, TPC San Antonio Oaks Course is a great spot to deploy Mitchell as he seeks his second career win on the PGA Tour.
Sneaky Plays
Billy Horschel
A golfer who has over half a dozen outright wins on the PGA Tour who remains undervalued is Billy Horschel. The Florida native is trending up at the right time, producing T12 and T7 finishes at Valspar and the Houston Open during the last two weeks. Horschel ranks 14th SG: Putting and 39th SG: Off-the-Tee, so if he can dial his irons in a bit, which are still inside of the top-60, he’ll make a run at the top of the leaderboard this week, despite his last appearance at this event resulting in a missed cut back in 2019.
Matti Schmid
German golfer, Matti Schmid, is another prospect rounding into form lately. The 26-year-old has gone T10-T26-T17-T21 in four consecutive events after missing six consecutive cuts to start 2024. Ranked 54th SG: Off-the-Tee and 72nd SG: Putting, the irons are a bit of a concern here. Still, it’s worth a shot using Schmid in one-and-done leagues, especially since he’s not a popular pick at Valero this week.
Favorite One-And-Done: Hideki Matsuyama
We’ve already detailed why Hideki Matsuyama belongs in the outright winner conversation at Valero this week. Whether it’s his ball-striking or off-the-tee ability, if his flat stick gets hot, as we’ve seen in past years and events earlier in the season, few golfers stand a chance to compete with Matsuyama atop the leaderboard. His win at Genesis came as a result of an unconscious final round of golf, where he continuously knocked down flagsticks with his approach shots. A winner at The Masters, which starts next week, Matsuyama will want to play his best golf to prepare. TPC San Antonio fits his game, so if you have Matsuyama, he’s a great prospect to consider using in one-and-done formats.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
