2026 Texas Open preview: Expert predictions, picks as Tommy Fleetwood leads a strong field into San Antonio
Fleetwood, Åberg, Spieth and more will get one more event in before the Masters
The final event on the PGA Tour schedule before the Masters is upon us at the Texas Open, and a number of big names are in San Antonio to sharpen their games before heading to Augusta National for the year's first major.
Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg, Russell Henley, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama are among the stars in the Lone Star State for a final tune-up for the Masters. Notably absent from that group is Collin Morikawa, who was in the field until Tuesday morning when he withdrew due to his lingering back injury suffered at The Players.
Morikawa was hoping to use the Texas Open as a way to shake off any rust and test his back before the Masters, but instead will opt for one more week of rest and join Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as favorites who will not have played any tournament golf between The Players and the Masters.
Even without the No. 8 player in the world, there will be plenty of star power on display in San Antonio this week, and all of the top stars in the field are searching for their first victory of the 2026 PGA Tour season.They'll all be looking to do what Brian Harman did a year ago and pick up a win at the Texas Open to carry some positive momentum into the Masters.
2026 Texas Open schedule
Dates: April 2-5
Location: TPC San Antonio (The Oaks Course) -- San Antonio, Texas
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,438 | Architect: Pete Dye & Greg Norman
Purse: $9,800,000
2026 Texas Open field, odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Tommy Fleetwood (29/2): Morikawa's withdrawal further condensed the top of the odds sheet, bumping Fleetwood into that top spot. We've yet to see the absolute best of Fleetwood this season. He hasn't quite recaptured the form that won him the Tour Championship last year and had him contending seemingly every week, but he still has three top 10s in four starts on the PGA Tour this season.
- Ludvig Åberg (31/2): Åberg will make his first start since his Sunday collapse at The Players, and we'll find out if he's been able to shake off that heartbreak and find the positives from another top 5 finish. Åberg has been striking it beautifully of late and even with that mini-meltdown at Sawgrass, he's finished T3 and T5 in his last two events as he builds momentum into the Masters.
- Russell Henley (35/2): Ball-striking is the name of the game at TPC San Antonio, which is why so many of the best in that category have climbed to the top of the odds sheet. That's Henley's game and he finished fourth here in his last start in San Antonio in 2024.
- Robert MacIntyre (35/2)
- Jordan Spieth (19-1)
- Si Woo Kim (41/2): Kim ranks fifth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach and 16th in strokes gained off the tee this season, which makes him a threat most anywhere but especially a course like this. The question is whether the putter can cooperate, as he's 139th in putting this season. If he can figure out how to get the ball rolling, he can be a serious threat this week.
- Hideki Matsuyama (22-1): Matsuyama was a menace to start the season on the West Coast, but cooled off on the Florida Swing. His stat profile this year has been a bit odd, as he's been stronger than usual with his putter (43rd), typically great with his irons (19th) but woefully bad with his driver (121st), which cost him the win in Phoenix. If he can get it straightened out off the tee, he will return to contention quickly.
- Maverick McNealy (47/2): It's been another solid start to the season for McNealy, but he's yet to hit that extra gear to really contend for a win. Perhaps a return to a course where he finished T3 a year ago can bring that out of him, as he looks to find his second PGA Tour win -- and first in the regular season.
- Rickie Fowler (27-1): Fowler leads the group of players seeking the final Masters invite that's up for grabs this week to the winner (if not already qualified). He needed a strong showing last week to jump into the top 50 in the world, but missed the cut and now has to dig deep to pick up his first win since 2023 if he wants to make it back to Augusta.
- Michael Thorbjornsen (28-1): Also on that list is Thorbjornsen, who came agonizingly close to earning his spot last week, only to struggle through another Sunday to slip down the leaderboard into T14 and end up four ranking spots out of an invite. The 24-year-old has looked dangerous multiple times this season, but has yet to figure out how to close out tournaments strong enough to capture that first PGA Tour victory.
2026 Texas Open picks
| Winner (19-1): Coming into the Masters it's all Scottie Scheffler this, Rory McIlroy that. Why not add some real chaos to the mix by throwing in a Jordan Spieth win the week before? Spieth's been trending in the right direction with his game in 2026 and is coming back to a course he's extremely comfortable at. He won this event in 2021, has finished top-12 the past two seasons -- even without his best stuff -- and has another runner-up in the past. Fans have been begging for a full return to form from Spieth, and it'd be incredible timing for him to get back in the winner's circle before going to Augusta National where he has so much history (good and bad). | |
| Contender (41-1): There aren't many guys that have played better on the whole this season than Hisatsune. He cooled off a touch in Florida after his blistering start on the West Coast, but he has still been rock solid. His ball-striking makes him a threat at a course that typically is a second-shot golf course. Hisatsune finished T5 here a year ago, so he should have some positive memories coming back to TPC San Antonio as well. | |
| Sleeper (68-1): Speaking of players on heaters, not many players in the world can claim to be in better form than Yellamaraju. He's coming off a T5 at The Players and a T6 at the Houston Open, and the Canadian rookie is absolutely brimming with confidence at the moment. He is among the players -- like Hisatsune -- gunning for a win and the final Masters invite available, and he's shown that he doesn't simply fade away on the weekend. | |
Who will win the 2026 Valero Texas Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 16 golf majors heading into the weekend, and find out.
