The Valero Texas Open came to a close recently and had plenty of twists during this event. Most of the betting favorites either missed the cut or were outside of the top 10, besides a select few.
JJ Spaun seemingly came out of nowhere to win this event and earn his first-ever trip to the Masters. Below you can see how he did and what other players were close to winning.
Who is the Winner?
JJ Spaun was at risk of losing his PGA Tour card if he did not come up with a victory or top performance soon. Out of 147 Tour starts, he finally got it done this time around and was able to take home $1,548,000.
When he began the final round, he had a share of the lead at 10 under. To make things more dramatic, he opened the round with a double bogey. Thankfully, his patience earned him a victory.
He was able to recover with birdies on holes six, eight, and another one at ninth. After these few birdies, he began thinking more positively about the situation.
On the back nine, he landed two additional birdies and seven pars to finish the day three under and 13 under total for the event. This was a two-shot lead against the competition, allowing him to claim his victory.
In previous years playing here, he placed 49th in 2017, tied for 26th in 2018, and missed the cut in both 2020 and 2021. This time around, he ranked fifth for strokes tee to green and played like he owned the course.
Top Players in the Field Performances
Matt Kuchar had a solid final day of play to capture a share of second place. In addition, he was able to take home $765,400 for his trouble.
Matt Jones also finished second and took home $765,400. The 83rd ranked golfer in the world had an excellent final day, posting six under, and was roaring back to win this event on the final day.
Adam Hadwin was one of the few betting favorites to finish at a respectable place. He tied for fourth with five-under on the final day and 10 under total. He was able to cash in $344,000 for his hard work.
Charles Howell III played excellently, despite not winning this event. He tied for fourth place with 10 under and a check for $344,000. In addition, he was able to record his 98th top 10 finish in 603 starts playing on the PGA Tour.
Surprising Results
Rory Mcllroy was one of the betting favorites, if not the overall favorite, to win this event. In past years, he would skip this event to get some rest before the Masters.
This time around, he would ultimately play to keep himself in form and mentally tough before playing for a green jacket. However, he failed to make the cut.
In addition, Bryson DeChambeau was another attempting to get some shots in. He, too, failed to make the cut after a triple bogey to start the tournament.
