News

Time For Texas – The Valero Texas Open

Published

16 years ago

May 11, 2010

After scintillating Sundays at Quail Hollow and Sawgrass it will be a tough go for the Valero Texas Open. The opening event of the Texas swing has big boots to fill if they want to keep the streak alive of compelling 2010 PGA Tour events.

Even with a new venue, TPC San Antonio AT&T Oaks Course designed by Greg Norman with the help of Sergio Garcia, it will be hard for hardcore golf fans to get fired up for this one. Take the field alone – gone are the Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwoods and in their place are the likes of Rich Barcelo, Matt Bettencourt, and Michael Connell. Thankfully 2010 two-time PGA Tour winner Ernie Els has decided to show up (his first-ever appearance) along with the Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson (2-time defending champion) and Justin Leonard. David Duval, John Daly, and Lee Janzen will also be around as they attempt to resurrect their careers.

The best news for all in the field is that the La Cantera Golf Club has been left behind in favor of the new layout affiliated with the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. La Cantera, at less than 7000 yards and playing to a par of 70, could not withstand the pressure of PGA Tour players. Take the example of 2009 winner Zach Johnson’s 3^rd round score of 60 or Tommy Armour III’s tournament record of 254 (2003) as testament to that. This is a tournament that dates back to 1922 and it deserves better than that.

In its place the PGA Tour has shuffled in 7522 yards of burly golf. Strong and lengthy par four and three holes are trademarks of the Oaks Course and the pros should have their hands full as they get to know the terrain. "The topographic subtleties of the rolling Texas Hill Country terrain, framed by magnificent stands of mature live oaks, create a pristine natural setting that is as playable as it is beautiful," says Greg Norman of The Oaks.

Of course, that is the man wearing his marketing hat. The player in Norman will probably be more interested this week to see the entire field push themselves to traverse his handiwork in a successful manner. His co-designer (more of a player consultant) Sergio Garcia, is in the field and we’ll soon see if his extra insight proves to his advantage.

If this event was still back at La Cantera then placing a bet that Zach Johnson would pick up his third consecutive win might be a safe gamble but with the new venue it could come down to other factors in picking a winner. Leonard is after his 4^th Texas Open win but the extra length of the course might keep him away from the hardware. Els is obviously the strongest player in the field but his missed cut at THE PLAYERS could work against him.

Poolies should take a hard look at Ben Crane who has a win this year and was in the mix for a time at Sawgrass. J.B Holmes could be a contender as well with length and quality play of late.

But if I had one player to call as a possible winner I would have to take Bo Van Pelt. He has been spending a lot of time on the leaderboards of late and he just might be the guy to grab the near $1.1 million prize the winner will receive this week.

Golf Channel has the early coverage and CBS picks up the weekend.

–

The report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.