2024 Valero Texas Open Field: 5 Biggest Names Missing From the 144-Player Field

The Valero Texas Open is set to start in just 3 days! Elite golfers like Matt Fitzpatrick, Harris English, Brian Harman, Collin Morikawa, and others are all set to mark their bests on the TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, an event worth $9.2 million.

Other than the few big names teeing it up in the 144-player field, some of the fan-favorite golfers have decided to sit out of the tournament. The tournament is the last one on the calendar before the Masters, and these players might just be busy practicing and making improvements.

Golfers who will be off the greens at the Valero Texas Open

Stephan Jaeger: Stephan Jaeger rose out as a star by defeating OWGR No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open! But it looks like, despite not giving out any clear reason for his withdrawal, it is pretty much evident why he did it. He got into the upcoming Masters Tournament, which is scheduled to begin in the next 10 days, through his first PGA Tour win. This is probably why the golfer must have chosen to shift his complete focus to winning the first major of the year!

Xander Schauffele: Xander Schauffele has been having quite a weird turn in the past two years, however, he sure came back with a bang at the onset of the PGA Tour 2024 season. He has managed to secure a total of six top 10 finishes till now, among which was a tie for the third position at the American Express and a tie for the second position at THE PLAYERS Championship. He was last seen playing in the Valspar Championship where he bagged a tied fifth position.

He is being rooted for by the golf community for his extra effort this year. However, looks like his main goal at the moment is the Masters, which is just a few days away from the concluding date of the Valero Texas Open. That is probably the reason why he won’t be appearing at the championship.

Justin Thomas: The PGA Tour 2024 has not been very lucky for Justin Thomas. Tumbling for a tie in the first position by opening with a birdie at the Valspar Championship, he dropped down to a tie for the 64th position. In the fourth round, he displayed worst putting of his career, and lost 7.034 strokes. Not being able to deliver a great performance, he has decided to enjoy two weeks off before he heads to his primary goal, the Masters.

Patrick Cantlay: Patrick Cantlay serves the PGA Tour as one of its player directors on the policy board. After playing in the PLAYERS and tying for the 68th position, he decided to take a break. He did not tee up at the Valspar, or Houston Open, and will be missing the Valero Texas Open as well.

Looks like his goal is pretty much clear. Having finished in the top 20 at the Augusta National in three of the past five years, his dream now definitely is to climb up the ladders, and looks like he is hell-bent on making it a reality this year!

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Scottie Scheffler: Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 golfer on the OWGR list. He started off his PGA Tour this year with an exceptional blow, winning both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and THE PLAYERS Championship. The entire golf community has been rooting for him and had expected him to grab his third win on the Tour. But entering the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he missed birdie putts of 11 and 5 feet in the final 2 holes and lost to Stephan Jaeger, and had to settle for T2. Now, he has his eyes set on the second green jacket of his career!

Who are you going to miss the most in the field? Who do you think will win the tournament before the Masters? Let us know in the comments below!

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