Strong Field Confirmed For Final PGA Tour Event Before The Masters

Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa are among the big names appearing

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Valero Texas Open is the final stop on the PGA Tour before The Masters.

As a result, some big names will be at the TPC San Antonio event to ensure they’re firing on all cylinders before heading to Augusta National.

The highest-ranked player in the field is World No.4 Tommy Fleetwood, who will be looking for his first PGA Tour win since finally clinching his maiden title – and the FedEx Cup – at the 2025 Tour Championship.

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He’ll be joined by the player ranked eighth in the world, Collin Morikawa, in what will be his first start since withdrawing from The Players Championship with injury after one hole.

The American is having a good season, having made a 72nd hole birdie to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He will be hoping for another strong performance before bidding to reach the three-quarter stage of his career Grand Slam at The Masters, having previously won the US Open and The Open.

The final member of the world’s top 10 heading to the event is ninth-placed Russell Henley, who is seeking his sixth PGA Tour title.

A year ago, Brian Harman won by three, and he returns to the scene of that success looking for his first title since.

Brian Harman with the Valero Texas Open trophy — Brian Harman is the defending champion

Other former winners in the field include 2022 champion JJ Spaun and Jordan Spieth, who took the honors the year before.

When Spaun won four years ago, it handed him the final place in The Masters field, and the winner of the 2026 edition will also book their spot at Augusta National if not otherwise exempt.

There are plenty more big names in the field, with two-time PGA Tour winner Robert MacIntyre, who placed fourth at The Players Championship, appearing, along with Sepp Straka, who had two PGA Tour victories in 2025.

For much of The Players Championship, Ludvig Aberg appeared in control of proceedings in pursuit of his third PGA Tour title.

His fortunes unraveled late on to leave him settling for a T5, and he’ll be looking to put that disappointment behind him with his first appearance since the TPC Sawgrass tournament.

Ludvig Aberg at The Players Championship — Ludvig Aberg makes his first appearance since The Players Championship

Hideki Matsuyama is another big name to look out for, as he sharpens his game before the chance to win The Masters for the second time, having initially claimed the Green Jacket in 2021.

Gary Woodland, who led at the halfway stage of the Texas Children’s Houston Open, will also play, along with the likes of Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Tom Kim, Maverick McNealy and Marco Penge.

The event begins on Thursday April 2nd.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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