Sky Sports Golf pundit Gary Christian says this week’s Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio can be one of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour.
Christian told Sky Sports : “This week we head to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, and the TPC San Antonio can be a brutally difficult golf course. When the wind gets up there, it’s one of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour.
“It’s not as tight as Hilton Head but, unlike most courses in the United States, there’s a lot of trouble to be found if you miss the fairways. There’s scrubland, thick bushes, and plenty of trees on both sides, as well as thicker rough than the players, are normally used to.
“At just under 7,500 yards long, it’s also one of the longer courses on Tour, and if the wind starts gusting at 20mph – which is highly likely – it’s a really tough test. I played it twice and it was just too much for me.
“It has been softened a little as a lot of players found it too difficult when it first appeared on the schedule, but it is still a supreme test of ability. Having said that, it is a great mix, with a couple of short par-threes and a few par-fours that can be attacked.
“Accuracy off the tee is going to be a huge advantage this week, and with the course being so long, we’ll see a lot more drivers hit than at Hilton Head. But if you’re going into the greens from the three-inch rough too often, it will be very difficult to be competitive.”
