Valero Texas Open Tips: Three each-way picks to follow

The PGA Tour moves to the Lone Star State this week for the Valero Texas Open, where many players are attempting to book a last-gasp ticket to the first Major of the season.

Next week's Masters at Augusta National is the talk of the golfing world. One spot for that Georgia showpiece has been reserved for the Texas Open champion. Billy Horschel, for example, is teeing up in Texas in the hope of gaining late qualification for the Masters.

Rory McIlroy does not have to worry about getting into the Masters, but the four-time Major champion has entered the Texas Open looking for some pre-Augusta form. McIlroy's Ryder Cup colleague, Ludvig Aberg, is also in attendance at TPC San Antonio this week.

Corey Conners

Canadian ace Corey Conners is looking to complete a Texas Open hat-trick this week and there seems every chance of him succeeding.

Conners is at his favourite course this week as this is the venue where he made his PGA Tour breakthrough in 2019, having come through a Monday qualifier just to get into the event.

Conners carded a sensational 20-under-par winning total five years ago, setting a 72-hole record which has yet to be broken, then he won at TPC San Antonio again 12 months ago.

Given the way Conners has stepped up a gear in recent weeks, finishing 18th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 13th in the Players Championship, it seems likely he gets into contention again.

Alexander Noren

An overdue PGA Tour breakthrough could be coming for experienced Swede Alex Noren, who finished 15th on his Texas Open debut last year.

The 41-year-old is a ten-time champion on the DP World Tour and he was part of a winning Ryder Cup team in 2018. A PGA Tour triumph would be the icing on the cake of a great career.

Noren has excelled in Texas before in the WGC-Match Play, which used to be staged in Austin. He was a quarter-finalist in the 2017 event and finished third in 2018.

The Florida-based star has returned to the Lone Star State this week in rock-solid form, having finished ninth in the Cognizant Classic, 19th in the Players Championship and 11th in the Houston Open, where nobody outscored him over the weekend.

Noren will be thrilled to have got a late tee-time on Thursday, with the late-early side of the draw set to get the best conditions.

Pierceson Coody

Massive odds are available about rising star Pierceson Coody, who has already won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Coody was born in Texas and graduated from the University of Texas, before going on to establish himself as a prolific winner of low-grade events.

Coody is yet to make a huge impact on the PGA Tour, but this week's home-state gig seems a great opportunity, particularly given his seemingly favourable set of tee-times.