TPC San Antonio Key Fantasy Stats

Valero Texas Open

March 31st – April 3rd, 2022

TPC San Antonio (ATT Canyons)

San Antonio, TX

Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,494

Purse: $8.6 million

with $1,548,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Jordan Spieth

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This is based on the most important stats for TPC San Antonio, based on data from the last year’s Valero Texas Open (won by Jordan Spieth), and using data from all the players in the field with stats from 2022. We take their rank for each stat and then add up the four categories.
The field’s scoring average at TPC San Antonio last year was 72.48, and it was the 14th hardest course on the PGA Tour. The event was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19, but in 2019 the course played to a 71.24 average and was the 28th highest on the PGA Tour. In the decade the Tour has been playing at TPC San Antonio, it’s the first time the field broke par. Previously the course had played hard. In the history of the PGA Tour, it’s one of the highest-scoring averages for a non-major. The biggest reason is the winds; the area is notorious for having winds. Back in 2019, there was rain, the course was soft, and lack of winds. In 2018 the course played to a 72.37 average, almost a shot around tougher than in 2019 as it ranked 12th. In 2017 the course played to a 72.85 average, the 10th hardest in 2016, the course to a 72.21 average, and the 17th hardest course. In 2015, with challenging conditions, the course played to a 74.52 average, the 2nd hardest course on Tour. So we can see, TPC San Antonio can be a brute between it being long, with heavy rough in the fairways, and demanding shots to the green.
So weather is always important for this week, and looking at the long-range forecast we can see it’s going to be pretty good with temperatures in the mid to high 80s each day and no rain. Now the winds will blow between 9 and 15 MPH, with Friday having winds of 15 mph and Sunday at 11 mph, which will be challenging for the players.

TPC San Antonio has been and could be one of the most challenging courses the Tour will see this year. Hitting it hard and far is important, last year it ranked 22nd out of 39 courses in driving distance (all 14 drives measured). So with an average drive of 290.2 years, players tend to use more drivers on this course and look to get it down the fairways and not lay up off the tee to avoid problems. Last year’s winner Jordan Spieth was T-15th in this stat as his average drive was 297.7 yards. In looking at the past winners of this event since it’s been played at the Canyons course in 2010, only three of the ten winners have been in the top ten in driving distance. Going a step further in looking at the list of winners, they have a lot of short hitters winning this event. Between 2017 and 2019, the three champions, Corey Conners, Andrew Landry, and Kevin Chappell, are in the bottom tier of driving. So long hitters don’t rule the roast at this venue.
So you may think on the other end of the spectrum, accuracy is essential. That’s not the case either. Of the last seven winners going back to 2014, only one champion was in the top-25 of driving accuracy, and that was 2019 winner Corey Conners who was T-7th in his victory.
Still, you can see those results in fairway accuracy. The course was 11th last year with a 55.03 average, it was 5th in 2019 with a 53.98 average, it was 19th on Tour in 2018 with a 58.02 average, so it’s crucial to place drives in the fairway.
But one of the keys is hitting greens. Last year the course was 9th in Greens in Regulation. In 2019, the course was 13th in greens in regulation and 9th in greens hit in 2018, which is very high, probably because of all the wind. Yes, the greens have been very tough to hit. In 2017 it was 3rd, in 2016, it was the 15th hardest, in 2015, it was the 2nd hardest greens to hit on Tour, and then between 2012 and 2019, all the winners were in the top-17 in greens in regulation, with 2019 winner Corey Conners, 2018 winner Andrew Landry, 2015 winner Jimmy Walker and 2012 champion Ben Curtis leading that stat. Now Jordan Spieth ruined this stat as he ranked T-57th in Greens in Regulation, the worst performance of a winner at TPC San Antonio. Despite that, our first key stat is strokes gained Tee-to-Green because you have to do well in this stat to win. Despite not hitting many greens, last year’s winner Spieth was 3rd in this key stat as the field made it the 11th hardest on Tour. in 2019, the course ranked T-7th as winner Corey Conners 2nd. In 2018 the course ranked T-6th in greens hit, with the winner Landry ranking 1st while 2017 champion Kevin Chappell ranking 2nd in this stat, 2016 winner Charley Hoffman was 10th in this stat, and 2015 winner Jimmy Walker was 3rd.

Just like we have seen the last couple of weeks on Tour, you have to scramble well if you miss fairways. Last year TPC San Antonio ranked 23rd while Spieth was 4th. In 2019 TPC San Antonio ranked 43rd in scrambling out of 49 courses meaning that players tended to get it up and down more than any other tour events. Now for winner Conners, he was terrible in this stat, ranking 70th and only getting it up and down 30.77% of the time. In 2018 TPC San Antonio ranked 23rd in scrambling on Tour, meaning that the pros were able to get up and down when missing greens, but winner Andrew Landry was 2nd in scrambling, getting it up and down in 15 of the 19 greens he missed.

Another essential item in doing well is putting. Last year the course ranked 11th in making putts inside 10 feet, with an average of 87.11% of putts made. Winner Spieth showed off how good his putting can be as he was T-5th in this stat, making 66 of 71 putts inside ten feet. In 2019 the course ranked 19th in making putts inside 10 feet with an 87.82 average, while Conners lacked in this stat, ranking T-50th, making only 65 of 75 putts. In 2018 the course ranked 10th in making putts from ten feet and in with an 86.82 average. Again, looking at our winner Landry’s profile, he ranked T-10th in this stat, completing 66 of 72 putts from ten feet and in.

Last is birdie average, and it’s hard to imagine, but the players only averaged making 3.30 birdies per round (rank T-16th) as Spieth made 24 birdies and was 1st. In 2019 3.68 birdies per round were made by the field as Corey Conners was first making 29 birdies for the week. In 2018 the course averaged 3.41 birdies per round. That ranked it 12th on Tour, while Landry won, making 21 birdies for the week, a 5.25 average.

*Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green: Stat is a great barometer on how players’ games are from tee to green, taking a combination of driving distance, driving accuracy, greens hit and proximity to the hole.

*Scrambling: So which course is tough to get it up and down on holes players miss the greens. Since all of the areas around the greens are mowed short and are left with really hard shots to get it close, scrambling is important. You are not going to be perfect so you have to make sure you can make pars from some tough places

*Putting inside 10 feet: Very easy, counts every putt from ten feet in to see who makes the most.

*Birdie Average: Average number of birdies made over the course of a round.

Players from this year’s field with stats from 2021 with 125 of the 144 players having stats:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

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