Week 19 Approach Shots: Valero Texas Open

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HOT CHAMPION, NEW DATE: With one win already this season, at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Zach Johnson returns to defend his title at the Valero Texas Open. Last year's win in Texas was Johnson's fourth PGA TOUR title and first outside Georgia. He previously won the 2004 and 2007 AT&T Classic, as well as the 2007 Masters Tournament. Johnson began the 2008 Valero Texas Open final round trailing Rory Sabbatini by a stroke, but his 6-under 64 Sunday propelled him to a two-stroke win over three players.

Quick Facts

WHAT: 21st of 37 regular-season PGA TOUR events WHEN: May 14-17 WHERE: San Antonio, Texas COURSE: LaCantera Golf Club TV: 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET, Thurs.-Fri. on GOLF CHANNEL; 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. on CBS RADIO: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET Thurs.-Sun.. PGA TOUR Network (XM 146/SIRIUS 209) FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner KEY LINKS: Tee times | Leaderboard SHOT TRACKER | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

This season, besides his victory, Johnson has two other top-10 finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he finished third, and at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. At the season-opening event, he tied for sixth. Johnson is sixth in the FedExCup standings.

For the first time, the Valero Texas Open joins the PGA TOUR Regular Season as part of the race for the FedExCup title. In the first two years of the FedExCup, the Valero Texas Open was part of the PGA TOUR Fall Series.

VALERO NOTES: This is the first of three consecutive PGA TOUR tournaments in the Lone Star State. Following the Valero Texas Open, the TOUR will be in Irving for the HP Byron Nelson Championship followed by the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth. ...

Anthony Kim is making his third career start at the Valero Texas Open, having tied for second in his professional debut in 2006. Kim won two tournaments last year (Wachovia Championship and AT&T National) and finished fourth in the FedExCup standings. ...

Three-time Valero Texas Open champion Justin Leonard has had consistent success at the event. Leonard, who, besides his victories, also finished second in 1995 and 1998, is making his 12th Valero Texas Open start after a tie for 11th at LaCantera last year. ...

Brian Gay, who won the Verizon Heritage last month, is back in San Antonio. Gay has missed only one Valero Texas Open since 1999. His best finish was a tie for 10th in 2002. ...

As the third-oldest event on the PGA TOUR, the Valero Texas Open dates to 1922 when Bob MacDonald defeated Cyril Walker by a stroke at Brackenridge Park Golf Club in San Antonio. The Valero Texas Open also holds the distinction of being the longest-running event held in the same city. ...

In 2010, the tournament will be moving to the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio -- a Greg Norman design with player consultant Sergio Garcia. The 36-hole facility is adjacent to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. ...

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers is on the scene in San Antonio for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Albers:

It seems like we just left here, and in fact, the PGA TOUR was here just a few short months ago, but the Valero Texas Open has moved from an October date in the Fall Series into the middle of May and the FedExCup Season. It was hot here in October, and it's hot here in May, but the La Cantera Resort Course is a good deal greener thanks to an overseeding of ryegrass. With the overseed, the greens may be a touch slower than they were last fall.

Zach Johnson is the defending champion and points out that he seems to perform well on hilly courses -- TPC Sugarloaf in Atlanta, Augusta National and here at La Cantera, which has as much elevation change as any course on TOUR. Of course, the exception to that would be his victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii played at Waialae, which is pancake flat. What all of his wins do have in common is they came on courses that require players to control the trajectory of their golf balls.

Justin Leonard is a three-time winner of this event and certainly feels comfortable in the Hill Country; even though he lives in Dallas, he went to school at the University of Texas, which is just 100 miles away in Austin. Leonard always puts this event on the shedule, whether part of the Fall series or FedExCup because it's in his home state and leads the TOUR in charitable donations. The Valero Texas Open donates $8 million annually to various charities.

Weather forecast for the Valero Texas Open

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Isolated storms Temp: 96 high/74 low Mostly sunny Temp: 94 high/73 low Isolated storms Temp: 92 high/70 low Isolated storms Temp: 83 high/66 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

Valero Texas Open snippets

Major winners: In winning the '08 Valero Texas Open, Zach Johnson became the 21st winner of a major championship to win the event. Johnson finished the week ranked T4 in Fairways Hit and T3 in Greens in Regulation. Honoring heroes: The tournament is hosting a new military initiative on Wednesday night called "A Night to Honor our Heroes," which will be a nominal charity driver this year ($100,000 net new revenue). This dinner function will take place at Valero's headquarters and will feature country music star Clay Walker. Great music: There will be two evening concerts this year, sponsored by Pepsi. Thursday evening, immediately following play, spectators can ramp up for the weekend by attending a Robert Earl Keen concert at the Lion's Den facility. Saturday evening, on the same outdoor stage next to the ninth green, Texas Legend Jerry Jeff Walker will entertain the crowds with his infamous tunes. Military appreciation: Saturday is Armed Forces Day. The Valero Texas Open will be honoring the Armed Forces with a short celebration on the ninth green after play ends and prior to Walker's performance. The celebration will include the presentation of colors and the singing of the National Anthem.

In the spotlight

This week: Justin Leonard

Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM will spotlight one key player in the field. For this week's Valero Texas Open, it's three-time Texas Open champion Justin Leonard. Learn more about Justin

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 and 2011 • If a PGA TOUR member, 500 FedExCup points • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, '09 Memorial Tournament, '09 AT&T National, '09 World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational, '09 PGA Championship, 2010 SBS Championship and '10 Masters • If a U.S. player, 2,052,000 points towards making the 2009 Presidents Cup team

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 380-yard 16th at La Cantera LAST YEAR: The 16th played to a stroke average of 3.980, with players recording 1 eagle, 82 birdies, 260 pars, 55 bogeys and 9 double bogeys. DESCRIPTION: The day's flagstick placement is the key in determining a successful playing strategy on this drivable par 4. A three-quarter-acre fairway bunker dominates the left side of the fairway, and the player has the option of trying to drive the green or laying up over the single pot bunker in the center of the fairway. The lay-up shot will leave the player a short approach to the largest, most heavily contoured green on the LaCantera layout. Tiger Woods drove the green in 1996 but three-putted for par. (Click here for La Cantera tour)